Translation:To read Carlos Castaneda/11
VIII. THE POWER OF SILENCE
First English edition, 1987
INTRODUCTION
Castaneda’s eighth book; Don Juan knowledge has taught him that his two parts seem to have been assembled. In this book introduction, Don Juan tells him that he was never learning witchcraft, simply saving energy. And it is precisely the saved energy which allows Castaneda to handle certain energy fields that common men do not use to perceive the everyday world.
The Toltequity, as Don Juan calls it or Toltecáyotl, as it is known by historical sources collected by missionaries in the 16th century, is the art of perceiving what common perception cannot capture. Perceiving ourselves and the world around as energy and seizing the immeasurable opportunity, is the "Toltec art".
Don Juan tells Castaneda that in reality there is no witchcraft to teach. The Toltequity teaching takes the apprentice through ruses to realize that the world is much more of what we commonly perceive; which is formed by an immeasurable number of energy fields and that the human being, in addition to being an energy charge, is an energy producer surrounded by energy. The warrior learns in this path, that there is an internal unknown power and if he develops it, it can be reached.
"The being consciousness mastery, is the mind enigma; the perplexity experienced by witches when fully realizing the amazing mystery and reach of being consciousness and perception.
The stalking art is the heart enigma; the witches bewilderment when discovering two things: one, the world seems unalterable objective and real due to certain peculiarities of our perception; and the other, that if different peculiarities of our perception are used, such a seemingly real and objective unalterable world changes.
The intent mastery is the spirit enigma, the enigma of the abstract.
The instruction provided by don Juan in the stalking art and the intent mastery were based on the instruction to be conscious of being: a cornerstone that consists of the following basic premises:
- The universe is an infinite cluster of energy fields, similar to light filaments that infinitely extend in all directions.
- These energy fields, called the Eagle emanations, radiate from an inconceivable proportions source, metaphorically called the Eagle.
- Human beings are composed of these same filiform energy fields. To witches, human beings appear as giant luminous eggs, which are vessels through which these infinite extent bright filaments pass; light balls the size of a person's body with sideways and upwards extended arms.
- Of the total number of filiform energy fields that pass through these luminous balls, only a small group, inside the luminous shell, is lit by an intense shine point located on the ball surface.
- Perception occurs when the small group energy fields, turned on by the shining point, extends its light to glow even outside the ball. As the only perceptible energy fields are those illuminated by the shining point, this point is called the "point where perception fits" or simply "lace point".
- It is possible to move the lace point from its usual light ball surface position, either inside or to another surface position or to an external location. Given that the lace point shining is sufficient, by itself, to illuminate any energy field which comes into contact, when the point moves to a new position, immediately illuminates different energy fields, thus making them perceptible. The act of perceiving this way is called seeing.
- The new lace point position allows perception of a completely different world to the everyday world; a world as objective and real as what we normally perceive. Witches enter that other world in order to obtain energy, power, solutions to general or specific problems or to face the unimaginable.
- The intent is the omnipresent force that makes us perceive. We do not become conscious because we perceive, but we perceive as a result of the Intent pressure and meddling.
- The witches ultimate goal is reaching a total consciousness state and be able to experience all the perception possibilities that are available to men. This consciousness state also implies an alternative way of dying.
The being consciousness mastery required a practical knowledge level. At that level don Juan taught me procedures to move the lace point. The two large systems devised by ancient witches seers were: reverie, in other words, dreams control and use, and stalking, or behavior control..." C.C.
THE SPIRIT MANIFESTATIONS
I. The First Abstract Center
For don Juan the spirit is the abstract, since to know it words or thoughts are not required; it is something that can only be felt and expressed with acts. Don Juan, during all his teaching, tells "witchcraft" stories over and over. Stories that had to do with seers, warriors, apprentices and even his own personal experience. But all these stories have an —abstract center—, in which the spirit expresses; these are, so to speak, stories where the intent is always present.
These stories must be remembered over and over again until, gradually, the abstract come to us. It would seem that history is discovered or recreated; every time its reviewed we find things that previously were not perceived; we reach its abstract centers.
It can be said that Castaneda's work, especially in the first part, is a set of stories of spirit manifestations that, sometimes seem confusing; in the second part -from "the second ring of power"- begins to assemble knowledge in a more functional manner; in all the above lies the reader challenge.
Castaneda is perhaps the first nagual which reproduces knowledge through books; it is, as Don Juan says, a modern nagual. These stories must be reviewed, then analyzed and then think them over, until almost relive them literally.
This is why, warriors have to find past reference points in order to be able to use abstract centers stories and get knowledge. The common man also uses the past, but always for personal reasons that exalt and glorify their personal importance.
"—What is my story about the spirit manifestations?" —I asked a bit baffled—.
—If there is a warrior conscious of his stories, it is you —replied—. After all, you have been writing them for years, right?..." C.C.
THE NAGUAL ELIAS IMPECCABILITY
This story speaks the nagual Elias impeccability that attentive to a spiritual manifestation, manages, on the basis of a grotesque story, hooks —impeccably— two apprentices: Talia and Julian. He frees her from an enormous superfluous energy flow, and rescues him from death. Teaches them that in life there is no second chance when "The freedom bird" shows up, and that this bird either carries people with him or leaves them behind forever.
"He did not have any problem, no doubts in leaving everything behind. He understood perfectly well that there would not be a second chance and that the freedom bird either takes people with him or leaves them behind..." C.C.
THE SPIRIT TOUCH
Ancient naguales preferred actions over reasoning. Instead, modern, and in particular Castaneda, get lost in reason the deviations, while others seek freedom.
Enhanced consciousness is something mysterious to our reason; in actions, it is simple and easy. The problem is that humans always complicate things when trying to minimize the immensity around us to something reasonable and manageable by our reason parameters.
Toltec warriors, when they managed to stop self-compassion (which is nothing but disguised personal importance), stop being compassionate for others. For the warrior everything begins and ends in himself; everything else is a permanent controlled folly and his contact with the abstract helps him overcome personal importance feelings, until turning himself into something abstract.
Don Juan says that long ago humanity lived in the abstract and that this was its sustaining force. Something turned men away from the abstract and it is now very difficult to get back. However, this is one of the warrior challenges.
To become sensitive, perceptive, able to feel the spirit and move in the abstract, is giving a 180 degree turn to what we have learned, obsessive and compulsively, throughout our lives. The warrior path and Toltequity are one of the many possibilities that humankind has created from wisdom.
"For a witch, the spirit is the abstract, because to know it does not need words, not even thoughts; it is the abstract, because a witch cannot conceive what the spirit is. However, without having the slightest opportunity or desire to understand it, the witch manages it; recognize it, calls it, incites it, becomes acquainted with it, and expresses it in his acts."... C.C.
THE NAGUAL JULIAN LAST SLIP UP
Being able to revive and clean the spirit link is what distinguishes the apprentice from common men; when this link is restored, he is no longer an apprentice; this requires an indomitable purpose and an unyielding intent, which common men does not have and therefore the Toltec invented the warrior path.
Here is something interesting for Castaneda readers and followers of. Don Juan says that Toltequity does not receive volunteers because, among other things, when bringing own purposes, it is very difficult to renounce to their individuality. If they do not find things as they think they should be, they get angry and go.
Don Juan said the important thing is to have decision and force for change, tons of humility, discipline for an attempt to "sweep the tonal island", stop being, think, feel and act in everyday life, as we have always done. If anyone dares to try just the above, and set aside for the moment the nagual world, the left side knowledge, enhanced awareness, the Eagle emanations, etc., will not need teachers or benefactors. When they succeed in saving energy and moving their lace point, surely the power will place them in the path.
Back to the book, Don Juan says that our link with the spirit is what makes human beings, ancestrally, concern for a destiny.
Common human beings does not just have a mere or mild concern, as he is always busy in the everyday life whirlpool and even more concerned about the "having" than the "being". And at the end of life (when he has lost almost all energy or is on the verge of death) realizes he had the greatest life opportunity: being totally free and conscious, and he has wasted it.
"—An apprentice is someone who strives for cleaning and reviving his link with the spirit —explained—. Once that link comes alive, he may not continue being an apprentice; but until that day, needs an indomitable purpose, an unyielding intent, which he does not have, of course. For that reason, the apprentice allows the nagual to provide him such purpose and to do it, has to give up his individuality. That is the difficult part" C.C.
THE SPIRIT TRICKS
Don Juan says that abstract centers stories (many of them in the Castaneda work) have the same structure and that what varies is the characters. Each story contains: an abstract tragicomedy, an abstract actor (the intent), two human players (the nagual or teacher and his apprentice) and the script, which is the abstract center of those stories.
Castaneda understands the stalking art is learning, to perfection, all the disguise details, to such an extent that nobody realizes he is disguised. This requires being ruthless, which does not mean to be rude; on the contrary, must be charming; astute, which does not mean to be cruel, but very decent; have patience, which does not mean to be negligent and on the contrary, be active; and also be nice, which does not mean be stupid, but yes, at the same time, be annihilating effective.
"The stalking art is learning all your disguise singularities, said Belisario without paying attention to what don Juan was saying to him. And learn them so well that no one could discover you are disguised. To do this, you need to be ruthless, shrewd, patient, and nice". C.C.
THE FOUR STALKING DISPOSITIONS
The Don Juan teachings central and fundamental axis is, without a doubt, the stalking art, which indicates to be ruthless, shrewd, patient and nice. The apprentice must implement these four basic fundamentals with everything and everybody. The main stalking principle is the apprentice must stalk himself, must first select minor behavior attitudes for its later analysis and then stalk them, so when hunting them as prey, they will fall one behind the other, until he can stalk "major preys" on his behavior.
When an apprentice fully develops stalking, he must attempt the intent, and this way, will be able to move his lace point.
A male or female warrior is a human being with an uncompromising will and an impeccable discipline; the warrior stalks to temper the spirit. He only seeks in everyday acts a vehicle to reach, after hard work and much effort, freedom and consciousness. A warrior does not think of personal benefits from his daily actions, as it is the case with common people, that will not move a finger unless there is some kind of reward expected.
Castaneda comes to understand that Toltequity cannot be translated with words but with existential actions experienced by the entire body. He understands that this knowledge has always been available to any human being, to be felt, used, but that in no way it can be explained. The key to open the door to this knowledge is a change of consciousness level; enhanced consciousness, as a result, neither can be explained, it can only be used.
"—Feeling important is a real tyranny —he said—. It makes us unbearable jerks.
We must work tirelessly to end it...
"From what we have seen in you, you cannot be taught to be violent or obtuse. You already are, but you can learn to be ruthless, shrewd, patient and nice...
He asserted that in witchcraft, stalking is the beginning of everything. First of all, the witches must learn to stalk; then must then learn the intent and only then they can move their lace point at will...
—The very first stalking principle is that a warrior stalks himself said looking at my face—. Stalks himself compassionless, astutely, patiently and nicely"..." C.C.
THE SPIRIT DESCENT
For millennia the ancient Toltec through "seeing", discovered that Earth is a live being and conscious, whose conscience, somehow, can affect modern humans who live in a reflection of themselves.
In the Anahuac common humans maintained a deep relationship with Earth who they called Tonatzin, "our dear mother". But there were a very large number of devotions which the Spaniards called "gods", but that the anahuacas took as variants of the same reality. Contact and balance with nature and the cosmos was the sustaining life base of ancient peoples, not only of the Anahuac, but the world.
The "modern" human being has lost the ability to "connect" with all that surrounds him. The everyday life maelstrom —anguish, concerns, the having, frustrations, fears, technologies, etc.— covers all our attention and does not allow to realize that we are part of everything else.
The "modern" people have based their existence in consumption. The divine and sacred, the immeasurable has disappeared from their life and world. The modern human being consumption needs are unlimited and consumption addiction becomes a drug.
"Don Juan asked me listen carefully to what he was going to say. He said that thousands of years, through their seeing ability, the witches discovered that Earth is a live being and conscious, whose conscience could affect human beings consciousness...
Don Juan had assured me that our great collective failure, is living our lives without considering that connection at all. For us, our hurried existence, our inflexible interests, concerns, hopes, frustrations and fears, have priority. In terms of our practical matters, we have no clue that we are jointed with everything else."... C.C.
THE THOUGHT DEADLY LEAP
A warrior is essentially an impeccable man in his acts and feelings, with great flexibility, fluid resources, and refined tastes and behavior; in short, a warrior is a man whose job is to polish all its sharp edges and one of the most important is his conduct. A warrior is always attentive against the natural abrupt human behavior.
Stalking is an excellent tool that allows us to polish our conduct; stalking is a special behavior that is determined by certain principles; it is a hidden, furtive and misleading, conduct intended to give the apprentice a mental shock. Some hallucinogenic could have the same effect, but with a very high cost for the body and also, one can get lost along the way. Self "Stalking" it is the method invented by the new Toltec seers to move the lace point, using our own behavior in an astute and compassionless manner.
The warrior must have death consciousness, but detached; with this comes sobriety and beauty. The only thing certain for a warrior is that he must die, so consequently, acts: is patient without ceasing to act, accepts without being stupid, is astute without bragging or faking, and, above all things, may not be compassionate, as he does not surrenders to personal importance.
In the "profound Mexico" popular culture, the relation with death is total and overwhelming. Mexicans toy with death, is their companion: dance, eat, sings, challenges it. This "surrealism" is nothing more than a deep and ancient Anahuac cultural root.
"Without a clear death vision, there is no order for them, there is no sobriety, no beauty. Witches strive relentlessly to have their death present, in order to know, at the deepest level, that they have no certainty but death. This knowledge gives the witches the courage to be patient while acting, gives them courage to access, to accept everything without being stupid, gives them courage to be astute without bragging and, above all, gives them courage to be compassionless without surrendering to personal importance."... C.C.
SHIFTING THE LACE POINT
Recapitulation is one of the ways to shift the lace point. Recapitulation, in appearance, is to remember what has been lived, but in reality is a very refined and complex technique developed by the new Toltec seers to move the lace point.
Recapitulation begins with an effort to remember the most important life events, for later remembering all those events in detail and continuity. Then an effort must be made to "re-live" again each of these events; that the body remembers and re-lives what it felt at each of those events; that the lace point move to the exact place it was when the events being relived occurred; the Toltecs called this "remember".
One of the techniques with which Don Juan probably transmitted part of the knowledge to Castaneda was when both together moved their lace point; Don Juan called this "reverie" together, and also probably, via that practice, Castaneda wrote part of his work: through lace point movement.
Don Juan describes Castaneda as a common man, description of which most of us do not escape, not because we are "bad", but because this is where most of us has the lace point fixed. It is not a question of morality, but simply our energy use.
Don Juan tells Castaneda that he has a very exalted self-image, which is dominant, vain, stingy, ill tempered, wretch, trusty and very prone to vices and weaknesses.
"—Are you going to say that I am unbearable? —I said and my voice sounded surprisingly forced.
—Of course you are unbearable —he said, with a serious expression—. You are petty, capricious, stubborn, dominant and vain. You have a bad temper, tedious and ungrateful; you have an inexhaustible vice capacity. And the worst: you have a very exalted idea of yourself, without anything to back it up. I could quite frankly say, your mere presence makes me sick...
—I warned you, you were not going to like or understand it —he said—. The warrior reasons are very simple, but extremely refined. A warrior rarely has the opportunity to be genuinely impeccable despite his basic feelings. You have given me such unparalleled opportunity. The act of giving, free and impeccably rejuvenates me, renew in me the idea of the wonderful. What I get from our relationship is indeed something so valuable to me that I am hopelessly in debt with you."... C.C.
THE PLACE WHERE THERE IS NO COMPASSION
The opposite to pity oneself is not have self-compassion. Having a very exalted self-idea produces, in consequence, great personal significance. This we gets in our way, makes us rude, vain and pretentious; but also, personal importance is accompanied by self- compassion. When our personal importance crashes with a tyrant or the world that constantly insists in, not adhering to our thoughts, personal importance becomes self-sympathy.
When a warrior diminishes his personal importance, his daily life no longer has hatred, anger, resentments and acquires a controlled folly that flows smoothly. The warrior mark will be his indifference, his patience and his detachment.
Don Juan says that in men there are two distinct parts: the first is old, quiet, indifferent; the second is new, nervous, agitated, and cares about himself because feels insecure. The first remains in our bottom. The second is on the surface and is vulnerable; is what we use to see the world. The first is silent knowledge, intent, the spirit, abstract, and nobody can describe, only experience it.
The warrior job is fighting against the second part, that "I individual" that prevents human beings from developing full power. Don Juan says that movement and fixation of the lace point that maintains modern human beings is what has made him an egocentric murderer who has been stuck in the self-image absorption. Disconnecting him from the world around him, is capable of destroying the environment, all other living beings and even threaten his very own survival.
When changing from the lace point usual position, among other things, the warrior obtains a state that might be called "not having compassion". To not have compassion does not mean to be cruel and ruthless with others.
"Witches are convinced that the lace point position is what makes modern man an egocentric homicide, a being completely trapped in his own image. Having lost all hope to return to the silent knowledge, man seeks solace in his individual self. And in doing so, manages to fix his lace point in the most convenient place to perpetuate his self-image. Therefore, witches can say with certainly that any movement that moves their lace point from its usual position is equivalent to move away from the self-image and, consequently, from personal importance.
Don Juan defined personal importance as the force generated by the self-image. Reiterated that it is this force what maintains the lace point fixed where the present is. For this reason, all witches goals is dethroning personal importance.
He explained that witches had unmasked personal importance, finding that it is, in fact, disguised self-compassion.
—Does not seem possible, but it is —assured me—. The real enemy and men misery source is self-compassion. Without some degree of self-compassion, men could not exist. However, once that compassion is used, it develops its own momentum and becomes personal importance...
He continued explaining, saying that witches are absolutely convinced that the spirit, when moving our lace point, away from its usual position, made us reach a being state that we could only call "not having compassion".
He said that witches knew, thanks to their practical experience, that as soon as the lace point moves personal importance collapses, because without the usual lace point position, the self-image loses its focus. Without that intense approach compassion extinguishes by itself and with it personal importance, since personal importance is only disguised compassion...
The witches war is the total fight against that individual self which has deprived men of his power..." C.C.
THE INTENT REQUIREMENTS
Breaking the self-image
Don Juan said the only thing he did with Castaneda was to destroy his self-image; this was the only real help Castaneda received from Don Juan; if anything, teaching him that the world is something more of what is there in front and that the human being has immeasurable undeveloped power. Toltequity is not a question of words or ideas, it is a matter of actions and energy perceptions.
Don Juan tells Castaneda that Toltequity at first is an adventure, to the human essence. That in that path there is no need of teacher, guru or method. Simple and plainly to restrict the ego limits. Significantly reduce personal importance, to get rid of attachments, be humble and live flawlessly. Whether a common human being or a warrior apprentice.
What an apprentice requires is just a minimum opportunity to have spiritual consciousness; aware that the world is an energy whole and that human beings are "luminous eggs" with a delicate cocoon containing a fraction of the external energy; that men perceives "the world" from the external and internal energy alignment, and that it is called "the lace point"; that personal importance requires an extreme energy consumption to fix the lace point in a certain cocoon location and that if personal importance is reduced, can release energy, and with the energy released can move the lace point that is called "intent", and that the intent is to direct the Eagle commands at will; and that doing this creates a link with the spirit that can launch the warrior to the third attention, to be consumed in internal fire, to receive the "Eagle gift", to total freedom, total consciousness; for each of these levels the new Toltec seers have developed, from the ancient Toltec seers knowledge, a strategy which they called "the warrior path" which, in turn has various techniques, but that most try by various means to release the apprentice self-image and is nothing other than moving the lace point.
Toltequity is a return journey to the spirit, the abstract, silent knowledge. Longtime ago humanity had its center in the abstract and the warrior needs to fight ruthlessly to return to it. Warriors and common people do not need masters, guides or aids. Everything begins in them, is in them and ends up in them. What is important is that individuals are aware of their possibilities, possesses a fierce discipline, keep a sustained effort and an unyielding intent. His battle field is in the everyday world and the enemy to defeat is himself.
Our Toltec grandparents very poetically said it through the battle that Jaguar and Eagle warriors had to fight in the florid war, to make their "heart flourish". These men of those times called themselves "the Sun brotherhood" or "White Brotherhood". They were the spiritual supporters of the Fifth Sun, the feeders of the Eagle-Sun, with their spiritual sacrifice.
The image modern human being have of themselves, is what has moved them away from the abstract, the spirit. The world of the self-image is the mind world, very fragile, by the way. The world of the mind is held by a few key ideas that serve as basic order and are ideas accepted by both the silent knowledge and reason.
When these ideas fail, the basic order collapses, ceases to operate.
One of those key ideas is that we are a solid block, that we are immutable. The mind can accept that our behavior can change, that the way we think and act alsochange; but the idea that we can change our physical appearance to look like another person or transform into an animal, is not part of the basic order of our own image. When the Toltec warrior alters or interrupts this basic order, the world of reason collapses.
Human beings are infinitely more complex and mysterious —as well as the world around us— than the most elaborate conceivably fantasy. The problem of being rational faces many disadvantages; in principle because modern man does not use his rationality in all its dimensions; suffice to see the chaotic contemporary world in which we live, far from rational. And, on the other hand, our reason is very limited facing the immeasurable mystery of life and the world. Human beings should be more humble with their reason and use it more effectively. Reason is very fragile and limited. Don Juan argues that reason is a varnish, a very thin gold plating on men, if slightly scratched, a witch will be found.
“—As I have already told you —don Juan continued—, witchcraft is a return trip. We return to the spirit, victorious, after having fallen to hell. And we bring trophies from hell. The simple understanding is one of those trophies.
I told him that this series of actions seemed very easy and simple, in words, but that, when tried to make effect it, one found it was the antithesis of ease and simplicity.
—The difficulty in carrying out this simple series —said— is that almost no one is willing to accept that we need very little to perform it. We have been prepared to await instructions, lessons, guides, teachers. And when we are told that we do not need anyone, we do not believe. We get nervous, then suspicious and finally angry and disillusioned. If we need help it is not question of methods, but a matter of emphasis. If someone emphasizes that we need to reduce our personal importance, that help is real.
"The witches say we should not need anyone to convince us that the world is infinitely more complex than our most amazing fantasies. Then why are we so petty that we always ask that someone guide us, if we can do ourselves? What a question, eh?..." C.C.
THE THIRD POINT
For men, a rational human being, it is impossible to accept that is an energy charge and not a solid body; also, that he may be a "luminous egg" and there is an invisible point where external and internal emanations align, and that this produces the world perception. Even when somehow this is accepted, could not believe that it was not in the brain.
Rational human beings, perceive the world through ideas and therefore act their thoughts and does not live their acts. People are bound in their ideas and the self-image which creates itself and the world; locked this way guarantees their state of ignorance by being deprived of the development of all its potential.
People believe that witchcraft is a question of incantations and sorcery and not the freedom to perceive, in addition to the reason world, an immense field of perceptions that fall within the human possibilities spectrum.
The inflexible intent is a determination, a purpose resolve clearly defined that cannot be cancelled by desires or interests conflict. This force generates the "intent" when it keeps the lace point in an unusual place. The unyielding intent creates new lace point positions, which in turn generates more inflexible intent.
Toltec warriors perceive their actions with greater depth, in a three-dimensional manner, as their reference points come from sensory perception. What is immediate for us and is not, from here everything else detaches. The third warrior reference point is perception freedom. It is the mortal reason leap to the immeasurable, the miraculous, the fantastic. It is the denying action beyond our normal limits to be able to perceive inconceivable; testify and to return without damaging our delicate and vital rationality, base and sustainment of who we are as men, but at the same time, our great ballast for going beyond the usual and common.
"—The witch perceives his actions profoundly —said—. Their actions are three-dimensional. The witches have a third reference point.
—Our reference points are obtained primarily from our sensory perception —he explained—. Our senses perceive and differentiate what is immediate for us and what is not. Using this basic distinction we derivate the rest.
—In order to reach the third reference point one must perceive two places at the same time —explained—...
"The third reference point is perception freedom; It is the thought mortal leap to the miraculous; it is the act of extending beyond our limits to touch the unconceivable..." C.C.
THE INTENT HANDLING
The Two One Way Bridges
There are four stages for a warrior on knowledge path, and these are in reference to his spiritual links. The first is when a link is very rusty and, therefore distrustful. The second when the link is cleaned. The third when he learns to handle it. The fourth is when he learns to accept the abstract designs.
For Don Juan silent knowledge and reason are a one way bridge called "interest". The men of "silent knowledge", do not have a genuine interest to know the source of their knowledge. Another one way bridge is "pure understanding"; that is, that reason, even though it may be, is nothing but a sand grain in the desert.
"The old nagual told don Juan that the connection between silent knowledge and reason was, for the witches, as a one way bridge, called, “interest". In other words, the interest that real silent knowledge men had for the source of what they knew. And the other one way bridge, which connects reason with silent knowledge, is called the "pure understanding". That is, what tells man of reason, that reason is just like a star in a star infinity..." C.C.
ATTEMPTING APPEARANCES
Men are energy charges contained in their cocoon; consciousness comes from the pressure generated by Eagle emanations —both external and internal— at a specific cocoon place called "lace point".
In everyday life a warrior perceives his actions through the lace point. When common man perceives himself with reason, it is an ideas cluster, memories and aspirations. The warrior perceives himself as an energy charge through his lace point. The rational human being experiences through his ideas, and the warrior through the lace point and its different positions. For a warrior information is stored in experience, or in the place his lace point was when he lived the event; for this reason, when the lace point is moved to the place where it was when the event happened, the warrior again relives the experience, and that is called "remembering".
The Toltec warriors stored information through the intensity of the lace point movement; we believe this is how Castaneda wrote his work, as previously mentioned, as a witchcraft act.
In order to protect themselves from the perception overwhelming effect, warriors use stalking, as it moves the lace point slowly but constantly, and this allows the warrior to strengthen. The "controlled folly", produced by stalking, is the means by which the warrior can deal with silent knowledge and the everyday world without fear of getting stained and succumb. Don Juan says that men have a powerful "dark and sinister side", but it is nothing but our "stupidity".
The Toltequity or Toltecáyotl has had many stages, great discoveries, but also great failures and many different lineages. Now the knowledge is maintained at impeccable levels. Personally we do not know why it opens at the moment to the everyday world, but we are sure it has a powerful reason that Castaneda has not explained in his books or probably did not know and only complies with "power designs".
The truth is that the Toltequity today has no rituals, religions or buildings constructed to morbidity and obsession, nor has teachers to develop the cult of personal importance. Don Juan says that he is nobody’s teacher and nothing can be taught by witchcraft and that nobody needs teachers, gurus or guides; that knowledge is there, for those who have enough energy or know how to save. In any case the nagual work is to direct and develop consciousness penetrate in the abstract, free of charges and mortgages.
Don Juan gives a very clear and simple Toltequity example when he says that being consciousness could be a huge house and that common men everyday life consciousness is like being tightly locked in a single room in that big house for a lifetime. Don Juan says humans entering and leaving the room at two magical openings which are: birth and death.
Ancient Toltec seers discovered how to go out of this room without having to die, but only to move to another room in the great house. The new Toltec seers had an even more important achievement: got to know the secret of, not only get out of the room and get lost in the immensity of the house, as happened to the ancient seers, but arrive at the total consciousness, total freedom; that is: leaving the House!, and enter the immeasurable.
"—The witches experience is so far-fetched —said don Juan— that they got used to stalk themselves with it, with an emphasis on the fact that we perceive and that perception has many more possibilities than those conceived by the mind.
"In order to protect themselves from the perception immensity —he continued—, witches learn to maintain a perfect blend of lacking compassion, being astute, patient and friendly. These four bases are inextricably intertwined. Witches cultivate them by practicing. These bases are, of course, lace point positions...
—I have talked to you about breaking the self-image, of reaching the site where there is no compassion, and reaching the silent knowledge; and state moods that give them sobriety. The intent handling is somewhat more veiled, is the stalking art, is impeccability...
—Of course we have a dark side —said—. We kill on a whim, don't we? We burn people in God's name. We destroy ourselves; we annihilate live on this planet; we destroy Earth. And then we put on religious clothes and the Lord speaks to us directly. And what does the Lord tell us? He tells us that if we do not behave well he will punish us. The Lord has threatened us for centuries and things do not change. And not because there is evil, but because we are stupid. The man does have a dark side, called stupidity...
After a brief pause, don Juan explained that in the same way that a ritual requires common man to build huge churches as monuments to the personal importance, also requires witches to construct morbidity and obsession buildings. All naguales task, therefore is to guide conscience so it flies toward the abstract, free of charges and mortgages.
—The ritual can catch our attention better than anything else —said—, but also requires a very high price. That price is morbidity; and morbidity could charge very high charges and mortgages to our being conscience..." C.C.
THE TICKET TO IMPECCABILITY
Don Juan tells Castaneda one of the power abstract centers most touching stories. Don Juan tells him how he left his nagual and fled in search of a misunderstood freedom.
On this journey to the North, Don Juan tells how he fell in love of a woman and her children, losing in less than a year all he had learned at the home of his nagual. He had to learn that a witch cannot hook to ordinary people, because the price is very high. Don Juan had to pay with his life having lost the opportunity to go to the immeasurable. He had to die so that the spirit would give him "a new ticket", another chance. The ticket to go to impeccability.
In the end, Don Juan insists that everything is based on the lace point shifting and this requires all energy saved and then rechanneled through impeccability. This seems very simple and yet it is very difficult to achieve.
The common man and the warrior problem is themselves; the problem is reduced to the energy use and saving. Don Juan says that modern man senses his internal resources, but does not dare using them; his evil comes from the counterpoint between his stupidity and ignorance.
Don Juan says that now, more than ever, men needs to learn new ideas that have to do with his inner world, ideas relating to the human facing the unknown, in front of his personal death. Don Juan said that, as never, humans now need to know what is the impeccability and the lace point secrets.
"—Impeccability, as I told you so many times, is not morality —told me—. It only seems to be morality. Impeccability simply is, the best use of our energy level. Naturally requires frugality, anticipation, simplicity, innocence and, above all things, requires the absence of the self-image. All this seems similar to the monastic life manual, but is not monastic life.
The witches say that in order to have control over the lace point movement, energy is needed. And the only thing that accumulates energy is our impeccability...
The real difficulty is not in moving the lace point nor in breaking continuity. The real difficulty is in having energy. If energy is available, once the lace point moves, inconceivable things become available.
Don Juan explained that modern men predicament is that he senses hidden resources, but does not dare using them. This is why witches say that men evil is the counterpoint between his stupidity and ignorance. He said that the man today needed more than ever, learning new ideas, which relate exclusively to his inner world; witches ideas, not social ideas; ideas of men facing the unknown, facing their personal death. Now, more than ever, men need to learn about impeccability and the secrets of the lace point.
—Being devoured by the monster was something symbolic —replied the nagual Julian, in low voice—. The true monster is your stupidity. Right now you are in mortal danger of being devoured by this monster..." C.C.