Quote of the Day: Carlos Castaneda from The Teachings of Don Juan
With Curated Photos of the Day and a Reading List.
Today’s Quote of the Day is from Carlos Castaneda’s renown book, The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge.
I first read The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge back in 1974, when I was writing a paper on hallucinogens for a high school English class in my senior year. I had not tried hallucinogens at the time and some 50 years later, I still have not indulged, however it was my fascination with author Aldous Huxley’s experience with them as detailed in his book, The Doors of Perception, that led to my interest in the topic.
So, as one does in writing all academic papers, I needed a second source and that led me to my journey with Carlos Castaneda copious work. After reading The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge, I continued on my Castaneda quest, reading his subsequent books, A Separate Reality: Conversations With Don Juan and Journey to Ixtlan: The Lessons of Don Juan. I am the type of reader who finds an author that I like and I tend to keep reading that author’s work until I have delved through at least most if not all of their work.
I might have continued on with a couple more books in Castaneda’s series, my memory escapes me at the moment, but I do know that I rediscovered Castaneda’s work in 1990’s when Shamanism began to speak to me yet again. I did read his final three books, Magical Passes, The Art of Dreaming, and The Active Side of Infinity. I can say with certainty that each of them had a profound impact on me.
If you are familiar with shapeshifting, you will understand the framework of this Carlos Castaneda quote to be in that fascinating context.
"I learned to become a crow because these birds are the most effective of all. No other birds bother them, except perhaps larger, hungry eagles, but crows fly in groups and can defend themselves. Men don't bother crows either, and that is an important point. Any man can distinguish a large eagle, especially an unusual eagle, or any other large, unusual bird, but who cares about a crow? A crow is safe. It is ideal in size and nature. It can go safely into any place without attracting attention. On the other hand, it is possible to become a lion or a bear, but that is rather dangerous. Such a creature is too large; it takes too much energy to become one. One can also become a cricket, or a lizard, or even an ant, but that is even more dangerous, because large animals prey on small creatures." - Carlos Castaneda, The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge.
Shapeshifting? Is it fantasy or is it real?
If I were to shapeshift, I think I would wish to become an eagle. However, I might enjoy traveling with the crows as well.
Books Noted in this Post:
The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge - Carlos Castaneda
A Separate Reality: Conversations With Don Juan - Carlos Castaneda
Journey to Ixtlan: The Lessons of Don Juan - Carlos Castaneda
The Doors of Perception - Aldous Huxley
Magical Passes - Carlos Castaneda
The Art of Dreaming - Carlos Castaneda
The Active Side of Infinity - Carlos Castaneda
To read Carlos Castaneda’s work is tantamount to taking an incredible journey to the center of human consciousness. Perhaps his work is not for everyone, but it certainly is for all who seek a higher level of understanding beyond the boundaries of the traditional ways of thinking about the spiritual and the existential. My life has been spent in search of this higher knowledge as I have always been fascinated by all things mystical and spiritual.
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Today and every day… Remember to breathe when things get stressful and as always, be kind to one another. As I like to say, “Be in the moment and go with the flow.”
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I think that I'd be a dolphin that could change into a Highland cow, who could also change into a fly. I'd be a dolphin because to swim that way would give a feeling of freedom. I'd change to a highland cow because Scotland is BEAUTIFUL and I'd be able to see it everyday if I were a highland cow living there! Plus, highland cows are sooooo soooo precious! I'd change into a fly to listen to others so that I could find out who were honest and who I could truly trust when I felt the need to do so. All in all, I feel shapeshifting is a beautiful, beautiful thing to imagine. Although, I personally don't believe it's reality, I also don't believe that matters. I tend to believe that some people can honestly fool themselves and live in their false realities but some false realities do NOONE any harm. Infact, some actually do good. It's simply that not all false realities do. Why dwell in that fact and not imagine the beauty that helps everyone get through this thing called life though?! Plus, to imagine makes life interesting and who doesn't like interesting!? I know that I do... Something new may happen everyday but why not make everyday more exciting with imagination?! The imagination we often lose as adults, still lay inside of us or I believe it does. We simply need to know that it's there and use it. The thing that I often wonder is why does using the imagination become so hard for some adults? Anyway, thanks for making us think and for sharing with us!
I be a perigrine speeding through drops from miles up high towards the hustle and bustle of Manhattan. Ever focused on a singular pursuit of life and being a tiny fabric of it