Rippingdeath138
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First off, I have to say I feel a little goofy. I decided to get to the source of the Don Juan, and distill the essentials down. However, I accidently read the wrong Don Juan, Carlos Castaneda's, instead of Lord Byron's. I didn't realize my mistake until I was halfway through Journey to Ixtlan, but the book was good, so I finished it. After I read it, however, I realized that Castaneda's Don Juan is very relevant to the study of Don Juanism, even if Don Juan himself is an old Mexican Indian shaman. So without further ado, I give you the lessons of Don Juan, as presented in Journey to Ixtlan. My apologies, as it is a little on the long side.
Reaffirmations from the World Around Us
If you look hard enough, you can find things around you to back up anything you say or do. Don Juan uses the water boiling in a coffee perculator to agree with him. This rule boils down to Pay Attention!
Erasing Personal History
Personal history is just that - history. It doesn't matter what you did yesterday. What are you doing today? Tomorrow?
When you erase your personal history you become free from the encumbering thoughts of other people. No explanations for any personal actions are needed. Nobody will become angry or disillusioned with your acts, and above all else no one will pin you down with their thoughts.
We have only two alternatives in life: we eithertake everything for sure and real, or we don't. If you do, you end up bored to death with yourself and the world. If you don't, you create a fog, a very exciting and mysterious state around us. We remain alert if we do not know if anything is for sure.
When you are known you are taken for granted. Erase everything around you until nothing can be taken for granted, nothing is any longer sure or real.
Losing Self-Importance
You must realize that you are not any more or less important than anyone or anything else. You are as important as the President, the girl in your math class, your neighbor's dog, and the chair I'm sitting in. You are no more or less important than anyone or thing else, therefore you are equal with everything.
The biggest problem with feeling more important is that you then feel justified to be annoyed with everything.
Death Is An Advisor
Death is always watching you. Use this knowledge to your advantage. Whenever you feel that everything is going wrong and you're about to be annihilated, ask your death if it is so. Your death will tell you that nothing matters outside it's touch. Your death will also tell you, "I haven't touched you yet." The pettiness of your problems will be monstrous in light of your death.
Live as if deathwill never tap you.
Assuming Responsibility
When you decide to do something, you must go all the way, but you must take responsibility for what you do. You must know why you are doing it and then you must proceed without doubt or remorse about your actions. There is no time for bad thoughts and moods. Every action you take may very well mean your death, therefore you have no room for doubt or remorse.
"To assume the responsibility of one's decisions means that one is ready to die for them."
Only immortal men can be doubtful or remorseful. For mortal men there is no time, only time for decisions.
Becoming a Hunter
Don Juan uses the term hunter for a man on the path to right living. "Hunter" in his terms is basically interchangeable with "Don Juan."
Being Inaccessible
Being in the middle of the road means that everyone passing by can watch your comings and goins. By the same token, it makes no difference if you hide if everyone knows that you are hiding. Being inaccessible does NOT mean hiding or being secretive. Nor does it mean you cannot deal with people. Being inaccessible means that that you do not squeeze you world out of shape. Instead, you touch it lightly, stay as long as you need to, then swiftly move away, leaving hardly a trace.
Don't worry about things you cannot change and things that will come of their own volition. The hunter knows that he will lure game into his trap over and over, so he does not worry. To worry is to become accessible. When you worry you cling to anything out of desperation, and you are bound to get exhausted or exhaust whatever or whoever you are clinging to.
Disrupting the Routines of Life
This lesson is very easy to explain with the hunter metaphor. A good hunter knows the routines of his prey; thus he must avoid routine himself to avoid being hunted himself. A hunter is free, fluid, and unpredictable.
The Last Battle on Earth
Some common complaints brought up against the DJ system are expressed by Castaneda's character (the AFC).
"I'm trying my best."
No, you just say that because it sounds good. You've been trying your best to no avail. You always feel compelled to explain your acts as if you were the only one on earth who's wrong. You must make every act count, since you are going to be here for only a short while. The biggest problem is a simple one: You think that you have plenty of time, that your life will last forever.
"I agree, but..."
Don't agree. Act. Take on the challenge and change.
There is a strange consuming happiness in acting with the full knowledge that whatever one is doing may very well be one's last act on earth.
A Few Words of Wisdom
Here are a few words of wisdom from Don Juan found in other books. I found Journey to Ixtlan to be most helpful in the DJ sense, but there were a few bits here and there that I thought were worth mentioning.
"We either make ourselves miserable or we make ourselves strong. The amount of work is the same."
"Does this path have heart? If it does, the path is good; if it doesn't, it is of no use. Both paths lead nowhere; but one has a heart, the other doesn't. One makes for a joyful journey; as long as you follow it, you are one with it. The other will make you curse your life. One makes you strong; the other weakens you."
Reaffirmations from the World Around Us
If you look hard enough, you can find things around you to back up anything you say or do. Don Juan uses the water boiling in a coffee perculator to agree with him. This rule boils down to Pay Attention!
Erasing Personal History
Personal history is just that - history. It doesn't matter what you did yesterday. What are you doing today? Tomorrow?
When you erase your personal history you become free from the encumbering thoughts of other people. No explanations for any personal actions are needed. Nobody will become angry or disillusioned with your acts, and above all else no one will pin you down with their thoughts.
We have only two alternatives in life: we eithertake everything for sure and real, or we don't. If you do, you end up bored to death with yourself and the world. If you don't, you create a fog, a very exciting and mysterious state around us. We remain alert if we do not know if anything is for sure.
When you are known you are taken for granted. Erase everything around you until nothing can be taken for granted, nothing is any longer sure or real.
Losing Self-Importance
You must realize that you are not any more or less important than anyone or anything else. You are as important as the President, the girl in your math class, your neighbor's dog, and the chair I'm sitting in. You are no more or less important than anyone or thing else, therefore you are equal with everything.
The biggest problem with feeling more important is that you then feel justified to be annoyed with everything.
Death Is An Advisor
Death is always watching you. Use this knowledge to your advantage. Whenever you feel that everything is going wrong and you're about to be annihilated, ask your death if it is so. Your death will tell you that nothing matters outside it's touch. Your death will also tell you, "I haven't touched you yet." The pettiness of your problems will be monstrous in light of your death.
Live as if deathwill never tap you.
Assuming Responsibility
When you decide to do something, you must go all the way, but you must take responsibility for what you do. You must know why you are doing it and then you must proceed without doubt or remorse about your actions. There is no time for bad thoughts and moods. Every action you take may very well mean your death, therefore you have no room for doubt or remorse.
"To assume the responsibility of one's decisions means that one is ready to die for them."
Only immortal men can be doubtful or remorseful. For mortal men there is no time, only time for decisions.
Becoming a Hunter
Don Juan uses the term hunter for a man on the path to right living. "Hunter" in his terms is basically interchangeable with "Don Juan."
Being Inaccessible
Being in the middle of the road means that everyone passing by can watch your comings and goins. By the same token, it makes no difference if you hide if everyone knows that you are hiding. Being inaccessible does NOT mean hiding or being secretive. Nor does it mean you cannot deal with people. Being inaccessible means that that you do not squeeze you world out of shape. Instead, you touch it lightly, stay as long as you need to, then swiftly move away, leaving hardly a trace.
Don't worry about things you cannot change and things that will come of their own volition. The hunter knows that he will lure game into his trap over and over, so he does not worry. To worry is to become accessible. When you worry you cling to anything out of desperation, and you are bound to get exhausted or exhaust whatever or whoever you are clinging to.
Disrupting the Routines of Life
This lesson is very easy to explain with the hunter metaphor. A good hunter knows the routines of his prey; thus he must avoid routine himself to avoid being hunted himself. A hunter is free, fluid, and unpredictable.
The Last Battle on Earth
Some common complaints brought up against the DJ system are expressed by Castaneda's character (the AFC).
"I'm trying my best."
No, you just say that because it sounds good. You've been trying your best to no avail. You always feel compelled to explain your acts as if you were the only one on earth who's wrong. You must make every act count, since you are going to be here for only a short while. The biggest problem is a simple one: You think that you have plenty of time, that your life will last forever.
"I agree, but..."
Don't agree. Act. Take on the challenge and change.
There is a strange consuming happiness in acting with the full knowledge that whatever one is doing may very well be one's last act on earth.
A Few Words of Wisdom
Here are a few words of wisdom from Don Juan found in other books. I found Journey to Ixtlan to be most helpful in the DJ sense, but there were a few bits here and there that I thought were worth mentioning.
"We either make ourselves miserable or we make ourselves strong. The amount of work is the same."
"Does this path have heart? If it does, the path is good; if it doesn't, it is of no use. Both paths lead nowhere; but one has a heart, the other doesn't. One makes for a joyful journey; as long as you follow it, you are one with it. The other will make you curse your life. One makes you strong; the other weakens you."