Page:Para leer a Carlos Castaneda.djvu/33

 be the teacher impeccability or his greater energy savings.

In the tonal world the teacher places traps to the apprentice. As part of the incentives an opponent turns out to be excellent means by which the apprentice works and learns the most. In the knowledge path, Don Juan places before Castaneda various adversaries, from a puma to a witch named Catalina. Don Juan points the difference between an adversary and an enemy. The adversary as the enemies can destroy us and lead us to death; what turns an enemy into an adversary is that one has no personal feelings when fighting with him.

An adversary helps us purify our spirit, to strengthen our body, to be more humble and always have a strategy in life. An apprentice is not at the mercy of the people, nor has enemies; an apprentice very carefully selects his adversary and the battlefield. He is not seeking to win or lose, seeks to refine his spirit through his impeccability.

PART II: JOURNEY TO IXTLÁN

THE WITCH RING OF POWER

The year is 1971, ten years have passed since Castaneda became a disciple of Don Juan. He arrives looking for him at his house in the Sonoran Desert, and there he finds Don Genaro, who will act as "his benefactor". A character that will teach him lessons on the left side, the nahual. Reason why, Castaneda was "instinctively" terrified of Don Juan partner.

Warrior apprentices have a "teacher" and a "benefactor". The first will teach right side techniques, called "tonal" and that has to do with "the first power ring". This is using the seventeen technics for "sweeping the tonal island" and lead an impeccable life in the ordinary world through saving energy.

The second, the benefactor, has the mission of teaching how to channel the most powerful force in the universe: "the intent". The benefactor works with the apprentice in enhanced consciousness states of the nahual part. The benefactor "shows" the nagual world sorceries, given that in this world there are no "technics", there are only experiences, before the wonderful and terrifying event of witnessing "the left side", the second ring of power or the second attention.

Genaro on several occasions will destroy "reality", whether hiding his car, swimming on land or defeating gravity forces by climbing a cliff. All these "demonstrations" by the benefactor, are intended so the apprentice breaks his daily view of the world. Invites the apprentice, to put it somehow, to slide from the first ring of power to the second, without dying or going mad. STOPPING THE WORLD

Castaneda through the teachings clings to the world of ideas, but his body is also a teaching recipient. The western culture affirms that human beings only learn through reason. However, many live beings ____________________