Translation:To read Carlos Castaneda/9

by Guillermo Marín Ruiz

VI. THE EAGLE’S GIFT

First English edition, 1981

We might well say that "the second ring of power" is the prologue to "The Eagle’s Gift". It corresponds to the adaptation period and hence Castaneda’s confusion. The experiences described in this book are the adventures lived during the encounter with his "group". In addition, describes how he saved evidence left by his teacher, but especially, marks the beginning of a new "processing" form for knowledge received.

In the book "The Eagle’s gift" this process is clearer and more productive for the reader. In the foreword, the author reiterates that it is not anthropological work despite the fact that for years he tried to deduce the cultural matrix of this "knowledge system", which could well be a biographical account of the encounter with this knowledge. The author reiterates that his stories are not fiction; that, on the other hand, by following the teachings and perform the practices and techniques, had radically transformed his personal and everyday life, because what he originally considered a primitive system and practices turned out to be an intricate, complex and sophisticated anahuaca knowledge system called Toltequity that "devoured" him, to convert him in a "Toltec" pretender.

This book consists of three parts: The Other Self, The Reverie Art and The Eagle’s Gift, and an appendix. We shall discuss those chapters that in our opinion seemed more relevant to this work which, as noted, is designed to introduce the reader to the Carlos Castaneda works, but never intended to replace the valuable work of Carlos Castaneda.

FIRST PART

THE OTHER SELF

FIRMNESS OF THE SECOND ATTENTION

During a conversation between the “fat lady” and Castaneda, both touch on an interesting point about the past of the ancient Mexico and don Juan knowledge. The basis of the subject is the "firmness of the second attention". Don Juan had told them that some of the pyramids are huge NON-DOINGS where warriors practiced reverie and their second attention, thus for Don Juan, these were not accommodation sites. This is what occidental science aims to deduce in this regard, with their research, and has nothing to do with the history of these places. Let us remember that the Toltec of those times had "another tonal", and also men. Whomever tries to stop their internal dialogue before the Mitla friezes, will understand what Don Juan meant.

Don Juan recommended the "fat lady" not to stand at the archaeological zones because they were harmful to modern man. He also said that he knew all about the ruins because he was a Toltec cultural descent.

Don Juan commented to her that witches of yesteryear fixed their attention on material objects, such as the Tula Atlantes, and that everything on which men or witches set their obsessive concern had a harmful potential. In this sense, Don Juan recommended warriors not to focus their power on anything material, but in the spirit. The warrior must rid himself of these "miserable passions", remove these fixings, in order to be light and fluid.

"I lived in the city of Tula". I know these pyramids like the palm of my hand. The nagual told me that he also lived there. He knew everything about the pyramids. He was Toltec himself...

He told me that some of the pyramids were huge non-doings. These were not accommodation places, but places for warriors to reverie and practice their second attention. All they did was recorded with drawings and figures carved in the walls...

What channels our total being energy of our being, to produce anything that can be found within the possibly boundaries, is known as will. Don Juan could not say what were limits, except that at the level of luminous beings our scope is so wide that it is useless trying to establish limits: so that the luminous being energy can turn into anything through the will...

He had reached this conclusion on the following premises: First, that we are not only what our common sense demands that we believe to be. In fact we are luminous beings, capable of becoming conscious of our luminosity. Second, that as luminous beings conscious of our luminosity can focus different facets of our consciousness, or of our attention, as don Juan called it. Third, that such an approach could be produced through a deliberate effort, as we were trying to do, or accidentally, through a bodily trauma. Fourth, that there had been an era in which witches deliberately focused different facets of their attention on material objects. Fifth, the atlantes, judging from their spectacular appearance, should have been fixity objects of another time witches..." C. C.

SEEING TOGETHER

“The fat lady” and Castaneda start "working" together to remember the left side teachings, for which they must discard everything, since a warrior cannot hold onto things, feelings or thoughts. They mention sex as a concern that interferes with learning.

To appease Castaneda, the “fat lady” massages his calves, practice taught by Don Juan. In this regard on page 186 of Human Body and Ideology written by Alfredo López Austin, it is noted: "It is very likely that both ideas were associated, and believed to when a witch seized some sort of force located in the calf of the victim, stole energy and hurt the enemy by depriving them of an essential element of his human condition. In current tales it is commonly said that if someone destroys the mometzcopinique female magicians calves during a supernatural trip, bad women die."

Many of the practices that Castaneda describe in his works are implicit or explicit in traditions, uses and customs of many indigenous and peasant peoples of today’s Mexico.

—"You have to abandon your desire to cling —suggested—. The same happened to me. I held onto things, for example food that I liked, the mountains where he lived, people that enjoyed talking to. But overall I held to the hope they loved me...C.C.

If that is called seeing, my intellect logical conclusion would be that seeing is a corporal knowledge...C.C.

And they are more ferocious than I am. Their bodies are impenetrably closed, are not worried about sex. I am. That weakens me. I am sure that your concern about sex is what makes it so difficult for you to retract your knowledge. The fat lady continued talking about the debilitating sex effects...C.C.

THE QUASI MEMORIES OF THE OTHER SELF

The occidental culture bases its knowledge and superiority in reason; it is a world of ideas, and not feelings. For the Toltecs the world and reality are also perceived with the body. The body registers and stores knowledge; what happens is that we never use that information consciously.

Don Juan teachings, as a result, have much to do with the body. One of his constant concerns about Castaneda was the ill treatment he gave his body and the poor state it was in. With small jokes always pointed to the need of having a "good tonal". Generally occidental philosophy fights its battles in the mind and through reason. Toltequity fought their battles in the apprentice body. Apprentices who follow the warrior path see their bodies transform. The body stamina and strength are samples of the of knowledge path advance.

The “fat lady” tells Castaneda they should wait, that the body should be given an opportunity to find a solution to the "remembering" task, as the warrior does not remember the mind but with the body. Must await for the right time for the body to "discharge" all that it "knows" and has stored.

"After hearing my story, Nestor was amazed of how different their reverie was to mine. They had specific reverie tasks. Theirs was to find cures for everything what grieved a human body. Benigno was predicting, anticipating, finding solutions to anything that was a human concern. Pablito challenge was finding ways to build. Nestor said that because of these tasks he negotiated with medicinal plants; Benigno had an Oracle and Pablito was a carpenter…" C.C.

SHIFTING AFFECTION BORDERS

In the knowledge path there is a time in which the warrior must dismiss the world of feelings and emotions that accompanied him throughout his life. The teacher teaches the apprentice to gradually let go, releasing all the things that the apprentice hangs onto; however, there are always a few the apprentice must keep a few, that provide at the required times, happiness and well-being. But when the time comes, also these things must be released. When he no longer lives "hooked" to everyday life feelings, is called "losing the human form".

That is why, since a warrior knows what awaits for him, he wants nothing. While he waits enjoys his eyes with everything he sees in the world; when a warrior "watches" the world, he laughs.

One of the techniques Don Juan taught his apprentices was that they should consider the group as an organism alive. It is common in the Anahuac cultures to exemplify human organizations with some animals. On page 87 of Lopez Austin book Human Body and Ideology, it is written: "in the [Nahua] texts a metaphor appears with which Macehualtin [the people] are designated: 'the tail, the wing'; as if the toltecáyotl was a large eagle in which commoners had the sustainment function; but not the 'heading control'. Formed in four pairs constituted a rattlesnake, key animal in the Toltec culture."

Professor Laurette Séjourné in her book Thought and Religion describes on page 169: "other metaphors all point to the same freedom longing. The fire serpent is individual with ardent wishes to transcend his terrestrial condition."

"Explained to me that, given we were divided into pairs, we were a living organism. We were a snake, a rattlesnake. The snake had four sections and was divided into two longitudinal, male and female halves. She said that her and I were the first snake section: the head. It was a cold head, calculating, poisonous. The second section, formed by Nestor and Lidia, was the strong and beautiful heart of the serpent. The third was the belly: stealth, capricious, distrustful, formed by Pablito and Josefina. And the fourth section, the tail, where the rattle was, formed by the real life couple that could rattle with their tzotzil tongue for hours, Benigno and Rosa...

She said that a warrior knows that he is waiting for and also know what is waiting for him, and while waiting, delights his in the world. For him the maximum warrior feat was enjoying... C.C."

AN HORDE OF ANGRY WITCHES

The warrior medicine, before the many mixed feelings within which the common man operates, is the sobriety sense that gives a very personal style. His sign is unchangeable. If a warrior finds obstacles in his path, tries to overcome them impeccably. If while doing it finds pain and unbearable hardship, then he cries, aware that all his tears combined will not change his situation.

"I told them that I had reached the fair conclusion that, as a warrior, don Juan had changed the my life course for the better. I had considered over and over again what he had done with me and the conclusion was always the same: don Juan brought me freedom. Freedom was all I knew, and that was all I offered to anyone who got close to me..." C.C.

SECOND PART

THE REVERIE ART

LOSING THE HUMAN FORM

It is interesting to read in this book the Castaneda honest confession, that after many years of being a Don Juan disciple and observing his techniques and procedures, manages to lose the human form. He confesses that he experienced a decline in his personal links with the world, but only intellectually; in the everyday world he continued as usual, until many years later he lost the human form.

Losing the human form is not taking a superficial indifference attitude or negligence or alienation or loneliness. It is rather a feeling of remoteness, a special ability to live everything intensively but without having thoughts and expectations. The persons actions no longer have value because there are no expectations. Castaneda said that force that governed his life was a strange peace. He had come to the detachment that Don Juan repeatedly recommended.

For a warrior without human form there is no place for jealousy, sadness, envy, anger, love or human passions; these prevent us from being free. Not having a human form does not mean being wise, but being able to stop a moment before taking action.

"He always stressed that detachment did not mean automatic wisdom, but nevertheless was an advantage, since allowed the warrior to stop momentarily and reconsider situations and again evaluate possibilities. However, in order to consistently and correctly use that extra time, don Juan said that the warrior had to incorruptibly fight during an entire life...

—A warrior is someone looking for freedom —whispered in my ear—. Sadness is not freedom. We have to take it away from us. Have a detachment sense, as don Juan said, implies having a momentary pause to reconsider situations..." C.C.

JOINT REVERIE

Against what might be thought, don Juan teachings can be practiced in the everyday world. Of course, in addition to decision and courage, requires an immense self-discipline capacity and doing things without expecting any reward.

Castaneda was working many years with exercises or tasks that seemingly made no sense or a practical result. It is interesting that who has had the opportunity to live with Indians and peasants will find in their way of life and behavior many similarities with the techniques that Castaneda learnt. Farmers and indigenous peoples have developed a "culture of resistance" before the attack of Creole predators and abusive mestizos. The strength of their resistance has to do with practices that Don Juan suggests Castaneda learns to become a warrior. The difference is that as indigenous people and peasants say, they "are not people of reason", they do so as part of an ancient cultural heritage.

For reverie, Don Juan taught Castaneda three techniques: breaking life routines, power walk and not doing, which directly applied on the vigil of our daily lives, but its benefits were felt when the apprentice dreamt.

Don Juan repeatedly said, that there can be no progress in the nagual that is not supported by great effort and work in the tonal world.

Reverie, as we shall see in the later books, is one of the Toltequity fundamental pillars, but it is sustained on the work and domain of the everyday world. Reverie, which is not the same as simply dreaming, involves certain dream domain or control. It is an ancient practice, not only Toltec, but of almost all ancient peoples of the world; via different ways these peoples have obtained knowledge from the world of dreams.

On page 245 of the aforementioned Lopez Austin book we read: "With regard to the human body abandonment during sleep, obviously conceived dreaming as reality perception in remote sites from the place occupied by the sleeping body. In antiquity, as in current indigenous communities, it was thought possible to talk with divine beings during sleep, and dreamy visions were sources continually sought to learn about the occult; many things were done or not done because of dreams, where many 'watched', and of which they had books with what they meant, by images or figures, said Fray Bartolomé de las Casas. Unfortunately, the zealous missionaries saw dream interpretation as something diabolical and books the Dominican talked about were destroyed by the Spaniards. They are just a few notes about the interpretations. Among the remaining sources are the poor texts about dreams of the FIRST MEMORIALS and succinct statements of Fray Diego Durán. But at least the missionaries views were registered in the sense that dream interpretation was a constant practice and a supposed source of great value knowledge to indigenous."

And on page 246 of the same book we read: "very significant is for this topic the word cochitiehualiztli, which does not appear in Molina, but is registered by Simeon, supported by Paredes. It means 'Reverie', but etymologically is 'the rising while asleep'. Smaller support of the idea of the TONALLI journey during sleep is the meaning of the verb 'awakening', which according to Molina is ZA NI (NI-ZA) or hualiza (NI). Its literal translation is 'being here in the second'."

"I am sure that if we try, we can do it, because there are no specific steps for all a warrior does. There is only personal power… -It was imperative that I interiorized an equanimity state in difficult social situations, and for this no one could have been a better coach than the Fat Lady..." C.C.

THE RIGHT SIDE AND LEFT SIDE CONSCIOUSNESS

In Toltequity all knowledge abilities, opportunities and success, from the simplest to the most complex, are in the human body itself.

The human body is not "really" flesh and blood, it is composed of atoms, molecules and cells as indivisible part of "this matter", and as we know, the atoms are not solid particles but energy charges. Therefore, we can "scientifically" consider the body as a set of energy charges and, by logical consequence, we must see it as "a luminous being". What matters is not knowing that we are energy but that we can create energy. This energy is spiritual.

The teacher’s art is making the apprentice reason "flexible", without him "losing his mind", so that then, he manages to accept that he is a luminous egg surrounded by a world of energy charges; that the luminous egg is a perceiver and that through perception of one of its parts (right or tonal) has "created a world of solid objects" through reason, becomes a bold challenge.

The body, in the end, is all we have. Here are the three premises under which all earth live are "equalized". The first is that we are alive; Second, we feel, and third, we are going to die.

For the Anahuac cultures, the body was a knowledge source and had a deep relationship with the earth and the cosmos. Within the body two large divisions crossed in the navel, place where, according to Don Juan, the "will" is connected with the "outside world".

The navel concept of has deep philosophical meanings in the cultures of the Anahuac civilization. The first men division is made of the top (the sky) and bottom (the earth), taking the navel as a reference point in a cross-section. The second division is the right side (tonal) and the left side (nagual) always taking as the navel as a reference in a longitudinal view. The point in which all four sides converge is center or fifth point.

Professor Laurette Séjourné, who has been one of the best archaeologists to interpret the Toltec iconography more accurately from the esoteric aspect tells us in her book "Thought and Religion in Ancient Mexico" (p. 101); "five is the center number and this in turn, constitutes the contact point of heaven and earth. For greater accuracy, the quincunxe also means the gemstone that symbolizes the heart. The Center Law has abolished the opponents fragmentation. Based on stars revolutions and arduous calculations, these cycles are, starting from the simplest –nature annual death and resurrection-, all the way to include immense units aimed at the mystic search for the moments of supreme liberation, for example, the commonalities between the individual soul and the cosmic soul, time and eternity, the limited and the infinite."

With these five points the quincunxe is made, fundamental point in ancient Mexico philosophy, architecture and iconography. Philosophically we live in the Fifth Sun and men have five cardinal points in space. Architecturally, in almost all archaeological sites we find four buildings located toward the four cardinal points and a fifth in the Center. Iconographically we shall find this human body division proposal, the earth and sky plains, ceramics, wood, bone or textiles, and has been called "the Quetzalcoatl cross", which is represented by five points or motifs.

With reference to the left side, in which the ancient Mexican cultures divided the human body, Austin Lopez in the cited book, page 175, says: "Should not be surprising that in some cases, the gods designated human beings supernatural force was believed to be located on the left side of the body".

"Don Juan told us that a human being is divided in two. The right side, which is called tonal, covers everything that the intellect is able to conceive. The left side, called the nagual is a domain of indescribable traits; a domain that is impossible to contain in words. The left side is perhaps understood, if understanding is what takes place, with the body totality, hence his resistance to conceptualization.

Don Juan also told us that all witchcraft capabilities, possibilities and achievements, from simplest to the most amazing; ae within the human body itself..." C.C.

"five is the center number and it in turn, constitutes the contact point of heaven and earth. For greater accuracy, the quincunxe also means the gemstone that symbolizes the heart. The Center Law has abolished the fragmentation of the opponents. Based on stars revolutions and arduous calculations, these cycles are, starting from the simplest -nature annual death and resurrection-, to encompass huge units aimed at the mystical search for supreme liberation moments, that is, the commonalities between the individual soul and the cosmic soul, time and eternity, the limited and the infinite." Laurette Séjourné.

THIRD PART

THE EAGLE’S GIFT

THE NAGUAL RULE

For Toltequity practices of the, a warrior must maintain a sobriety and control state where human feelings take very little space, where thoughts of gain and personal gratification do not operate.

A warrior must not be "dazzled" by perceptions of the second attention. Reaching it does liberates us automatically from our human clumsiness. An apprentice who reaches the second attention without losing the human form, without sobriety, discipline and control, can "perish" just as the first Toltec who got lost in the second attention and "neglected the everyday world".

The nagual rule is "a truth" that the warrior must assume totally. If not fully prepared the "Rule" is literally crushing. The rule says that "The Eagle" is a force or superior energy, immeasurable and incomprehensible. The ancient viewers metaphorically called "The Eagle" just to name it, but it is not an eagle, nor anything we can imagine.

This superior energy feeds from the energy implied by living beings consciousness. So when they die, these energetic particles are absorbed by this force. However, "The Eagle" gives an opportunity or gift to all living beings. This opportunity is "entering another reality", with the being consciousness. This gift is given by the Eagle to perpetuate awareness. To this end, the Eagle creates a pair of naguales, man and woman, provides them with a team very well defined and determined by their energy charges, gives them "the rule” and makes them forget it, so that they later recover it and achieve "their totality" and form a new team before leaving, to perpetuate the opportunity.

"Considered that the freedom gift the Eagle offered was not a gift but the chance of having an opportunity..."

His conjecture was that once, in the indigenous world before the conquest, the handling of the second attention corrupted. It had developed without any obstacles for perhaps thousands of years, until it lost strength. Practitioners of that time perhaps did not need controls, and thus without control, the second attention, instead of becoming stronger, weakened as it became more and more intricate. Then came the Spanish invaders and, with their superior technology, destroyed the Indians world. Don Juan told me that his benefactor was convinced that only a small group of warriors survived and managed to regroup their knowledge and redirect their path…" C.C.

THE EAGLE’S GIFT

The official history of "Prehispanic Mexico"^[1] is made on the basis of "scientific" studies and research, primarily from the Aztec culture, taking as a "reliable information" what was written, product of their personal interpretations, the conquerors, the chroniclers, the Friars and some indigenous that became Occidentalized immediately after the conquest.

The roots of ancient Mexico were lost in time. Francisco Javier Clavijero, in his "Ancient History of Mexico", points out that it is almost impossible knowing the origins of Anahuac peoples, (the reader’s attention is drawn to the fact that in the conquest recent past, the current national territory was known with the name of Anahuac). "The history of the primitive people of Anahuac is so dark and so altered with so many fables (as other peoples of the world) that it is impossible to find the truth […]. Several of our historians who wanted to penetrate this chaos, guided by the weak conjectures light, futile combinations and suspicious paintings, were lost in antiquity darkness and have been forced to adopt puerile and unsupported narratives." (Vol. 1, PP. 173).

Oral tradition describes the Toltec not as a culture but as men of knowledge, as wise and knowledge generators. Their great teacher was Quetzalcoatl, common in ancient Mexico, the center from which Toltecáyotl departed, was the city of Teotihuacán.

Laurette Séjourné, in her superb book "Thought and Religion in Ancient Mexico", tells us: "Teotihuacan sank its roots in a fragmented universe of archaic times, only the vision of the spirit vastness of the divine spark which bequeaths and harmonizes, could generate the active power that presided over the founding of the city built to the glory of the Feathered Serpent that is the conscious man. [... ] Thus, far from implying coarse polytheistic beliefs, the Teotihuacan term evokes the concept of human divinity and points out that the city of the gods was not other than the site where the snake miraculously learned to fly, that is, where the individual reached a celestial category from internal elevation."

Don Juan claimed to be Toltec cultural heir and supposedly was born in Arizona, rom Yuma and Yaqui descent. Don Juan divided consciousness into three parts. The first and smallest part he called "first attention"; this awareness is "common", that we all have and whit which we face the everyday world, and is related to the physical body consciousness. The following consciousness part, much larger in size, he called the "second attention", and is what men perceives as a luminous cocoon, the world as energy, and that allows us to act as "luminous beings". The second attention always stays in the "back" of our consciousness and comes out through directed and disciplined work, or by means of an accidental trauma that can trigger it into operation. The third attention, which is the last part and the largest in size, is consciousness of the physical and luminous bodies.

The first attention forces to perceive the energy world a world of ideas and objects, but in reality, we are beings capable of becoming aware of our luminosity (second attention) and through Toltequity could attempt penetrating the third attention. In fact all men before dying get "full" of their totality, to immediately enter the third attention and being "devoured by the Eagle".

Toltequity proposes, through its teachings, reaching self-totality, and before dying, entering at "will" the third attention, but without losing self-consciousness (without being devoured by the Eagle, receiving the eagle’s gift).

It is important to note that Don Juan tells Castaneda that the origin and purpose of the Toltequity or witchcraft lies in the human body. For this reason, the body divided it into two parts: the tonal or right part, which contains everything that the reason or intellect is capable of creating or designing. The left side, or nagual, is indescribable, something inexplicable with words; perhaps only "understand", if this involves the whole body ability to know.

Don Juan said that the apprentice shifting between the left and right sides allows him to understand that the right side is slow and spends much energy for life continuation; while the left side is inherent to energy and speed economy. The precise ability to perceive everything in an instant and at once, Don Juan called it INTENSITY.

This book clarifies what was already felt since "The Second Ring of Power": Carlos Castaneda did not couple perfectly with his litter. Don Juan not had noticed that Castaneda only had three compartments instead of the four which his luminous body should have had, this turned him into a "three-point nagual" for which the normal rule did not apply, and in addition there were two northern reveries in the group (“the fat lady” and Rosa).

Each group or cycle that knows the rule consists of 17 persons as a minimum; eight female warriors (4 stalkers and 4 reveries), four male warriors and four others, and the nagual woman.

Don Juan group was formed by Cecilia, Delia, Teresa, Olinda and Emilito; Vicente Medrano, Hermelinda, Carmela, Juan Tuna, Zuleica, Zoila, Silvio Manuel, Martha, Nélida, Florinda, Genaro Flores and Juan Matus.

The Group of Carlos Castaneda so far (at least in the books) consists of: Soledad, Maria Elena ("the fat lady"), Lidia, Rosa, Josefina, Eligio, Benigno, Nestor, Pablito and women nagual (Carol).

In this book Castaneda describes 7 principles and 3 rules of stalkers, which are the following:

1. Choose the battle field.
2. Eliminate all unnecessary.
3. The warrior must be ready at any time to enter in battle (but not crazy).
4. The warrior must rest, forgetting himself and not be afraid.
5. The warrior must not follow the flow; when he cannot move forward, the warrior must withdraw momentarily and deal with other things.
6. The warrior must know how to compress time (cannot waste an instant).
7. The warrior never reveals his play and does not get in front of anything.

The three rules Don Juan described are:

1. Everything around us is an unfathomable mystery.
2. We must try to decipher the mystery without hope of success.
3. Aware of the unfathomable mystery around him, the warrior takes a legitimate place as an additional mystery; therefore, the mystery of being, has no limit.

Don Juan said that the 7 principles and 3 rules of stalking implementation, has the following result for the warrior:

1. Never takes himself seriously, laughs of himself and as he can play a fools role, he can fool anyone.
2. Is never in a hurry, never gets upset and have an endless patience.
3. Learns to develop an infinite improvising capacity.

The RULE states:

That the power that govern the destiny of all living beings in the world is known as the "Eagle" (but it is not an Eagle)

The "Eagle feeds on the consciences of all living beings which after their death soar as fireflies to be "devoured by the Eagle"."

The "Eagle", in order to perpetuate human beings conscience, has granted, if so they wish, the opportunity to seek through it, an opening that leads consciousness to freedom; this is called the "Eagle’s gift". For this purpose, the Eagle created the nagual woman and man, living beings that instead of having two energy compartments (nagual and tonal) they have four (two and two) and placed them in the world to “see", providing them with a minimum group to perform their task, consisting of four female stalker warriors, three male warriors and one other. This group had to be trained and developed to meet the objective. The first eagle order is that the nagual must find four female reverie warriors. Then ordered to find three messengers.

To prevent the "team from losing their path”, the Eagle took the nagual women to the other world, that is, where the group must cross. The nagual woman served the group as guide or lighthouse for the crossing. Finally, the nagual and his group received the order to "Forget" and start a new task: remembering themselves and the Eagle. It is supposed that if they remember themselves again, they can reach totality.

His last task on earth as a group, after recovering their totality, is to find a pair of "double" beings to start a new cycle with a nagual woman and a man, by providing them with the minimum group so they initiate the new cycle.

The Eagle ordered them to take along the nagual woman, from this other new group, to serve as guide to her new litter mates.

THE NAGUAL WARRIORS GROUP

NAME⁠TYPE⁠DIRECTION⁠ATTRIBUTES

1° 1. VICENTE MEDRANO⁠LEARNED WARRIOR⁠EAST⁠ORDER

2. CARMELA ⁠STALKER⁠EAST⁠THE HEART

3. HERMELINDA⁠REVERIE⁠EAST⁠MILD OPTIMISM

4. JUANA TUNA⁠MESSENGER⁠EAST⁠CONSTANT BREEZE

2° 5. GENARO FLORES⁠ACTION WARRIOR⁠NORTH⁠STRENGHT

6. FLORINDA⁠STALKER⁠NORTH⁠ROUGHNESS

7. NELIDA⁠REVERIE⁠NORTH⁠DIRECT TENACIOUS

3° 8. SILVIO MANUEL⁠ WARRIOR ORGANIZER⁠WEST⁠FEELING

9. ZOILA⁠STALKER⁠WEST⁠INTROSPECTIVE

10. ZULEICA⁠REVERIE⁠WEST⁠REMORSE

11. MARTHA⁠HELPER⁠WEST⁠CUNNING ASTUTE

4° 12. JUAN MATUS⁠NAGUAL⁠SOUTH⁠GROWTH

13. CECILIA⁠REVERIE⁠SOUTH⁠NUTRE BULLANGUERA

14. DELIA⁠STALKER⁠SOUTH⁠SHY

15. EMILITO⁠MESSENGER⁠SOUTH⁠LIVELY

16. TERESA⁠HELPER⁠SOUTH⁠HOT WIND

17. OLINDA⁠FEMALE NAGUAL

"The stalkers are confronting the facing the everyday world. They are the businesses managers, dealing with people. Everything that has to do with the ordinary affair world passed through their hands. The stalkers are practitioners of the controlled folly, just as the reveries are dream practitioners. In other words, the controlled folly is the stalking base, and dreams are the reverie bases. Don Juan said that, broadly speaking, the most important warrior achievement at the second attention is reverie, and in the first attention the biggest achievement is stalking...

Don Juan said that his benefactor had been very careful in training every one of his warriors in the art of stalking. He used all sorts of ploys in order to create a counterpoint between the rule dictates and the warrior conduct in the everyday world. He believed it was the best way to convince them that the only way to deal with the social environment is in terms of controlled folly...

-Don Juan said the momentum with which his benefactor carried his ploys originated in his certainty that the Eagle was real and final, and his certainty that what people do is an absolute folly. These two convictions originated the controlled folly, don Juan benefactor described it as the only bridge that exists between the people foolishness and the purpose of the Eagle dictates…" C.C.

THE NAGUAL WOMAN

In this part of the book, Don Juan tells Castaneda the way in which he had to learn his teacher and his benefactor’s teaching. Thus, his benefactor tells him that a warrior never can feel "besieged", because being under siege means that one has positions and personal possessions to defend, so is vulnerable. A warrior instead does not have anything, wants nothing and is indifferent to everything. He has no expectations and no expected reward. The only thing he has is his will and his impeccability.

"Don Juan told me that all the group members of his benefactor shared the same state of mind. The freedom that the rule proposed was something they all considered unreachable. In the course of their lives they had glimpsed the annihilating force the Eagle is, and believed that they had no chance before her. However, they all agreed to live their lives impeccably without more reason than impeccability itself..." C.C.

THE SILVIO MANUEL NON-DOINGS

The Don Juan lineage will face a daunting challenge, Castaneda turned out to be a three energy compartment nagual and not four, as don Juan had "seen it", from the moment he "hooked" him. This created many difficulties in the group and "Castaneda did not fit with his group, nor the group with him". The "four point nagual" rule did not apply for Castaneda and his group. A tragedy for the continuity of this specific and ancient Toltec lineage, and perhaps, Castaneda failure as a "classic" nagual.

This was a strong blow to everyone and Castaneda will have to wait for the three-pointed nagual rule. For this reason, Silvio Manuel, Don Juan Group member, would prepare Castaneda to receive through the messenger, "The three point nagual rule".

Castaneda is forced to accept his destiny and face as an immaculate warrior the events, that are dramatically narrated by the author.

FLORINDA

Don Juan sends Castaneda to Florinda’s house to learn the stalking art. Depending on their energy charge, people can be stalkers or reveries. The Toltec poetically called them " jaguar warriors or eagle warriors". The symbolic values given to animals by ancient humanity peoples, are very similar and common. The jaguar attitude is stalking, and the eagle, stopped, almost motionless in the heights, is of reverie.

Florinda taught Castaneda the first stalking principles, the first three principles of stalkers rules, and three first stalking moves. She teaches through telling him the story of how she was "hooked" in Toltec knowledge by her teacher. A truly fascinating story in which Florinda was a "woman object" of a powerful, dominant, violent and possessive man.

Stalkers learn to never take themselves seriously, so learn to laugh at themselves. Given that they have no fear of acting foolishly, they can fool anyone. Stalkers learn to have endless patience. Stalkers are never in a hurry, never get angry or upset. Stalkers learn to have an infinite improvisation capacity.

The principles are: 1—. Choose the battlefield. 2.— Eliminate all unnecessary. 3.— They must be ready at any time to enter battle… but not hastily and without strategy. 4.— They must rest before going into battle. Forget about themselves, not be afraid. 5.— Do not let go with the flow and when they cannot fight the adversary, they retreat and get busy with other tasks. 6.— Compressing time, learn not to waste a moment.

The rules are: 1.— Everything that surrounds us is an unfathomable mystery. 2.— The warrior tries to decipher the mystery, although he has no hope of achieving it. 3.— Conscious of the unfathomable mystery which surrounds him, the warrior takes his rightful place as an additional mystery. Therefore, the mystery of being has no limits, so it is humbly shared and understands he is equal to all.

When a warrior applies these techniques scrupulously, the results are formidable. Stalkers never take themselves seriously, they learn to laugh at themselves. As they can play the role of "fools" they can fool anyone. Stalkers learn to have endless patience. Stalkers are never in a hurry, never get upset, and finally, stalkers learn to have an infinite improvising capacity.

"Assured me that a perfect recapitulation could change a warrior even more than reverie total body control. In this regard, reverie and stalk lead to the same end: entering the third attention. For a warrior, however, it was important to know and practice both..

Florinda explained to me that the key element when recapitulating was breathing. Breath, for her was magical, because it was a life given function...

We are warriors and warriors have a single goal in mind: being free. Die and be devoured by the Eagle is men destiny. On the other hand, wanting to get out of our destiny, wanting to join freedom, serene and generous is the final boldness..." C.C.

THE FEATHERED SERPENT

Castaneda titled the last chapter of this book the "Feathered Serpent" and we do not believe he used it has a decorative element; we assume that future books will more accurately discuss the relationship between Toltequity and the so called "Don Juan Teachings". As previously noted, when deepening into the author’s the work of we find surprising parallelisms with "profound Mexico" "oral tradition" and somehow also, with the Academy; as confirmation we again quote, professor Séjourné in her book "Thought and Religion in Ancient Mexico". P. 95: "... as a superior order consciousness, its effigy cannot be other than the symbol of this truth and the serpent feathers representing it should speak of the spirit which allows men -a man whose body, such as the reptile, crawls in the dust- to know the superhuman creation joy, thus constituting an ode to sovereign inner freedom. This hypothesis is also confirmed, by Nahuatl symbolism, in which the serpent represents matter –its association with terrestrial divinities is constant- and the bird, the sky. Quetzalcoatl is therefore the sign that contains the revelation of humans celestial origin."

We believe that one of the Castaneda’s work biggest failures, was "removing the Toltec wisdom conveyed by Don Juan, from the culture that generated it". In fact, Castaneda avoids mentioning the cultural context where Don Juan and Don Genaro operated, in addition to not making more in-depth references to Toltecáyotl from academic sources. Don Juan on several occasions mentioned to Castaneda the Toltec origin of his knowledge lineage. Once, they both were at the National Museum of anthropology and history, in Mexico City, and Castaneda did not transcribe into the books what Don Juan told him about the information he received through the energy stones.

Without the cultural context in which the Toltequity or Toltecáyotl was born and developed through thousands of years, "the Don Juan teachings" and the Castaneda work itself, are left without the basic foundation to fully understand and measure it, not only in ancient knowledge lineages, but fundamentally, in the complex and syncretic forms of everyday lives of indigenous peoples and peasants of the so-called profound Mexico. Without this wisdom, indigenous peoples would have not been able to survive colonization in the past five centuries. This wisdom somehow survives even in the large Mexican metropolis.

"He added that warriors have no life of their own. From the moment they understand consciousness nature, they cease being people and the human condition is no longer part of their vision. I had a duty as a warrior and it was the only that matter to comply with the gloomy task entrusted to me. Since I had dispensed my life, they no longer had anything to say, except that I should give the best of me. And neither did I had anything to say, except that I had understood and accepted what my destiny...

He said that the warrior challenge is to reach a very subtle balance of positive and negative forces. This challenge does not mean that a warrior should strive to control everything, but that the warrior must strive to deal with any conceivable situation, expected and unexpected, just as efficiently. Be perfect in perfect circumstances is to be a paper warrior...

I saw don Juan taking the lead. And then there only was a row of exquisite lights in the sky. Something like a wind seemed to make the row contract and oscillate. At one end of the lights line, where don Juan was, had an immense brightness. I thought of the Feathered Serpent of the Toltec legend. And then the lights vanished…" C.C.

APPENDIX

Six explaining propositions

"The don Juan teachings were aimed to guide me through the warrior development second phase: our verification and unrestricted acceptance that there is another kind of consciousness. This phase was divided into two categories. The first, for which don Juan required don Genaro help, dealt with activities. It was to show me certain procedures, actions and methods that were designed to exercise my conscience. The second had to do with the presentation of the six explaining propositions...

1. What we perceive as world are Eagle emanations.
2. The attention is what makes us perceive the Eagle emanations as the "skimming" acts
3. The first power ring gives sense to skimming.
4. The intent is the force that moves the first power ring.
5. The first power ring can be topped through a functional block to the capacity of assemble skimming
6. The second attention..." C.C.

1. Note how the dominant colonializing culture refers to one of the six oldest world civilizations, as is the Anahuac, with references to the conquistador, -them before us- or "pre-hispanic" and do not refer to it by its original name.