The Teachings of Don Carlos: Practical Applications of the Works of Carlos Castaneda [Paperback]

Victor Sanchez (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 1995

Millions of readers of Carlos Castaneda books have long enjoyed the fantastic teachings of don Juan Matus, the Yaqui shaman from northern Mexico. Now, thanks to the practical techniques based on Castaneda's writings offered here by author Victor Sanchez--the body as a field of energy, the not-doings of the personal self, stopping the internal dialogue, the magic of attention, setting up dreaming, the warrior's greatest love, and more--you can apply these teachings to your everyday life.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"I was struck by the clarity, intensity, and insight of Sanchez' words. . . . he comprehends the nature of magical transformation."
(

Gnosis Magazine

)

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Spanish

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 276 pages
• Publisher: Bear & Company (May 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1879181231
• ISBN-13: 978-1879181236
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #606,491 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

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22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Teachings of Don Sanchez, January 21, 2004

By 

G. Wilson - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Teachings of Don Carlos: Practical Applications of the Works of Carlos Castaneda (Paperback)

Victor Sanchez's book may not be for the Carlos Castaneda purist. However, anyone interested in learning some techniques that facilitate serious Self-growth will not be disappointed.

Before I go too much further, I must point out that I don't agree with everything Sanchez has to say or suggest, and likewise I'm not in total agreement with Carlos Castaneda or Don Juan.

An example in this book is Sanchez's beliefs about emotions being the product of thought: "feelings are a natural reaction to what we perceive, while emotions are the product, not of perception, but of thought, of reason. Feelings are not energy-consuming; emotions are to a high degree."

I believe feelings and emotions are both important and vital in our growth, and being more in touch with feelings and emotions is essential to attaining any real Self-growth or magical knowledge.

This is partly semantics on the part of Sanchez, as he lists joy and sorrow as natural feelings (whereas I believe they are emotions also) while lumping as unwanted emotions such things as "wrath, jealousy, and, self-destructive depression." However, from my own experiences and varied teachings from Transpersonal Psychology and Psychosynthesis, depression is brought about through the suppression of emotion. Likewise anger (wrath) is not something to be suppressed, due to its Self-destructive properties, while appropriate ways of expressing it must be found.

This aside, I was impressed with this book, from the introduction. Sanchez coins the term anti-anthropology, which he likes to anti-psychiatry. His approach to the study of the Indians was "not to transform them, but to transform" himself.

Chapter One really sets the scene for continued work throughout the book. Sanchez sets about defining the various concepts he will deal with, including references to Castaneda's books where appropriate. Such topics include: "The Eagle's Emanations", "The Assemblage Point", "The Forms of Attention", "The Internal Dialogue", and "Not-Doing".

The most important sections of this book, to me, are those dealing with "Erasing Personal History" and "Stopping Internal Dialogue". On the subject of "Erasing Personal History" the best words to sum it up are Don Juan's:

"It is best to erase all personal history... because that would make us free from the encumbering thoughts of other people." - Don Juan, "Journey to Ixtlan" by Carlos Castaneda.

To me, what is being discussed is various means of breaking down the belief structures we've inherited from our parents (primarily) and also society. This line of thought is heavily discussed in other fields such as Psychosynthesis (where the concepts of belief structures and the sub-personalities which emerge from them are of critical importance) and memes (mind viruses). By working our way through various stages, starting with recognition and awareness of our personal history (belief structures, memes) we start to be able to make choices based on better meeting our needs, rather than pleasing or rebelling against our parents or society.

"Stopping Internal Dialogue" is something which can assist in our process of "Erasing Personal History" because primarily our belief's "talk" to us (through our sub-personalities) and create the string of seemingly constant and consistent inner dialogue, when in fact it is discontinuous and the result of conflict between diametrically opposed beliefs (which inherently are "the encumbering thoughts of other people"). Richard Brodie's book "Virus of the Mind" also suggests that stopping the internal dialogue is possibly the best way to deal with memes and suggests some techniques similar to Victor Sanchez.

On the topic of "Stopping Internal Dialogue", Sanchez stresses "that thinking is not perceiving. Thinking is not perceiving. As human beings we can think and we can perceive. The problem is, even though our intimate natures as fields of energy mean we are natural perceivers, we are also tied to our thoughts that we do not perceive our possibilities as such. As average people, we perceive so little that we have since forgotten the distinction between thought and perception; we believe that what we think is what we perceive."

This to me is a very important insight, and something I believe deserves a reasonable about of thought (ironically!), and experience (through various exercises and techniques) for anyone involved in personal (Self) growth or magical training. Our ability to genuinely perceive is also tied to our connection with our feelings and emotions, as we perceive with more than one sense. If we are constantly lost in thought, at the mercy of the "encumbering thoughts of other people", and in a constant intellectualisation of reality we are reinforcing the illusion we choose for ourselves.

There is a lot more in this book than the concepts I have chosen to focus on here. It is up to the individual to decide what works for them and what doesn't. I'm sure for many, especially those focused on processes of intellectualising the world, the book will seem full of crazy, irrational ideas which make little or no sense. Such is the world of magic and sorcery, where things are not necessarily as they seem, with our minds being full of Self deception and illusion, and where the resourceful and aspiring sorcerer or magician must find increasingly clever ways to overcome his or her limitations.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Terrfic Practical Approach on Castaneda's Work, October 1, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Teachings of Don Carlos: Practical Applications of the Works of Carlos Castaneda (Paperback)

By reading this book, you will find out that our modern life is nothing more that a bunch of non sense, on the other hand living like a warrior is more challenging than any task that you could imagine or find in your life. If you are prepared for that challenge this book is definitely for you, otherwise do not spend your time on this.

Relating to the Castaneda's work, I really think it is an important piece of work but Castaneda rarely gives a practical approach to Shamanism except for his work on "Magical Pases". I really think Sanchez's work is really a great contrubution in this field since he has filled the gap that Castaneda left in his work which is the practical stuff. In my personal opinion Sanchez has not "stolen" anything from Castaneda, he just made it better and that's a terrific contribution to cosmic consiousness in planet Earth. Thank you for your teachings Victor!

Go for this book, you will not be disappointed in anyway.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must read for any serious reader(or skeptic) of Castanda, October 23, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Las Cruces, New Mexico) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Teachings of Don Carlos: Practical Applications of the Works of Carlos Castaneda (Paperback)

Victor Sanchez does what should be done with any path with heart, he follows it. Sanchez has done everything Casteneda had done and found out, through his own rigors, and through the real life experiences with the Wirrarika and Nauhas tribes of Mexico(ancient descedents of the ancient Toltecs of Tula, whom share ancestors with others including the Yaqui.In other words, Sanchez has successfully put in to practice Castaneda's books; and he knows how to explain what he and Casteneda have done. He concretely and susinctly explains everything of use in the Castaneda books. He breaks it down meaning for meaning, all the while giving practical insights on how to actually implement Toltec spiritual living. His suggestions on implementing these ideas are miraculous and inspirational. This book is ideal for any serious reader or skeptic of the Castaneda. Sanchez is able corroborate, as a witness, another indigenous tribe whom have even more purely kept alive the ancient Toltec traditions. He, in fact, gives convincing credence by sighting other references in which he has also discovered corroborating evidence. In "Toltecs of the Millenium" (Sanchez'96) he indepthly goes into his experiences with this Wirrarika, which took place for fifteen years in the virtual seclusion of an obscure mountainous area of (I'm assuming) North-central, to N.W. Mexico. Both are very well written, clear,informative, and very inspirational.