Comments on: The Tragedy of Don Carlos

By: G Finestone

G Finestone — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 02:28:10 +0000

Thank you sooo much Dr. Tathata, ’cause you are of great help to realize how much I’ve learned from Castaneda. I’m sooo grateful to him, ’cause every time I see around EVERYONE is packed with personal importance. We’re like chickens running from one side to the other without knowing what to do.

I haven’t found any similar knowledge, not in Buddhism, Christianism, Taoism, nor even Zen. The knowledge of ancient Mexico goes much further than any religion. I’m so happy for your comments because they make feel even more grateful and privileged by that knowledge that obviously was not made for everyone in the world (which is a real shame). But even more important, they make me realize that I’m just a person who will die, so I have no time to lose. Every second counts. Your comments make me realize that if Castaneda, even with so much wisdom didn’t make it through; then we have to work twice as hard. That’s the challenge of the sorcerer. Acting, not talking. Thank you!

Have a good time in Heaven.

By: G Finestone

G Finestone — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 02:03:17 +0000

Please, just stop thinking. Stop comparing. STOP THINKING and act. Grab the 3rd, 7th and 12th book of Castaneda, read each one at least three times. Please, don’t judge. Just read it. Hopefully you’ll see what’s all about. At that precise moment, you’ll not care anymore about the truth or not truth, because you will EXPERIENCE it. At that precise moment, it doesn’t matter anymore what “wives”, “lovers”, “fans” or “druggies” say. Because you will KNOW what’s all about. If not, all I can say is: I’m sorry.

By: Joseph

Joseph — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 08:37:32 +0000

I know this is a little late to the game, but I have to add my two cents, if only, just as the Nagual Carlos Castaneda would have said, “for the hell of it.” I studied with the apprentices of Carlos Castaneda for 15 years. In that time, I experienced much of what he taught and presented as possible, both in dreams and in waking life (not that there is really a difference.) I have had my own issues with the institution he left behind, known as Cleargreen, but it has nothing to do with him being a fraud. People call him a fraud because the premises he lays out scare the shit out of them; and rightfully so. The universe he provides access to is a world of pure energy, which places you beyond the social order, back into the original state of what humans truly are; magical beings with infinite capabilities. But you have to work at it to be a part of it. You have to constantly be aware of your ego and save your energy. People love Amazonian Shamanism because it is relatively safe. Take some aya, feel love, purge, or whatever but then go back safely into the fold of the social order: family, wife, husband, kids, jobs etc…It’s precisely the warmth and familiarity of human misery, and some joy of course, that draws people to these types of shamans. They have wives, children, joys, sorrow, petty fights, huge egos etc…in other words, much of what every human being has and identifies as familiar. The Nagual’s world is something far beyond that, yet, of course, you still have to deal with these things. As the nagual said, “the ego is a lazy dog. you have to sneak around it, not destroy it.” You have only (hahah “only”) to read his book “The Active Side of Infinity” in the section titled “Mud Shadows” to find out who the true enemy is, and it ain’t really us. People get angry and righteous and accuse him of fraudulent behavior because, deep down, they know it’s true; our mind is a foreign installation. The only true facts are energetic facts, and the two that really matter are that we are beings who are going to die and we are, at our core, pure energy. As the saying goes, “The wire is life, all the rest is just hanging around.” At least have the courage and humility to realize that all is possible, it’s just that you might not make it as far as you want to.

By: Dr Tathata

Dr Tathata — Fri, 27 May 2011 19:58:32 +0000

I am done presenting my views to anyone who does not recognize the absolute unconditional nature of freedom. “Give not that which is holy to the dogs, neither cast you your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you. And as ye enter into the house, salute it. And if the house be worthy, let your peace come on it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you. And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words: going forth out of that house or city shake off the dust from your feet. Them that have ears, let them hear.”

By: Steve Beyer

Steve Beyer — Fri, 27 May 2011 13:51:33 +0000

Dr Tathata, I have edited your comment to remove what I believe was a personal attack. If you think that my editing has distorted your meaning, please let me know. The use of the word “you” is often a hint that a personal attack is about to take place. Please feel free to speak honestly from your heart, but please refrain from characterizing others. Thanks.

By: Dr Tathata

Dr Tathata — Fri, 27 May 2011 13:23:45 +0000

David, in your world, you make decisions regarding what you reject and what you accept, every day of the week, as you just articulated in your rejection of my rejection of the disinformation of Carlos the Fraudulent. I do not question your right to make judgements about the information presented to your senses–I push back not because I am on a mission to disprove, which is a different and separate objective entirely, one I am utterly disinterested in, but because by vocally rejecting false information whenever I am confronted by it–I affirm myself, positively. It’s a form of self-actualization, having nothing whatsoever to do with you.

“‘Everything exists’: That is one extreme. ‘Everything doesn’t exist’: That is a second extreme. Avoiding these two extremes, the Tathagata teaches the Dhamma via the middle: From ignorance as a requisite condition come fabrications. From fabrications as a requisite condition comes consciousness. From consciousness as a requisite condition comes name-&-form. From name-&-form as a requisite condition come the six sense media. From the six sense media as a requisite condition comes contact. From contact as a requisite condition comes feeling. From feeling as a requisite condition comes craving. From craving as a requisite condition comes clinging/sustenance. From clinging/sustenance as a requisite condition comes becoming. From becoming as a requisite condition comes birth. From birth as a requisite condition, then aging & death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, & despair come into play. Such is the origination of this entire mass of stress & suffering.–Kaccayanagotta Sutta

By: Dr Tathata

Dr Tathata — Sun, 22 May 2011 18:41:35 +0000

Let’s start by recognizing that there is a fundamental, unacceptability about unpleasant truth. We all tend to shield ourselves against its wounding accuracy. Not only do we do this as individuals, but we do this as a people, as a tribe, as a nation. Twenty-seven hundred years ago, as some of you may remember, not because you were there, but because you might have read the Bible, the priest Amaziah said of the prophet Amos, “…the land is not able to bear all his words.”

Every prophet has realized that nobody loves you for being the enemy of their illusions. Every prophet has realized that most of us want peace at any price as long as the peace is ours and somebody else pays the price. That is why the prophet Jeremiah said, “‘Peace, peace,’ they say, when there is no peace,” and why Jesus said, “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.” (Matthew 10:34 NIV)

By: Steve Beyer

Steve Beyer — Sat, 21 May 2011 15:24:25 +0000

I have deleted three comments that seemed to me to cross over the line from vigorous advocacy to personal attack. This is my house, and in my house we do not attack each other or call each other names. I know that there are people who consider invective to be a sport, but I do not. Some earlier comments in this thread came very close to the line, but I let them stay, because I recognized the passion behind them. But I did not intend to encourage nastiness, and I am stopping it now. There are too many thoughtful and interesting ideas expressed by commentators throughout this blog to spoil them with mere bad temper.

By: david

david — Wed, 18 May 2011 17:40:22 +0000

Dr Tathata, who are you to judge who is lost in samsara? For all we know, the time you spend refuting peoples’ inspiration who like Castaneda’s books is the greatest testament to being lost in a mission to disprove- a mission which literally has no fruit to bear for anybody reading any of this. Calling people psychopaths leaves little room for understanding. There is often truth to be found in fiction, don’t forget this.

By: Mateo

Mateo — Mon, 16 May 2011 16:30:24 +0000

Dr Tathata, please stop to be painfully judgemental, thank you.