The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge

I believe there is always a time and place for everything, even reading a novel. I started reading this book two years back, but for some reason I discontinued it. It was about a month back that I picked it up again. I had to start all over again, but couldn't go past the first page. A couple of books later, I picked The Teachings of Don Juan once again, not knowing that I would be hooked on to it like bees to honey.

And here are my thoughts about this amazing novel.

This point is mentioned in the book by the author himself and also by Walter Goldschmidt in the foreword, but I will reiterate it - most parts of the book will seem unreal and illogical, i.e. if one applies our conventional way of thinking and knowledge. In order to understand and ‘feel’ the book and the teachings of don Juan, one has to let go of our understanding and order of this world and take a step into the world of the sorcerer don Juan. Only then will things make sense, at least a little. And only then will one be able to truly appreciate the teachings of the Guru, put forth by the author as systematically as was possible. To realize the value of this book one has to immerse oneself in the sea of non-ordinary reality initiated by the hallucinogenic substances.  One needs to begin reading with an open mind and learn to acknowledge that there are different worlds surrounding us, and each of these worlds has their own rational and logic. One needs to understand the fact that it is not fair to measure the order and rationality of another world using the units of measurement of our world. Every world has its own unit of measurement. And it is only right to give every world a fair chance, not that it will have any effect on that world if we don’t.

The book contains a series of steps and procedures which are extremely well documented by the author. It is in a way a practical and an experimental book, and thus requires a great deal of patience and passion about the subject to go on turning the pages. The personal experiences of the author feel very real and yet at the same time bizarre. From playing with a dog to flying in the clouds to being a crow, the author's personal experiences are vividly described. One will either believe in him and go on to love the book or one will just laugh off the whole things as fake. There is no middle path.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book and was deeply immersed in the realm of non-ordinary reality. I was actually disappointed when the book ended, as the author could no longer continue his apprenticeship with don Juan. Nevertheless, I can’t wait to begin reading his other novels.

Matilda

 
I truly admire a writer who has the ability to see beyond his age and generation. An author who can visualize the future and write about the era to come. Or a male author who can present us the entangles within a female mind to perfection. Or others like Roald Dahl, who can go back in time and look at the world through a little girl’s eyes. It is not easy to do these things, to forget who you are and become someone else, but this is what makes an author great!

This humorous and witty book took me back to my school days. How we dreaded our strict Vice Principal, how we loved our sweet, cheerful LKG class teacher , who used to read out stories to us when we had reached class 2, how we looked up to our seniors, how everyone was a friend and how we laughed and played together. Everything in the book seems a bit over-the-top, a little too dramatic, but yet when you look around yourself, you it is all out there.The genius ones, the fickle minded ones, the irreverent and irrational ones, the simple and friendly ones and the rare gem amid all of the above.

The book runs smoothly and can be enjoyed by all age groups alike. The illustrations by Quentine Blake complement the story, making it fun to read. Just like any other stories by Mr. Dahl this one too has a twist in the end, though not completely unexpected.
 
Always a pleasure to read his books .