The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge: 1

This book is well written and packed with wisdom, an ideal read for those interested in learning how to live. One may reach a crossroads in life when the question comes 'what is the point of it all?'. How we answer changes everything from then on. Conclusions of 'there is no point' or 'to feel good' are most common, the first of which can lead to a very dark place indeed. Don Juan's approach is to say- no single thing matters, everything is equally important. That feeling good is valid, when your pleasure is gained from 'walking the path with a heart'; act from love and compassion, gain satisfaction from living the right way. A central concept of this book is that our perception of life is the root of our actions - we act upon what we see. Therefor, a fitting start to our endeavours is gaining True Sight, learning the influencing factors which negatively affect how we see - the main culprit being Fear. Look around and you will see how fear guides people: fear of being ugly, fear of being uncool, fear of our sexuality, fear of being poor, fear of death, loneliness. When we liberate ourselves from this we take the first step back to free choice, opening pathways to the Right things we were too scared to do before; with Faith in the light of Love and Truth. These books will enrich your life, showing a new way to see or affirming what you've already learned ~ spread the word.

For anyone who has the vaguest interest in shamanism, this is an essential text. It is Carlos Casteneda’s seminal work and in my opinion is a work of art. He has a very direct personal way of revealing his story, about an encounter with an ageing Native-American man of knowledge, who takes Carlos under his wing and reveals to him some of the secrets of shamanism. The range of psychedelics encountered are followed up in the book, after consumption, with vivid detail of the accompanying experiences. For me, the most rememberable tale in the book is Casteneda’s transformation into a crow. It seems really strange and bizarre and perhaps fiction but for anyone who has actually had a shamanic experience, the story has a real truth to it and is a perfect example of the mystic powers that true shamen can harness. As the author weaves his tale through the years of his tuition, we get more and more familiar with th very likeable character of Don Juan. This book was written many years ago, perhaps when psychedleic drugs were only truly starting to be explored properly in the West. The eradication of shamen and ancient belief systems by the rapidly advancing modern society, perhaps makes the mere existence of such wise teachers, an absolute rarity today. Carlos Casteneda found himself a genuine opportunity in learning from a great man who had not abandonned the ancient teachings to the modern world. the insights gathered in this book, give the layman a fundamental grasp of exactly what shamanism entails. It is a literary masterpiece and should not be missed out upon. https://wezgbooks.wordpress.com/2013/10/01/the-teachings-of-don-juan-a-yaqui-way-of-knowledge/

Book graded and priced fairly. Quick delivery time.

Excellent morals

I first read this book 50 years ago. It is about the teachings of a Mexican Yaqui Indian shaman named Don Juan Matus. Still fascinating and fresh. I recommend reading this unique book. A world classic.

I bought this book after reading it in Jack Kornfield's book 'A path with heart', I wasn't disappointed. The book follows the experiences of Carlos Castaneda as he learns the yaqui teachings of Don Juan to become a Man of Knowledge. The experiences he has while taking the various drugs to enter 'Non-ordinary reality' were fantastical, written with such detail it's easy to imagine yourself in the situation along with them. The conversations between the teacher and apprentice are equally wise and thought provoking. As Don Juan mentions more than once in his book, "For me there is only the travelling on paths that have heart, on any path that may have heart. There I travel, and the only worth-while challenge is to traverse it's full length. And there I travel looking, looking, breathlessly. It's not hard to see why this book has never been out of print even after all these years.

Bought this for a young friend. Read it myself years ago along with the other Casteneda books. You either 'love reading Casteneda or hate him'? I loved reading him. It was an education with regard to understanding the ritualistic and ceremonial nature of shamanism. I did not end up believing everything I read - far from it. But in a sense that was the point. I was embarked on trying to sort illusion from reality, and I believe his writings were instrumental in that regard. They also helped - in a roundabout way, explain some of the phenomena I experienced in altered states. In that regard I do not and cannot recommend taking drugs, but in a historical context many if not most civilizations have accomodated their use and invented ceremonies and rituals and care provisions to ensure greater safety for users, or should I say 'seekers', for in most instances they were used in the pursuit of truth and knowledge rather than taken for pleasure. I do not believe Casteneda's writings are the answer, but they are now classic literature and in reading them one will at least become conversant with one perspective, like one language among the many. Hope this helps?

Too technical. I gave up, which is not like me. Lots of info on making potions but not much of what happened after making them

Fascinating anthropomorphic study. The book consists of various diary entrees of Carlos Casaneda encounters with an elderly Indian Yaqui Sorcerer who takes him under his wing and makes him an apprentice to ancient secret teachings that paradoxically contain primitive ideas and rituals with profound concepts. This to be "a man of knowledge.".This book is truly a cultural-religious-spiritual study before the hippy, Leary, Pranskter movements. I think most would agree it is a profound study of both ordinary and non-ordinary realities. What makes this so interesting is the simplicity of a primitive culture that contains hidden variables of deep meanings which are beyond our modern superficial Western culture that brags of it's technology and materialisms. We may have the sciences to manipulate raw materials but we are seriously lacking. In this book, there are pre-agreements made directly and alluded to before experimentation using three separate hallucinatory plants; Jimpson Weed, Peyote and Mushrooms, each plant representing a very different perception of non-ordinary reality, from power and ally to helper. The ideas agreed on are done with the skill of Don Juan, where one expects a particular paradigm prior to ingestion, truly psychology at work. If such teachings were not given special prior consensus than interpretations would be entirely different. The whole process of teaching takes much time - years- and there are serious ritual preparations involved. The majority of the book contains diary entries, while the later is a structural analysis of the events. It is all written very well and surprising when reading the second portion how intense all the ideas really are. Now this book is the first of a series of 15 books that further these teachings. While to some the idea of speaking to a Mescalito to show one the right way, to turning into a crow or fighting off an enemy trying to take your soul may see absurd or insignificant superstition but the deeper implications of the mind here are assessed and there is a psychology that ventures in deeper plains than mere doctrinal formulations and surface meanings.

Nowadays we know that Castaneda made Don Juan up. Still, these lessons are timeless. It's a worthwhile read. This is the first book in a 12 book series. I recommend also reading book 3 "Journey to Ixtlan". In my oppinion the best one in the series, but it makes more sense if you read this one first. Happy reading!

Life changing book.

Quer um livro para mudar abalar a sua base? Pegue essel livro, ele vai te abrir o olho para o impossivel!

I regret not having done research on the author before buying this. It's a nice fantasy book written by a cult leader, but do NOT count on what is written and don't take it seriously, it's a work of fiction