Carlos Castenada - The Teachings of Don Juan

 

I’ll start by saying, this book took me way too long to finish reading. For me, reading dialogues between people/characters always messes me up because you brain spends a lot of time setting the scene/context and I just get lost in the sauce. 

Also I, for some reason, thought the events of this book were taking place in Mexico, I was wrong. Apparently it was all happening in Arizona, don’t know how I missed that. 

So because I have a kinda loose spirituality system (for myself) and I found I was getting annoyed with Carlos - because I can buy into the mysticism and metaphors and what not and why the hell does he just not get it. You don’t go to a magic man and ask for scientific reasonings behind every little thing. 

I understand he’s coming from an anthropological perspective with also the motive to capitalize on his experiences, but then he wonders why he struggles, knowing he’s not fully buying into what he’s being thought. Annoying. 

Reading the structural analysis also irritated me. Just like all his questions after his experiences it’s like he learned nothing important or what was really being taught. The experiences weren’t to aid him through anthropological study but to aid him personally in his life. 

He resisted so much throughout the experience that it begs the question of why do any of this at all? I can only imagine how amazing his experiences could have been if he just let go of the alterer motive of study. Also if he just trusted the damn process. 

I feel like everything Don Juan did was preparation for such greatness and Carlos just bailed. I can only imagine how discouraging it must feel to devote such a long amount of time to teaching someone and have them give up right when it seems they’re ready for advancement. 

Personally I think some things just can’t be explained with science - like personal spiritual experiences. I feel for Don Juan in the way of if I tried to explain what communing with deities like Loki or freya works and instead of trying to understand they looked for the pure science of it all. Yeah I understand why he snapped on Carlos a few times - must be frustrated to not be understood. 

I feel like an apprenticeship of any kind is a special thing. Someone decided you are worthy to have their knowledge passed to you, I think above all that should be treated specially and mentors treated with respect always. 

Question reality and teachings within reason, but respect the process. A good mentor won’t take on a student with ill intentions.