Revisiting Don Juan & Castaneda…
I first encountered Castaneda and Don Juan about a decade ago, toward the beginning of my deepening exploration into shamanic mysticism, sorcery, and non-ordinary states of consciousness.
Some of the imagery in Castaneda’s first book, The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge, stuck with me for years.
Mescalito’s powerful appearance in a desert canyon during a peyote hunt.
The stitched up lizards rubbed against the side of the head as a divinatory process.
The shapeshifting brujeria tale during an overnight desert quest.
That might sound foreign if you haven’t read it, but I reckon you’ll have an understanding how the deeper layers of shamanism and mysticism often seems confusing when seen through ordinary eyes.
Upon re-reading, the following passage that Don Juan spoke struck a chord…
A Path with Heart
“Anything is one of a million paths.
Therefore you must always keep in mind that a path is only a path; if you feel you should not follow it, you must not stay with it under any conditions.
To have such clarity you must lead a disciplined life.
Only then will you know that any path is only a path and there is no affront, to oneself or to others, in dropping it if that is what your heart tells you to do.
But your decision to keep on the path or to leave it must be free of fear or ambition. I warn you. Look at every path closely and deliberately. Try it as many times as you think necessary.
This question is one that only a very old man asks. Does this path have a heart?
All paths are the same: they lead nowhere. They are paths going through the bush, or into the bush. In my own life I could say I have traversed long long paths, but I am not anywhere.
Does this path have a heart? If it does, the path is good; if it doesn't, it is of no use. Both paths lead nowhere; but one has a heart, the other doesn't.
One makes for a joyful journey; as long as you follow it, you are one with it. The other will make you curse your life. One makes you strong; the other weakens you.
Before you embark on any path ask the question:
Does this path have a heart?
If the answer is no, you will know it, and then you must choose another path. The trouble is nobody asks the question; and when a man finally realizes that he has taken a path without a heart, the path is ready to kill him.
At that point very few men can stop to deliberate, and leave the path. A path without a heart is never enjoyable. You have to work hard even to take it. On the other hand, a path with heart is easy; it does not make you work at liking it."
Fact or Fiction?
There’s a lot of critique toward Castaneda’s work and the proposed blurred lines between fact and fiction. But whether fiction or not, Castaneda’s knowledge bank in the mystic arts brought forth some profound insights and truths.
In the passage above, Don Juan offers some potent insight into living a purposeful and fulfilling life by choosing paths that resonate with one's heart.
There’s an emphasis on the importance of self-awareness, clarity, and courage in making life choices, and if we tease apart the threads, these are some of themes:
Paths are Numerous: There are countless paths in life, each presenting its own set of opportunities and challenges.
Disciplined Life: Living a disciplined life helps in maintaining clarity and making wise decisions.
Importance of Heart in Paths: Not all paths are equal. A path with a heart, one that aligns with your values, passions, and inner calling, leads to a rich and meaningful journey.
Questioning Paths: Before committing to a path, it's crucial to ask whether it has a heart. If it doesn't resonate on a deeper level, consider that it’s not the path for you.
Consequences of Path without Heart: Continuing on a path without a heart can lead to dissatisfaction, weakness, and ultimately harm.
Ease of a Path with Heart: A path with heart -even if difficult- paradoxically has a sense of ease and alignment in accordance to one’s personal rightness.
We shan’t overlabour it any longer that it needs to be. Instead, we’re left to ask ourselves some very serious questions.
Are we living the unique path that’s meant for us?
Is it a path of heart?
Soul Initiated Adults & Cultural Regeneration
Jiddhu Krishnamurti speaks of the pathless path: If a path has already been walked, it’s not our path to take. Antonio Machado says: Pathmaker, there is no path; you make the path by walking.
Yet on our paths of heart, we’re not meant to walk alone.
Even though we each have our unique path to walk, with it’s own set of trials and tribulations, and gifts and medicines, it’s imperative to call on others for support.
“If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together” says the old proverb.
And together we must go if we have any real sense of care toward the greater vision of cultural regeneration.
The path of heart goes hand-in-hand with the path of soul.
And to be sure, the path of soul requires a descent; into the darkness, the underworld, the earthworms, leaf litter and compost. This initiatory descent into soul can be a multi-year long journey that takes a person from the end of psychological adolescence, through a liminal initiation stage that can last these many years, into what marks the beginning of true adulthood.
And healthy cultures are shaped by the work of true adults; soul initiated adults. With very few initiated adults, who ultimately give rise to the elders that tend the relationships between humans and all of life, it’s nigh impossible to settle into the tapestry of a mature and healthy culture.
So without overlabouring it any longer, I’ll raise my pipe to this path of heart, soul, and cultural regneration.
For ourselves, our ancestors, our loved ones, our children.
In the name of seven generations.
