Page:Para leer a Carlos Castaneda.djvu/78

 "I was not taught witchcraft or spells, they taught me the three parts of an ancient knowledge they possessed; they called these three parts consciousness of being, stalking and intent. And they were not witches; they were seers. And don Juan was not only a seer, but also was a nagual...

I understood that being a seer was the human beings ability to expand their perception field to the point to being able to ascertain not only external appearances but the essence of everything...

''Don Juan told me that without sadness and nostalgia one is not complete, because without them there is no sobriety, there is no kindness. Said that the wisdom without kindness and knowledge without sobriety are useless..." C.C. ''

THE NEW VIEWERS

A fact revealed by Castaneda and which seemingly goes unnoticed at the beginning of the book is that Don Juan has a job. Indeed, all along Don Juan, Don Genaro and all apprentices work in the ordinary world. Don Juan tells him he will have to be in town for two days "on business". The nagual sold medicinal plants to an intricate and very well connected network of "healers and tizateros". These knowledge people, despite having "supernatural powers", camouflaged themselves between people comings and goings, to go unnoticed, but also had full domination over the everyday world.

Don Juan skills were a fraction of a millennial knowing that had flourished hundreds (or maybe thousands) of years before the conquest. Don Juan said to be Toltec and called his knowledge Toltequity. This —he said— began with the use of plants of power and through centuries of experimentation, users learned to "see". At the start of the viewing teachings, they began their downfall, as they obsessed with the worlds they saw, they were undermining their forces. When the invaders arrived to these lands, they seized superficial knowledge of the wisdom. (Reason why, Don Juan said that there were many wizard and diablero but only handled fantastic arts, but without profound knowledge).

Knowledge men who survived this "disaster" reviewed their practices and decided to implement a new series of techniques and practices which they called "the warrior path". Later, upon the spaniards arrival, men of knowledge had to retreat and act very discreetly. During the three colonial centuries were persecuted and nearly exterminated; and in the two hundred years of neo-colonization, only through impeccable practice they have succeeded in continuing and be present today.

Don Juan mentioned that in 1723 a new breed of very special lineage was formed, devoted to "stalking, reverie and intent", others continued practicing dances, healing, witchcraft, etc. But the knowledge lineages similar to Don Juan, "never crossed paths", nor had any contact with each other. This special spin created very personal lineages. Don Juan thus far have 14 naguales and 126 seers. But by what happened in 1723, Don Juan lineage divided in two. The first six naguales existed up to the "meeting that changed the lineage in 1723" and eight subsequent naguales. This will be seen later in the book that has to do with what Don Juan called "The tenant".

The world of the "magic and mysterious" live today not only in the indigenous and peasant communities ____________________