Dear Sheri,
I just read the January 2008 newsletter - & am astonished to see a recommendation to read the books by Carlos Castaneda.
How can I or any other data-driven & critical thinker have any confidence in someone or some organization that promotes the work of a discredited charlatan, sexist, pathological liar, alleged rapist, & successful fictionalist?
There was a time, in the 1970s--when I was a young adult & read Castaneda's books (anything about him too) with great interest & credulity. In the years since a veritable explosion of information & other evidence has emerged that undermines completely Castaneda's musings on Toltec shamanism & his other assertions.
What are you beliefs, Dr Rosenthal, regarding these well-founded challenges to Castaneda's truthfulness & awful exploitation of people?
Regards, a questioning soul
Dear Questioning Soul,
I am going to answer your question - but use what you wrote to me as a teaching opportunity - if you do not mind. The best way from me to answer your question is in the form of a Toltec lesson - so to speak - so please humor me here.
The Toltec path is about becoming free from our beliefs, judgments points of view and opinions. It is absolute freedom form the ego-mind - not unlike Buddhism which is another warrior's path. I know many people love Toltec and it resonates with them, however they do not apply the teaching to themselves, their thinking or their actions. As a former physician who we could say possesses a very critical mind, this path has been nothing short of the hugest challenge of my life. I thank God for don Miguel's assistance in pointing out to me the subtleties of my ego, dogmatic thinking, and attachment to my domestication. The most powerful words of wisdom I received from him to accomplish this was: Don't believe him, don't believe myself, and don't believe anyone else. (In The Voice of Knowledge)
So having said that - do I know for sure that anything that anyone has written about Castaneda is truth - even the book written by his wife or the book written by Amy Wallace? Yes, I have read them all. And so what? Maybe all of it is truth, maybe part of it is truth - but what I know for sure is truth is that whatever people have written is only their person point of view based on their judgments, beliefs and opinions. I am not saying I am disregarding those opinions - not believing people's minds, including my own, is not about being stupid. I am saying that I recognize that they are those people's points of view which by nature can NEVER be absolute truth.
I have no idea if what Castaneda wrote is truth or not or if "don Juan" ever lived. But I do know that some of the material would have been difficult to make up - having experienced most of what was in that book myself with my teacher. So maybe he borrowed the whole thing from another Shaman's writings - who knows? But those books had a profound effect on my life and were the inspiration for me finding a teacher and changing my life. I personally love the books (at least most of them) and so does don Miguel Ruiz. I can enjoy the books as interesting works of fiction without believing them totally can't I?
Now here is the kicker. If I allow my judgment of him as you have said below - to stop me from reading those books, my life would not be as it is today. If I have learned anything from this path it is this: NEVER allow my mind and it's judgment to edit my actions EVER!! Your judgment may stop you from taking actions that could change your life. Instead allow life to drive you, not your ego-mind with it's judgmental points of view. Do you think the Infinite cares about Castaneda's books? I can assure you that consciousness does not as it does not judge - in fact it does not care as life is not personal. However - this universe is based on action-reaction. So whatever Castaneda did in his life - he will have to deal with. Maybe his liver cancer is the result of his actions, maybe not - but that is his business not mine. But for sure it is not up to me to judge him or anyone else. I agree with Jesus's words on that matter - do not judge lest you be judged. Every spiritual path asks us to transcend judgment because it asks that we transcend the ego-mind.
Our mind is an assistant unless it is your master. I encourage you to use your mind yes, but not be ruled by it or to allow it to make choices for you in life. Those actions are best taken from the heart not the mind. If you take the action, for example, to never go to my website again because of my answer to you or because you think I am "wrong," that action could change you life as you would be removing yourself from information that might change your life - or not. Of course I cannot know that for certain - but I know that removing myself from situations based on choices my mind has made has never been successful. Safe perhaps, but not wonderful in the end. It took a lot of self honesty to recapitulate my life and admit that to myself.
Since we create our reality and emotional state from what we think - I encourage you to be careful what words you use when you speak as that is true impeccability of the word. You have used some charged words which are fear-based and you will always have an emotional reaction if you use them as will the people who hear them when you speak them. If you want peace in your life it is imperative that you use your word with caution.
So in the end - I feel quite comfortable in suggesting people read his books because they are filled with a library's worth of important information woven around the fiction. Many times my teacher would be trying to teach me something that I just did not get. Later I would end up re-reading the books (as I also read them back in the '70's) and realize what he was trying to say. I cannot tell you how many ah-ha moments I received from reading those books. Why should I not make that opportunity available to others? That does not mean because I suggest the books that I align or "agree" with his actions or lifestyle!
I can tell you on a personal note that letting go of my judgment has changed my relationships across the board, most significantly with my family. When you let go of your judgment the energy that you put out towards people changes and they respond in kind to you in ways that the mind could not imagine. Now I allow people to be who they are and that leaves room for me to be whoever I am in the moment. In the past for sure I have been sexist, a pathological liar, a fictionalist, and a charlatan as are all people who operate without awareness. Who am I to judge him when I have been guilty of the same?
Nope, that path is no longer for me. Denial is not interesting for me any more, and my personal freedom is worth more to me than the temptation to judge. I prefer to see the "what is" rather than to observe the world through my belief system.
Blessings & love to you on your path, Sheri
