The sense of humor and sobriety, as well as refined treatment of Don Juan, had captivated Castaneda. The perfect use and knowledge of the Spanish language is something that Castaneda comments on several occasions throughout the work and recognizes it enabled him to "understand" abstract and very complex concepts that, in itself, are very difficult to talk about.
But perhaps what surprised Castaneda the most, to the point of truly terrify him, is when on one occasion "found him" in Mexico City, impeccably dressed in a three-piece tailor made suit, and manners that made him look as gentry "noble gentleman". Or in Guaymas when he saw him acting as an old man, senile and incoherent, on the edge of a circulatory collapse.
Don Juan is described by Castaneda as "a traveler-warrior", complete, accurate and perfect, that never underestimates or overestimates nothing. Always in balance, without climbing to heaven or down to hell. Without anger and resentment, without personal importance and with a controlled destiny flowing light, unattached and patient. Empty of worldly feelings and attitudes, his emptiness reflected the "infinity".
There were two extraordinary things about Don Juan personality. One was that he could go unnoticed in a crowd. Unlimited freedom from being unknown and the impeccable stalking art, would be Don Juan credentials. The other is that Don Juan as all apprentices had a job. Indeed, Don Juan despite being an extraordinary nagual, "in the everyday world worked" as any mortal. Castaneda said that it was very common for him to say that he had to do some business, and Castaneda believed that it was a euphemism, but the truth is that the nagual sold medicinal plants, and distributed them in several places of the country.
What shows that, for nagual world domination, first of all, is required to have a full control of the tonal world. The daily world is the base and livelihood of who we are as people, and that world, to enter Toltequity, must be completely balanced. As said Don Juan, "a warrior cannot be starving to death in his filthy home".
At one time, the writer, met Castaneda in failed book presentation in the Fondo de Cultura Económica bookstore, which at the time was at University Avenue and Parroquia street in Colonia del Valle, Mexico City. After a long wait for Castaneda next to a microphone, where he would talk with a crowded venue.
Castaneda appeared for brief moments. His appearance was that of a mature man, over fifty year old, curly hair, straight and wide nose, small eyes, slightly pockmarked, medium height almost small, extremely strong, but not muscular, with small hands and a shrill voice. Castaneda’s aspect, with a light and shiny suit, with a vast briefcase, could be a medical representative rather than a nagual. With that disguise, nobody could recognize him.
"—Being a shaman —Don Juan continued— does not mean practicing spells or attempting to affect people, or be possessed by demons. Being a shaman means reaching a consciousness level that gives access to unthinkable things. The term 'witchcraft' is not capable of expressing what shamans do, nor the term "shamanism". The shaman actions exclusively exist in the abstract realm, the impersonal. Shamans fight to achieve a goal that has nothing to do with the common man search. Shamans aspire to reach the infinite, and be conscious of it...
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