For the Anahuac cultures, the duality DEATH—LIFE LIFE—DEATH, form a unit; we cannot have life consciousness if we do not have death consciousness. Don Juan tries to teach Castaneda that the only wise "companion" we have in life is precisely death, who will not let us "hold" onto anything, whether people, objects, or feelings.
When an apprentice has decided to follow the warrior path, must be responsible for his decision, understanding that he has no time for bragging, complaining, or being wrong. The apprentice knows that he is a power or knowledge "Hunter", but that the Hunter will also be hunted by death. Don Juan tells him that when he feels bad, when all comes down upon him, the warrior must ask death if it is all true. Death will tell him that none of it is true, death will tell him "I have not yet touched you".
"—Yes —he gently said, after a long pause—. One of the two of us has to change, and quickly. One of us has to learn again that death is the Hunter, and it is always on the left. One of us has to seek advice from death and leave the fucking pettiness of men who live their lives as if death would never touch them." C.C.
BECOMING RESPONSIBLE
Castaneda asks Don Juan, "what he had done", the first time they met at the bus station at the south of United States. Don Juan explained that nobody does anything to anyone, that one does what he wants, for better or worse, with the people around them. Don Juan makes Castaneda understand that if he wants to continue on the knowledge path, he must be responsible for his actions.
"—Look at me —he said—. I have no doubt or remorse. Everything I do is my decision and my responsibility. The simplest thing I do, take you walking in the desert, for example, may very well mean my death. Death stalks me. For this reason, I have no room for doubt or remorse. If I have to die as a result of taking you to walk, then I must die...
"You, on the other hand, feel immortal, and an immortal decisions can be cancelled, complain or doubted. In a world where death is the Hunter, there is no time for regrets or doubts, my friend. You only have time for decisions… Making ourselves responsible for our decisions means being willing to die for them." C.C.
BECOMING A HUNTER
The apprentice is a hunter seeking power and at the same time can be hunted by death. A Hunter is a man who knows a lot, so he can perceive the world in various ways. A Hunter is light, flexible and fluid, in perfect balance with the world around him. A Hunter is not a good Hunter because he knows his prey routines, but because he himself... has no routines!
"—Hunters have to be exceptionally sharp individuals —continued—. A Hunter leaves very little to chance. I've been trying a thousand ways to convince you that you must learn to live differently... One day I discovered, that if I wanted to be a Hunter worthy of my respect, I had to change my way of living. I used to like lamenting and weeping a lot. I had good reasons to feel victimized. I am Indian and Indians are treated as dogs. I could not do anything to help it, so I only had my pain. But then my good
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