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The Teachings of Don Juan #8

by Карлос Кастанеда

Millions of readers worldwide have treasured the visionary brilliance of Carlos Castaneda, who first explore the world of the Yaqui Indian sorcerer in The Teachings of don Juan. Now, at last, don Juan returns in The Power of Silence -- wise, infuriating, capable or working miracles and playing practical jokes, but always seeking the wisdom of the warrior.

The Power of Silence is Castaneda's most astonishing book to date -- a brilliant flash of knowledge that illuminates the far reaches of the human mind. Through don Juan's mesmerizing stories, the true meaning of sorcery and magic is finally revealed. Honed in the desert of Sonora, the visions of don Juan give us the vital secrets of belief and self-realization that are transcendental and valid for us all. It is Castaneda's unique genius to show us that all wisdom, strength, and power lie within ourselves -- unleashed with marvelous energy and imaginative force in the teachings of don Juan -- and in the writings of his famous pupil, Carlos Castaneda

Genres: Philosophy, Spirituality, Nonfiction, Anthropology, Psychology, Mysticism, Self Help

240 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1987

About the author

See Carlos Castaneda.

Reviews

[ZaRi]

وقتی انسان بتواند طوری زندگی کند که هیچ عیب و نقصی نداشته باشد، آن گاه تبدیل به سالک می شود و اگر همچنان با بی عیب و نقصی زندگی اش را ادامه دهد، مطمئنا عارف خواهد شد.
بی عیب و نقص بودن یعنی معصومیت، یعنی هیچ نوع خودبینی و منیتی نداشتن، یعنی درستکاری و راستگویی.
"روح"، با همه افراد بشر به یک اندازه رابطه دارد و به همه آنها نشانه های نیکی در مورد انجام کارهای شان می دهد اما فقط سالکان می توانند این ندا و الهام روح را دریافت کنند.
انسان امروز جاهل و نادان است، زیرا نمی داند "روح" چه ارزشی برای او قائل است و چگونه حاضر است در صورت کمترین اشتیاقی به سویش برود و او را در پناه بگیرد.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am going to give the same review to all the Carlos Castaneda books I read in that series, simply because they are all outstanding. I was lucky to come across Castaneda very early on my magickal path. My spells and rituals have always relied on the power of intent, and I have found no better education on how to focus your intent than in this series of books. Back then (1994) they were classifed as nonfiction. Lately, they say they are fiction. All I know is much of what is in these books works. And having been a Wiccan Faery Witch now for 13 years I know much of what is real to us is fiction to those not walking a magickal path. These are life-changing books you will never forget, and their teachings still influence my life today. Can't get any better than that!

[Ana Olga · Rating 4 out of 5]

Este libro me voló la cabeza. Por demás interesante

[Maziar MHK · Rating 2 out of 5]

قدرت انسان بی حساب است؛ مرگ وجود دارد، زیرا ما از لحظه ی تولد "قصد" آنرا کرده ایم. قصد مردن میتواند به تاخیر افتد، اگر ما پیوندگاه را واداریم تا محل خود را عوض کند.
ص۶۴



"برگرداندن معشوق در ۲۴ساعت..."

گرچه این ادعا در فضای مجازی جولان میدهد اما، ننه بزرگ های ما هم از داستان های بخت گشائی و امثال آن، خاطره های مشابه اندرون سینه ها انباشته اند. به گونه ای که حتی در باوراندن نتایج نامعقول Act و اقدام یک ساحر، قسم ها میخورند و چشمهای مخاطب را می پایند که پذیراست یا خیر؟!
آنچه که از نتیجه ی مدعای تیتر بالا میفهمید، ساده ترین توصیف نمونه برای 'سحر' و ساحری ست. همین کانسپت، در کتاب حاضر و البته در قالب روایت همنشینی های 'استاد ساحر - کارآموز ساحری'(در شمال و جنوب موزیک)، مفاهیم رمزآلود سحر و جادو را به رخ میکشد. سحر، سحر است و ایران و مکزیک ندارد، پس این داستان روایی ی 'آموزش میدانی ی مفاهیم سحر'، به شرط ارائه برای طالب صبور و سائلش، در هر عصر و اقلیمی، قبول افتادنی ست.

گفته میشور آثار کاستاندا در اوایل دهه هفتاد، در خوابگاه های دانشجویی و پیاده روهای انقلاب تهران، چیزی بوده است شبیه 'ملت عشق'، به این معنا که از طفل شیرخواره تا پیرمرد بی دهان و پرزبان، طالب و خواهان داشته است.

ترجمه ی 'قددت سکوت' بد نیست اما راستیتش، از آنجا که منظور مبنایی کتاب(سحر و ساحری)، در دسته ی 'فراعلم کلاسیک' جای خوش کرده، فلذا پیدا کردن عبارات سبک، ساده و همه فهم برای کلمات مرتبط با موضوع، 'رستمی' میخواهد که جهان پهلوان فن ترجمه بوده و از دیگرسو، یلی باشد در سیستان دایره ی واژگان.

خالی از لطف نمیدانم که واسطه شوم تا بدانید، از 'مهران کندری' _مترجم کتاب_، هیچ عکس و مصاحبه ای در فضای وب فارسی موجود نیست، انگار چونان شهابی در آن دوران و با دوئال اشتهار آوری بنام 'کاستاندا' و به کام خویش، در بازار نشر درخشیده و زان پس، به خاطره های خیالی پیوسته باشد.
حدسم بر اینست که این کتاب را باید بیست بار خواند و بعد دست به 'ستاره دهی' کرد اما موقتا در حد فهم، سبکی ترجمه و صدالبته سخت پسندی ی خویش، به دو ستاره اکتفا میکنم.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Power of Silence" challenges the targeted reader to take action to consolidate their energy, develop their awareness, and improve their ability to handle intent. The lessons here are priceless.

[Darius Murretti · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a good book . the Benefactor gives his energy to the disciple to increase his understanding and the disciple has personal relationship with and loves Benefactor . This shows how necessary benefactor is and how" the only clear thinking is no thinking" I tells us that true knowledge is apprehended not by thinking but in silent knowing.

[Kari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Re-reading in conjunction with a book on ZPF and Quantum Mechanics (The Field by Lynne McTaggart)...they go together quite well, like the right wine with dinner...

[Cheryl]

Personally I have no concern with whether these books are fiction or non-fiction, I found them to be good friends. Some very enjoyable tricks learned in the choices I makes when interacting with my environment.

[Sheyda Dehghan · Rating 5 out of 5]

چقدر فوق العاده و کمک کننده بود.. چقدر بهش احتیاج داشتم.. ممکنه درک بعضی از بخش های کتاب خیلی سخت بوده باشه اما بیشترش رو فهمیدم و خداروشکر که احساس می کنم دیدگاهمو تغییر داده! در جهتی که لازم بود و عمیقا نیاز داشتم که تغییر کنه
نمی تونم درمورد آموزه های کتاب و برداشت های شخصیم چیزی بگم چون مسلما هر کسی برداشت های خاص خودش رو داره و فقط خودش باید به نتیجه درست برسه
سپاسگذاری عمیقی در وجودم هست که امیدوارم سطح انرژی خودم و جهانمو در جهت مثبتی ارتقا بده

[Karen Robiscoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Power of Silence. I've read all his books, but this is my favorite. Speaks the most to method for achieving enlightenment--figuratively speaking, of course. :)

[Iona Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book I’ve read by Castaneda in the last many, many years. I’m afraid I’m not good at reading books in the correct order, and this applies with Castaneda’s books too. It would perhaps have been easier to begin with his first books.

In this book we are instructed, among other things, about the art of stalking and the mastery of intent.

We learn about a point of brilliance called the assemblage point on the surface of the luminous ball surrounding our body. When this is moved from its usual position, it brightens up new energy fields, making them perceivable. This perception is known as seeing. Movement of the assemblage point enables perception of an entirely different world. “Sorcerers go into that other world to get energy power, solutions to … problems, or to face the unimaginable.”

Intent is what causes us to perceive. The aim of sorcerers is to reach a state of total awareness.

We are given the dramatic story of how the nagual Elias meets Julian, saves his life and takes him as his apprentice. Julian becomes the benefactor of Don Juan.

Don Juan accompanies Castaneda on long treks and in particular to a special cave which was created as “an instrument to push the apprentice deep into heightened awareness”.

Don Juan tells about a time years ago when he was kept prisoner by his benefactor, tricked into believing that the house belonged to a “monstrous man” and that he needed to wear women’s clothes in order to escape. Eventually he did manage to do so but kept being pursued by the monstrous man until he realized it was a figment of his imagination (actually, an “inorganic being”, a formless energy field).

Don Juan keeps banging Castaneda on the back, thus enabling him to move his assemblage point and enter a heightened state of awareness, in which state he clearly understands everything. However, later, he may have forgotten not only his understandings, but everything that happened. (Don Juan states at one point that striking C’s back was actually more a trick to trap his attention than a bone fide maneuver to manipulate his perception.)

We need to intend the movement of our assemblage point. We want it to reach the place of no pity, which is the site of ruthlessness. When this happens the eyes of the sorcerer begin to shine.

Don Juan frequently bursts out laughing when Carlos opens his mouth, just as Don Juan’s benefactor Julian continually weeps profusely when together with Don Juan (which he does to hide his laughter).

We learn about the art of stalking and its four moods – ruthlessness, cunning, patience and sweetness. Stalking is “special behaviour – it is secretive, furtive, deceptive behaviour designed to deliver a jolt. And, when you stalk yourself you jolt yourself using your own behaviour in a ruthless, cunning way.”

You can use the idea of your death to stalk yourself. Death is our challenger – the only worthy opponent we have.

I found comprehension of all the presented information to be extremely challenging. Carlos himself found the material challenging/incomprehensible. This is because it is a totally different sort of information than that we are used to understanding with the logical left part of the brain.

But the book is well-written, fascinating, engrossing and highly entertaining, and I recommend it highly, although it may be preferable to begin by reading “The teachings of Don Juan” and the other early books before tackling this one.

[Gori Suture · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book covers the importance of perception, how to control one’s perception by shifting the “assemblage point,” and lessons in understanding intent and silent knowledge. It is some rather abstract ideas, but I didn’t have any trouble following the concepts, even though I read this book out of order. My only complaint is that it’s a little skinny and doesn’t feel complete.

[Jandy James · Rating 5 out of 5]

By the time I read this 20 years had elapsed since reading A Yacqui Way of Knowledge. I read every Castaneda since, and though each follows the same man's life, each reveals more for as Carlos moves forward, he integrates more and more of those previous experiences. A cynic might say this is a clever way to sell books. I continue to read Castaneda because I continue to get value from it.

[Babette · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my favourite Carlos Castaneda book. It presents the ideas of Intent and stalking yourself very clearly, both concepts I feel are important tools in living a meaningful life regardless of your belief and life purpose.

[Drew · Rating 5 out of 5]

The title is the key. Although there is far more to the tales of power than silence alone. This is my favorite of Castaneda's works. Pure zen, quiet, and energetic.

[Bert Carson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Carlos Castaneda didn't understand Don Juan Matus but Don Juan understood everything and that's what matters.

[Freymuth Sommer]

I really enjoyed this one.
This book will be one of my favorite Carlos Castaneda books.
It is surreal, hilarious and yet I can connect with it in a real sense.

[JC Roes · Rating 5 out of 5]

No sabía qué esperar de este libro, y al final resultó mucho mejor no esperar absolutamente nada increíble, porque me agarró con la guardia baja desde sus primeras líneas. Es tan sencillo como complejo; tan lleno de enseñanzas como ataques a la razón, al pensamiento crítico y al ser humano común y corriente.

Una gran obra de Castaneda para leer una y otra vez, que resumiré en la frase que marcó para mí la importancia de la historia: “¡Quién eres tú y tu pinche racionalidad para poner cadenas al pensamiento!”

[Matthew Wakefield · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read this book many times and love it more each time. Castaneda is always a breath of fresh air.

[Zarya Bintz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is perhaps my favorite book in the series but I think it necessary to read all of them to fully comprehend what he's writing about.

[Sogol Fakhrian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just finished it for the second time! amazing amazing amazing

[CD]

This is one that I have brand new shiny copy that I bet money I've never read.

June 2011

Another box of books has been reopened for cleaning, sorting, and reevaluation and lo and behold, many of the collected works of Carlos Castaneda are part of the contents.

Many years have gone but I remember this author and his works vividly. [Now don't get any ideas as to an allusion I may or may not be making] At some point I stopped purchasing more in the series and put them away. There's a 'blur' factor as I recall that happens with these stories of the metaphysical and magical journeys of learning (spelling of your choice for majic). Thus I finally put them down after a time. There's a new series of works by authors/students in the same genre. These are a continuation of the anthropological journey that Castaneda undertook to learn of his heritage and a way of life that existed if only in a shadow of the original form.

This generic commentary is going to be applied to all the writings of CC as a review until a rereading decision is made. I don't own all the books by Castaneda though I've read all his books through the mid 1980's. A couple more I have copies of in this collection but I bet I never read them.
Each of these books will have this introduction bracketed and italicized when I add a more specific commentary regarding the individual entry.

An early footnote. Much of the fascination with fantastical dragon imagery is rooted in the first two or three of these works. Just thought you should know.

[Henk · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the only book after the first four by Castaneda that appealed to me. The dense and interrelated concepts woven into metaphors with RAM hungry thinking required to try and comprehend drove the point home that dedicated practice to the point of a lifestyle change is the least effort required to even begin to expect benefits from these teachings.
Back to dedicated practice as the only way to growth... .
I found the writings of Lujan Matus -especially Whisperings of the Dragon; Shamanic techniques to awaken your Primal Power and Shadows in the Twilight: Conversations with a Shaman very useful in terms of making what were Castaneda's take on these teachings, a practicable path. If you did or thought you ought to have gotten value from castaneda's works -or even those of subsequent Toltec authors, these works provide the framework and practices.

[Emeraldia Ayakashi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite its progress on the "way of the warrior" that have earned the prestigious title of "nagual", Castaneda remains an eternal disciple of Don Juan face who tirelessly pursues his teaching and trying to initiate his pupil concepts increasingly sophisticated and concise at a time. That is, the element of mystery which remains attached to the apprentice, the "abstract cores," these truths that do not pass through words and are part of a "silent knowledge" that leaves tackle by direct intuition. They are part of the "spirit" of the "intent" and are only revealed at the end dune perfect asceticism. Such is the price to pay to approach the "abstract", this mysterious area where the reasoning must yield to pure reason, and where the speech ends, giving way to silence the "true" knowledge.

[Patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Castaneda was a graduate student studying Anthropology and was doing his thesis on Mexican Shaman and their use of regional plants and herbs to induce psychotropic effects in an attempt to cure people of various illnesses. Castaneda starts off with a scientist view, as a skeptic and later is blown away by what happens to him, which then becomes his life long pursuits. If you plan on reading these books, start with the Yaqui Way of Life, which is the first book and be prepared to be engrossed in Don Juan's teachings.

[Patrick\ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Did you find your spot within your egg? Thought not. But this work begins to finish the necessary work Castaneda took on. Don Juan knew that as his form of imersion into that 'other' reality, his sorcery, was dying out, perhaps it was enough to call Castaneda to himself to vivdly keep his method and wisdom alive through his take-him-through-it amanuensis.

[Tiffany · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very enlightening read. I know as with Castaneda's other books it has expanded my philisophical, and physical understandings of the universe. The lessons I've taken from this volume have already started to deeply penetrate my daily perceptions. In some cases I doubt my psyche will ever fully rid itself of those corners and depths of understanding.

[Ivinela Samuilova · Rating 5 out of 5]

All books of Carlos Castaneda are very important to me. He (and his Don Juan), Vadim Zeland - writer from Russia, quantum physicist and Alexey Bachev - an unusual psychologist from Bulgaria, protagonist of my book Life Can Be a Miracle have shaped my way of thinking, perceiving, experiencing the reality. Very grateful for showing me the miraculous way of living!!!!

[Eliana]

One of the most fascinating looks into another culture's belief system about our place in the universe that I've ever read. All the ones after this keep getting better and better. An incredible mentorship and friendship between the author and his Yaqui native shaman mentor.

[Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of a series of books by Carlos Castenada that jump started my spiritual quest.