Page:Para leer a Carlos Castaneda.djvu/125

 Castaneda is a fraud and a fake, and he repeatedly pointed out in his books, interviews and conferences that his work is an honest "autobiography", of what happened when he came in contact, and entered Toltec wisdom.

The two men who led Castaneda to Don Juan, died. But the end of Lucas Coronado story is moving. He is dying and does not accept help from Don Juan nor Castaneda, because he thinks his salvation is in the medicine announced on the radio, as very effective for all illnesses. Don Juan tells Castaneda that humanity is just like Lucas Coronado, "do not want to know anything. Only hears what they want to hear".

Somehow, the same thing happens with Castaneda books, many people "understand", what they want to understand from the reading. And uses the Don Juan teachings, as means and an excuse to enhance their ego and arrogantly use people.

"—Jorge Campos and Lucas Coronado are the two ends of an axis —said—. That axis is you: at one end, a ruthless mercenary, shameless, and crude who only cares for himself; horrific but indestructible. At the other extreme, a super sensitive artist, tormented, weak and vulnerable. This should have been the map of your life, if it were not for the emergence of another possibility, which is opened when you crossed the infinite threshold. You looked for me and found me; and then you crossed the threshold. The infinite intent told me to look for someone like you. I ''found you, also crossing the threshold..." C.C.	    ''

WHO WAS REALLY JUAN MATUS?

Castaneda tells of "the abstract center of power stories" of his encounter with Don Juan. The people involved, as well as the "casual" facts which occurred for their encounter at the bus station, plus what Castaneda calls the "interruption" he had when Don Juan looked at him and produced a very special physical sensation, that obsessed him to later search for him.

"—Without you knowing —he continued—, I started you in a traditional search. You were the man I was looking for. My search ended when I found you, and yours when you ''now found me..." C.C. ''

Here Castaneda makes a physical description of Don Juan, says that when he met him in the early 1960s, Don Juan was eighty years old, but that his son looked much older than him. Castaneda described Don Juan as a muscular and decisive man. He walked quickly, but did not have a fine walk. His gait was firm and light. He noted that the image was of an elderly man who was strong and moved as an athletic youth who radiated vitality and purpose.

Castaneda wrote that Don Juan had an almost round face, without being fat. Don Juan eyes were what called the most attention. Dark eyes, such as obsidian flashes sparkled with a very special light. His stomach and back were flat and always seemed "well planted in the ground". Despite his age his knees and arms did not tremble and measured about a meter sixty.

He usually wore a khaki shirt and trousers, wore huaraches and straw hat. During the thirteen years he interacted as a Toltecáyotl apprentice, he was always amazed of the physical capacity, both for walking long distances, climb mountains, and performing abrupt quick movements requiring elasticity, strength and amazing coordination, impossible to see in an old man over ninety years old.