The Teachings of Don Juan

1. The Path to Knowledge Requires Unwavering Commitment

A man goes to knowledge as he goes to war; wide-awake, with fear, with respect, and with absolute assurance.

The warrior's approach. Don Juan emphasizes that the pursuit of knowledge is not a casual endeavor but a serious undertaking demanding the same level of preparedness and intensity as going to war. This involves a delicate balance of fear, respect, and unwavering self-assurance.

No room for mistakes. This path leaves no room for half-hearted attempts or wavering commitment. Any deviation from this mindset invites regret and failure. The journey requires a complete dedication of one's resources and a willingness to face the unknown with courage and resolve.

The reward of commitment. By embracing this warrior-like approach, one minimizes the potential for mistakes and regrets. Even in the face of defeat, the individual can find solace in knowing they gave their all, transforming a loss into a valuable learning experience.

2. Peyote as a Guide, Not a Tool

Mescalito is not something to make fun of. You must have command over your resources.

Respect for Mescalito. Don Juan cautions against treating peyote (Mescalito) as a mere recreational drug or a tool for personal gain. It is a powerful entity that demands respect and a clear understanding of one's own capabilities.

Mescalito's role. Mescalito serves as a guide and protector, offering advice and answering questions, but only to those who approach it with genuine intent and a willingness to learn. It is not a power to be exploited for selfish purposes.

The consequences of disrespect. Disrespecting Mescalito can lead to negative consequences, as it is capable of being "terrible, fearsome" to those who do not approach it with the proper reverence. One must be prepared to meet it "face to face" with clarity and purpose.

3. Allies: Powers Beyond the Self

An ally will make you see and understand things about which no human being could possibly enlighten you.

Beyond human understanding. Allies are powers that exist outside of oneself, capable of revealing knowledge and insights that are inaccessible through ordinary means. They serve as aids, not guardians or spirits, guiding and strengthening individuals on their path to knowledge.

The acquisition of power. Acquiring an ally requires precise teaching and adherence to specific steps, unlike Mescalito, which is a unique power that cannot be tamed or used in the same way. The process demands dedication and a willingness to venture beyond the boundaries of the self.

Two paths to power. Don Juan presents two distinct paths to acquiring an ally: the devil's weed (Datura inoxia) and the little smoke (Psilocybe mexicana). Each path offers a unique form of power, but the choice ultimately rests with the individual.

4. The Dual Nature of Power: Devil's Weed vs. Little Smoke

The devil's weed is for those who bid for power. The smoke is for those who want to watch and see.

Power vs. Observation. Don Juan contrasts the devil's weed, which offers power and control, with the little smoke, which provides insight and understanding. Each path caters to different inclinations and desires.

The devil's weed. The devil's weed is associated with ambition, dominance, and the ability to manipulate others. However, it can also lead to distortion, weakness, and an imbalance of power. It has four heads: the root, the stem and leaves, the flowers, and the seeds.

The little smoke. The little smoke, on the other hand, is associated with observation, clarity, and the ability to perceive energy directly. It is a "true ally" that offers guidance and resolves questions without causing harm. It requires a hard, quiet life.

5. The Four Enemies of a Man of Knowledge

Fear is the first natural enemy a man must overcome on his path to knowledge.

The path to knowledge. Don Juan outlines four formidable enemies that a man must confront and defeat to become a man of knowledge: fear, clarity, power, and old age. Each enemy presents a unique challenge and requires a specific approach to overcome.

The enemies defined.

• Fear: Overcome by defying it and taking the next step despite it.
• Clarity: Defied by using it only to see, waiting patiently, and measuring carefully.
• Power: Defied by realizing that the power is never truly one's own.
• Old Age: Fought off by sloughing off tiredness and living one's fate through.

The ultimate goal. Defeating these enemies is not a one-time event but an ongoing process. The ultimate goal is to maintain awareness, clarity, and control throughout one's life, even in the face of inevitable decline.

6. Seeing: Perceiving Energy Directly

An ally is a power capable of carrying a man beyond the boundaries of himself.

Beyond ordinary perception. Shamans seek to perceive energy directly, bypassing the limitations of human cognition. This involves temporarily interrupting the system of interpreting sensorial data and experiencing the universe as it truly is.

Luminous beings. By perceiving energy directly, shamans can see human beings as conglomerates of energy fields that have the appearance of luminous balls. Each luminous ball is connected to an energetic mass of inconceivable proportions that exists in the universe; a mass which they called the dark sea of awareness.

The assemblage point. This point of juncture is where perception takes place, turning the flux of energy into sensorial data. The shamans of ancient Mexico found out when they focused their seeing on the dark sea of awareness was the revelation that the entire cosmos is made of luminous filaments that extend themselves infinitely.

7. The Assemblage Point: Where Perception Takes Place

The flux of energy at large is turned, on that point, into sensorial data, and those data are then interpreted as the world that surrounds us.

The seat of perception. The assemblage point is a specific location on the luminous sphere of a human being where energy is transformed into sensory data. It is the point at which we interpret the world around us.

Shifting realities. The assemblage point can shift position due to factors like sleep, fatigue, disease, or the ingestion of psychotropic plants. When the assemblage point is at a new position, a different bundle of energy fields goes through it, forcing the assemblage point to turn those energy fields into sensory data, and interpret them, giving as a result a veritable new world to perceive.

Volitional movement. Shamans seek to intentionally move the assemblage point to predetermined spots within the luminous ball, accessing entirely new worlds and realities. This is achieved through the power of intent.

8. The Universe is Predatory: A Test of Awareness

The predatory condition of the universe meant that the intending of the universe is to be continually testing awareness.

A cosmic challenge. The universe is not benevolent but predatory, constantly testing the awareness of all beings. This pressure forces beings to enhance their awareness, allowing the universe to become aware of itself.

Awareness as the final issue. Awareness is the act of being deliberately conscious of all the perceptual possibilities of man, not merely the perceptual possibilities dictated by any given culture whose role seems to be that of restricting the perceptual capacity of its members.

Impeccability. Shamans strive for impeccability, doing their utmost best and a bit more, guided by the flow of energy in the universe. This involves releasing the total perceiving capacity of human beings without interfering with their functional behavior.

9. The Definitive Journey: Awareness Beyond Death

The definitive journey is the possibility that individual awareness, enhanced to the limit by the individual's adherence to the shamans' cognition, could be maintained beyond the point at which the organism is capable of functioning as a cohesive unit, that is to say, beyond death.

Transcendental awareness. The ultimate goal of the shaman's quest is to maintain individual awareness beyond death, achieving a state of total freedom. This involves becoming an inorganic being, energy aware of itself, acting as a cohesive unit, but without an organism.

Acquiescence to infinity. Our lives originate in infinity and return to infinity. The real struggle is not with our fellow men but with infinity, and this is not even a struggle; it is, in essence, an acquiescence. We must voluntarily acquiesce to infinity.

A cognitive revolution. Don Juan offered a total cognitive revolution, a shift in understanding the nature of reality and our place within it. This involves embracing the energetic facts of the universe and striving for awareness beyond the limitations of our physical existence.

Last updated: April 3, 2025