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 | | The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge by Carlos Castaneda ISBN-10: 9780520256385 ISBN-10: 0-520-25638-7 ISBN-13: 9780520256385 ISBN-13: 978-0-520-25638-5 Paperback 2008-05-09 University of California Press Find Lowest Price |
Editorials | ||
Product Description Forty years ago the University of California Press published an unusual manuscript by an anthropology student named Carlos Castaneda. The Teachings of Don Juan initiated a generation of seekers dissatisfied with the limitations of the Western worldview. Castaneda's now classic book remains controversial for the alternative way of seeing that it presents and the revolution in cognition it demands. Whether read as ethnographic fact or creative fiction, it is the story of a remarkable journey that has left an indelible impression on the life of more than a million readers around the world. | ||
Reviews | ||
TEACHINGS OF DON JUAN "The Teachings of Don Juan A Yaqui Way of Knowledge" by Carlos Castaneda was a real pioneering anthropological study of shamanism, and a door-opener into the prevailing 1960's and early 1970's sub- drug culture. Carlos Castaneda gave us a new look into the possibilities of various realities and perceptions not really understood, and only discussed at late evening dinner parties, or in the dorm rooms of various colleges or, perhaps a sociology classroom here and there. For some reason, the fact that Castaneda was using drugs for research and personal understanding made the book easily more acceptable to a variety of his readers. I first read the book about 40 years ago. At the time I thought it was superb. However, upon re-reading it (at age 62), it simply didn't have the same powerful grasp it once held. The initial meeting between Castaneda and the alleged "Don Juan" is interesting reading as is the recruitment process into the shadow-world of the shaman. Naturally, there are psychotropic drugs involved, but it seemed to me that page after page, after page was nothing more of recounting his "trip" experience from the three major sources of Yaqui wisdom; Peyote, Jimson Weed, and Mushroom. The use of such drugs obviously enhances the ideas of what we today would call; "Shape shifting," Astral Projection, and various other rather well known terms in today's "witchy" terminology. Although, Mr. Castaneda followed this publication with numerous other related stories, I think he probably spent too much time and focus on the drugs for surely...there was much more knowledge passed on other than the collection, preparation, and usage of various hallucinogens. None the less, the book remains a major pioneering feat, and is interesting especially, if you are reading it for the first time. It is a contemporary real life story of "The Sourcer's Apprentice" with Carlos Castaneda playing the role of Walt Disney's "Mickey Mouse." Regardless of my somewhat prejudicial summary, there are some very good points of wisdom handed down by Don Juan that should be remembered by any generation who has an interest in anthropology, sociology, and or, just plain...entertaining reading. | ||
A Fun Read But That is About All: Nothing New Under The Sun Well, I finally got around to reading this book after having friend after friend suggest it. I am very interested in esoteric knowledge (I will not demeen the book or esotericism with the term New Age) and was hoping to get a fresh perspective on it; and one that was more local (as in my neck of the woods) to boot. I, as an American, have a shamefully low amount of knowledge of Native American tribes and their beliefs. I must be frank about that so as to not imply that I have read other books on Native American spiritually and can judge it on that level. This is for all intents and purposes my introduction to this field. I also have read none of the author's later works so I do not know how they add to or complement this book. I can however say that I doubt this is that place to start if one is seriously interested in this specific subject, nor does this book contain any spiritual insights that cannot be found elsewhere and in far more intellectual contexts (here I would suggest that any searchers of such wisdom turn to the Vedas, Buddhist scripture, the New Testament, the Edda...all written by far more advanced people and containing universal knowledge that Castaneda's book, by definition, cannot as it deals mostly with altered states of consciousness through use of local flora...and fauna, in a rather repulsive scene that seems highly unlikely to endeer the practioner to the animal community he is trying to befriend). As a story it is rather interesting and hard to put down. Don Juan is certainly an interesting character although I suspect that Castaneda does not do him justice as Castaneda seems to me to be of average intelligence only, although blessed with a quest for adventure and knowledge. I use the incredibly useless attempt through the second half of the book as an example to give a "scientific" explanation of Don Juan's theology, for lack of a better term. Anyone with half a brain can skip all of this as it contains information that, if not grasped by the reader in the first section, will certainly not be made more comprehensible to said reader by adding a college-freshman level anthropological analysis. To sum up, there is no harm in reading this book and since it clearly has changed a number of lives for the better and opened up the minds of many others I would certainly recommend reading it if you are interested. To others with a more serious desire of attaining spiritual wisdom and are intellectually up for a much more demanding quest I think you will find this to be nothing more than a fun story of a Yaqui and his American apprentice (whether real or not). I am glad to have read it. | ||
A siren song, seductive and misleading Thanks to conscientious reviewers here speaking out about this book (and its sequels) for what it is: a wholesale literary con job. I post this review in order to lend my voice to others raised in concern about this. If "Teachings of Don Juan" had been offered honestly, as a novel, would it have been reviewed as a good one? I doubt it, but we'll never know. For it captured attention by claiming to be anthropology, nonfiction. The circumstances and events recounted in its pages were supposedly true, and actually happened. Or so we were told by its author and publisher. For readers, THAT was the primary basis of interest in it. Back in the 1970's I read the first couple Don Juan books in a spirit of trust. I accepted them as presented: ethnography, nonfiction, true or at least honest reports of anthropological field work. Later I learned there was nothing truthful or honest in Castaneda's writing about "Don Juan's teachings" despite the misimpression perpetrated -- deliberately -- by the book's claim to nonfiction status. I was not pleased to find out my trust had been abused, that as a reader I'd been played like a violin as a reward for my interest. "It's your fault for having been interested, don't blame Castaneda" -- is that the deal? Doesn't life strip us of our innocence quickly enough in its own way, without being aided and abetted by con artists and their handiwork? But looking around at comments here, seems there are other ways of looking at this "sadder but wiser" dilemma -- from all the glowing 5 star reviews and incoherent praise still heaped upon this book by some readers. Back when "Teachings ..." came out -- and still nowadays, to some extent -- the wilderness of mind had been dramatically revealed, for the first time in the history of our civilization, by personal experiences of many inquiring people with peyote, LSD, etc. Consciousness-expansion opened upon a vast, compelling inner realm, hitherto unfamiliar and unexplored in Western culture (though long familiar in the East, where yoga and various forms of meditation have been intensively practiced for several millennia). With their provocative intensity and vivid intimations of profound meaning, psychedelic experiences impelled many to seek out guidance, food for thought, answers to questions ages-old but newly realized; and difficult to even word clearly, much less discover answers to. This was the atmosphere in which the Don Juan books were presented, and their effectiveness as bait to hook the unwary metaphysical seeker seems pretty clear. The search for some kind of spiritual, metaphysical or transcendent knowledge, truth or understanding -- sparked in many by direct personal psychedelic experiences -- expresses something acutely real and essential in the human equation. It deserves to be treated with honesty and respect. But obviously, it can also be exploited in a crass, reprehensible manner as a vulnerabilty or weakness by clever manipulators; whether they are the Elmer Gantry type (using old time religion) -- or psychedelic pied pipers surfing the waves of the new age. It's unacceptable, and there can be no excuses, contrary to the unpersuasive, presumptuous attempts at justification offered by many. Thinly masked beneath a beguiling surface, the Don Juan books express values antithetical to personal growth or self-realization, authenticity, pursuit of truth, and humane regard for ourselves and others. Castaneda's great contribution is a morally toxic perspective that we're all fools, and nothing matters, so there's no point in caring about anyone or anything except one's own self. To heck with whoever or whatever, and yippee for each of us at everybody else's expense. His writings are a Trojan horse, trickery disguised as a gift. The message is masked with a lot of verbal gobbledy-goop, Rorschach ink-blot nonsense readers are put upon to ascribe meaning to -- about being "impeccable" and "a warrior's predilection" and ... etc. It goes on and on in a dense fog machinery. He even makes up new nonsense meanings for words (like tonal, and nagual) he ripped from anthropo literature (where they actually have definitions referring to realities of Mexican lore and teachings). But boiled down, his gist is we can be predators or prey, that's the choice we have. Honesty, trying to relate, or seeking connection, that's for [...]-- alienation and lies are what makes the world go around. And it's exhilarating, liberating, because it means we don't have to worry about anything, because we're all just gonna die sooner or later so -- whatever. Yippee. As a con artist who got rich selling this snake oil medicine, Castaneda has become a towering inspiration of the worst kind to others. A new generation has "gotten it" and followed suit, leading to a whole raft of similarly phony exploitative works pretending to be something else less despicable and more worthy or our interest and attention. For anyone interested, there is DeMille's book "Don Juan Papers." Also, visit sustainedaction dot org -- an excellent website exploring the legacy and fallout of the Castaneda phenomenon. It proves much darker and more disturbing than one might imagine; even if you already know the Don Juan books -- to this day still classified as nonfiction, presented as real life accounts -- were sheer fabrication, cleverly geared to deceive readers. | ||
A bood for a twenty-something today I read Don Juan when he first hit the scene. I found that my 20-something nephew-in-law informed me he was into metaphysical things and so I bought him this intro to Don Juan to see if he could find the same things I found in the book. I hope he has. | ||
A Foundational Wisdom Book for All Seekers Every Seeker has at some point experienced an unexplainable moment. These are great opportunities to expand your perceptions to begin to believe in something greater then yourself that cannot be explained by your culture, current beliefs or family. Any of Carlos Castanada's books will give you the opportunity to discover another perspective about what reality really is. For those who call themselves Seekers - looking for the meaning of life - this is a foundational book. This was the first book I read that started me on the path to greater consciousness. I cried, I laughed and I journeyed deeply into the heart of this incredible mystic; with him into the meaning of and purpose of life. I found many answers to my questions and was very inspired by Carlos Castaneda to continue my search even deeper into the mysteries of the human spirit and mind. I thank him as a student would thank a teacher with deep love and gratitude for his contribution to greater consciousness for us all. Affirmations for the Everyday Goddess Spiritual Guidebook & 22 Wisdom Cards for Contemplation & Prayer (based on the 22 major arcana of the tarot) | ||