Encounters with the nagual: Conversations with Carlos Castaneda

by Armando Torres

"Every human being is by right a warrior who has achieved his place in the world in a battle of life and death. Look at it this way, at least once, as sperm, we all fight the bullfight for life - a unique contest against millions of other competitors - and we win! Now the battle continues...
"A warrior knows that there is no guarantee of triumph over death. Even so, he fights his battle, not because he believes he will win, but because of the emotion of the war itself. For him, to give his war is already a victory. And while he fights he rejoices, because, for those who have already died, every second of life is a gift."
"I love my children because they are deposits of my energy, my wife because she washes my clothes, she cooks and I catch her, my dog because he takes care of the house, my country because I was born here, my god because he's going to save me...".
"The sorcerers have discovered the most refined form of love, because they love themselves. They have put the power of passion at the service of being, and it gives them the impetus to undertake the only quest that counts: that of oneself.

Genres: Philosophy

220 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2004

Reviews

[Donatella · Rating 5 out of 5]

In questo libro Armando Torres riporta - non in ordine cronologico ma per temi - le conversazioni tenute con Castaneda nellarco di molti anni. Quello che emerge è il quadro di come si è sviluppato (e tutt'ora si sviluppa) lo sciamanesimo tolteco dopo che Castaneda, a causa della sua connotazione energetica, ha scoperto di non poter proseguire nella trasmissione così come è arrivata fino a lui ma si è trovato a divulgare quelli che fino ad allora erano stati insegnamenti esoterici.

Il libro è bellissimo, spiega tante cose che non sono chiare leggendo altrove (vedi il libro di Maria Capaldi, che di fatto finisce per essere una review dei libri di Castaneda). Soprattutto salta agli occhi una cosa che probabilmente oggi viene accuratamente evitata. La strada suggerita da Castaneda si può intraprendere senza maestri, anche soltanto attraverso gli strumenti forniti da lui nei libri e nei video. Sarà lo Spirito a indirizzare la nostra ricerca personale e a scegliere - eventualmente - se ripristinare un nuovo lignaggio di sciamani.

[Chöw Josefin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Otra forma de acercarse a Castaneda, a través de los diálogos con Torres. Casi como estar ahí. Pero sí recomiendo tener lecturas previas de Castaneda, puesto que de otra manera, quedarán algunas ideas perdidas.

[Dashiell · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are a lot of people that hitch themselves to Carlos...easy to sell new age books that way...but this one had a familiar voice in it that made me wonder. The ending seemed dark ...but you know... maybe that is a part of all this

[Yana Ishkova · Rating 4 out of 5]

Armando Torres explores the subject of sorcery and shares some fragments of his conversations with Carlos Castaneda. Sorcery in the cultures of Central and South America remains a very vague, yet attractive to explore area for me. I believe this is a nice book to introduce oneself to the ideas of Carlos Castaneda.