Carlos Castaneda’s Don Juan’s Teachings

Forward by Rick Mace

In 1960, as an anthropology student at the University of California, Los Angeles, Carlos Castaneda began collecting information on the medicinal plants used by the Indians of the southwest. Subsequently he met, and became the apprentice of, don Juan, a Yaqui Indian.

From 1968 thru 1999, Carlos Castaneda’s following ten books were published. They recount his apprenticeship under don Juan and therewith provide us entrance to the knowledge don Juan passed on to him–knowledge of an ancient system for becoming a “man of knowledge.”

1968–The Teachings of don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge

1971–A Separate Reality: Further Conversations with don Juan

1972–Journey to Ixtlan: The Lessons of don Juan

1974–Tales Of Power

1977–The Second Ring of Power

1981–The Eagle’s Gift

1984–The Fire From Within

1987–The Power of Silence: Further lessons of don Juan

1993–The Art of Dreaming

1999–The Active Side of Infinity.

This book is a compilation of most of the ideas, procedures, methods, systems, processes, concepts, principles, and discoveries; of the teachings of don Juan.

I have, where necessary, changed the original text in order for the teaching to be directed as though from don Juan to any new student. That being said, however, there are a number of places where the teaching is directed as though you have been a participant in something with don Juan; or are acting or thinking in a particular way. Presenting it that way, seemed to me, the easiest way to leave parts of the teaching intact . And on the point of my presenting everything as though from don Juan: a number of places, perhaps as much as 10% of the total, were actually Carlos Castaneda’s insights, explanations, or additions to the teaching. Lastly, in at least two places, the teaching actually came from other of don Juan’s associates.

I have compiled this book on Carlos Castaneda’s word that his books are a true account of don Juan’s teaching.

I believe that Dr. Castaneda’s steadfast insistence that his books are a true account of don Juan’s teaching and his acute objectivity toward the teaching–together with the logic of the teaching itself–provides us with an essential ingredient for putting this teaching into practice. That ingredient is the psychological center of–expecting that the teaching is possible; of “having to believe,” if you will. I believe that it is that psychological center of–expecting that it is possible–which gives one the will to put the teaching into practice. Obviously, only than can it become real.

Therefore, this compilation might best be considered as a study tool to Dr. Castaneda’s books.

Perhaps nothing can capture all of the magic and mystery that are the teachings of don Juan as you find them in the original works. On the other hand, there is a “concentratedness” here, which, for me, helps to focus the teachings.

It is up to each one of us to bring this teaching to life. And, assuming that the teaching is, in fact–true; then we are at the beginning of a new age in human development, the age opened up for us by the work of Dr. Carlos Castaneda. My sole intention is to promote the assimilation of that work by presenting it in this concentrated form.

In “The Fire From Within”: chapter 3, paragraph 48, Carlos Castaneda tells us that don Juan said that “the old seers…actually saw the indescribable force which is the source of all sentient beings. They called it the Eagle…” I refer to this passage in order to justify my usage, in this book, of the term, “the Indescribable Force ,” instead of the term don Juan used, “the Eagle.” I chose to use the term “the Indescribable Force ,” because it was easier for me to follow. If you miss the use of the term “the Eagle,” I apologize.

The chapter titles of this book and the material in those chapters, correspond to the above nine books. Within these chapters are two types of line breaks. The asterisked line breaks set apart points which, because of removed context, now appear as disjointed bits (or passages) of teaching. The plain line breaks (or two asterisks if between pages) correspond to Carlos Castaneda’s books’ chapter breaks.

This book is dedicated to those who would commit themselves to following the principles of don Juan’s teachings. I believe I speak for all who would so commit, when I say that we are extremely grateful to Dr. Castaneda for his work. — Rick Mace

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–Circular #31–Ideas, Methods, or Systems –from the United States Copyright Office, Library of Congress, states that “Ideas, Methods, or Systems are not subject to copyright protection. Copyright protection, therefore, is not available for: ideas or procedures for doing, making, or building things; scientific or technical methods or discoveries; business operations or procedures; mathematical principles; formulas, algorithms; or any other concept, process, or method of operation.

Section 102 of the copyright law, title 17, United States Code, clearly expresses this principle: ‘In no case does copyright protection for an original work of authorship extend to any idea, procedure, process, system, method of operation, concept, principle, or discovery, regardless of the form in which it is described, explained, illustrated, or embodied in such work.”

This book is the compilation of the system which is: the teachings of don Juan; a teaching which Carlos Castaneda has passed on to us in his nine books, listed here as links. They were presented to us as, to use Dr. Castaneda’s words, “a true account of a teaching method that don Juan Matus, a Mexican Indian sorcerer, used in order to help me understand the sorcerers’ world.”

I assert, therefore, that this compilation is public domain as a “system(s are) not subject to copyright protection.”

Note: I’ve noticed (with my hidden counter) that this section gets almost twice as many hits as does Journey to Ixtlan. If you are new to Castaneda’s work, I would suggest that you at least read that section.Journey to Ixtlan

The Teachings of Don Juan

I am going to teach you the secrets that make up the lot of a man of knowledge. You will have to make a very deep commitment because the training is long and arduous.

A man goes to knowledge as he goes to war, wide awake, with fear, with respect, and with absolute assurance. Going to knowledge or going to war in any other manner is a mistake, and whoever makes it will live to regret his steps.

When a man has fulfilled those four requisites there are no mistakes for which he will have to account; under such conditions his acts lose the blundering quality of a fool’s acts. If such a man fails, or suffers a defeat, he will have lost only a battle, and there will be no pitiful regrets over that.

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A man of knowledge is one who has followed truthfully the hardships of learning, a man who has, without rushing or without faltering, gone as far as he can in unraveling the secrets of power and knowledge. To become a man of knowledge one must challenge and defeat his four natural enemies.

When a man starts to learn, he is never clear about his objectives. His purpose is faulty; his intent is vague. He hopes for rewards that will never materialize for he knows nothing of the hardships of learning.

He slowly begins to learn–bit by bit at first, then in big chunks. And his thoughts soon clash. What he learns is never what he pictured, or imagined, and so he begins to be afraid. Learning is never what one expects. Every step of learning is a new task, and the fear the man is experiencing begins to mount mercilessly, unyieldingly. His purpose becomes a battlefield.

And thus he has stumbled upon the first of his natural enemies: fear! A terrible enemy–treacherous, and difficult to overcome. It remains concealed at every turn of the way, prowling, waiting. And if the man, terrified in its presence, runs away, his enemy will have put an end to his quest and he will never learn. He will never become a man of knowledge. He will perhaps be a bully, or a harmless, scared man; at any rate, he will be a defeated man. His first enemy will have put an end to his cravings.

It is not possible for a man to abandon himself to fear for years, then finally conquer it. If he gives in to fear he will never conquer it, because he will shy away from learning and never try again. But if he tries to learn for years in the midst of his fear, he will eventually conquer it because he will never have really abandoned himself to it.

Therefore he must not run away. He must defy his fear, and in spite of it he must take the next step in learning, and the next, and the next. He must be fully afraid, and yet he must not stop. That is the rule! And a moment will come when his first enemy retreats. The man begins to feel sure of himself. His intent becomes stronger. Learning is no longer a terrifying task.