Part of the Casswiki article series Books
The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge is a book by Carlos Castaneda, first published in 1968 as a work of anthropology. It documents the author’s experiences and the events that took place during an apprenticeship with the mythical brujo [don Juan Matus](Don Juan).
The book is divided into two parts. The first section is called “The Teachings”, which is Castaneda’s narrative of his experiences and his initial interactions with don Juan. He recounts his experiences with the use of peyote – a hallucinogenic plant – and presents a detailed academic interpretation of these experiences. The last part, “A Structural Analysis”, attempts to analyze don Juan’s teachings in a more formal manner.
This book deals extensively with the use of natural hallucinogenics for accessing other realities. The FOTCM does not recommend such approaches, nor taking the book too literally, and sees the value of the book as being in the metaphorical significance of the other things it conveys. The same caveat applies to Castaneda’s other books.
See also
External links
- Cassiopae Forum: Don Juan & “The Enemies of a Man of Knowledge” (Excerpt and discussion of one the most interesting passages of The Teachings of Don Juan.)