In 1982, Graciela Corvalán interviewed Carlos Castaneda, and regarding this matter, she wrote the following:
« To illustrate in a concrete way how Don Juan taught him, Castaneda told
us a very interesting episode. It seems that Castaneda smoked a lot and that
Don Juan decided to cure him.
"I
used to smoke about three packs a day. One cigarette after another! I
wouldn't let them go out. You can see I don't wear pockets now," Castaneda said, pointing to his shirt, which indeed lacked them. "I got rid of the
pockets back then to prevent my body from feeling anything on my left
side that would remind me of this habit. By eliminating the pocket, I
also eliminated the physical habit of reaching for it."
In his first book, "The Teachings of Don Juan," Don Juan tells him: « The thing you have to learn is how to get to the
crack between the worlds and how to enter the other world... There is a
place where the two worlds overlap. The crack is there. It opens and
closes like a door in the wind. To get there, a man must exercise his
will. He must, I would say, develop an indomitable desire, a total
dedication. But he must do it without the help of any power and any
man... » (p. 220)
"Don
Juan once told me we were going to spend a few days in the hills of
Chihuahua. I remember he specifically told me not to forget to bring my
cigarettes. He also recommended that I bring enough supplies for about
two packs a day, and no more. So I bought the boxes of cigarettes, but
instead of 20, I packed about 40. I made some lovely little bundles that
I covered with aluminum foil to protect my stash from animals and
rain."
Well-equipped
and with my backpack on, I followed Don Juan through the hills. There I
was, lighting cigarette after cigarette, trying to catch my breath!
Don
Juan has tremendous vigor; with great patience he waited for me,
watching me smoke and squirm through the hills. I wouldn't have the
patience he had with me now! – Castaneda exclaimed.
"We
finally reached a fairly high plateau, surrounded by cliffs and steep
slopes. There, Don Juan invited me to try to turn back or descend. For a
long time, I tried both ways until finally I had to give up, as I knew I
wouldn't be able to.
We
continued like this for several days, until one morning I woke up and
the first thing I did was look for my cigarettes. Where were my precious
packs? I searched and searched, but I couldn't find them.
When
Don Juan woke up, he wanted to know what was happening to me. I explain
what happened, and he says, 'Don't worry. A coyote probably came and
took them, but they can't be far. Here! Look! There are traces of the
coyote!'
We
spent the entire day tracking the coyote's footprints in search of the
packages. After searching for a long time, Don Juan kept insisting that I
shouldn't worry because right over the hill there was a town where I
could buy all the cigarettes I wanted.
Once
again we went searching and searching... Of course, this time we were
looking for the village. Where is the village? Not a sign of it.
That's
what we were doing when Don Juan sat down on the floor and, pretending
to be an old man, began to complain: 'This time I'm really lost... I'm
old now... I can't take it anymore...'
While saying this, he clutched his head and gestured wildly."
Castaneda
told us this whole story imitating Don Juan in his gestures and tone of
voice. It was quite a sight to see. Later, Castaneda himself would tell
us that Don Juan often referred to his theatrical abilities.
"With
all this walking – Castaneda continued– I think about 10 or 12 days
had passed. I didn't even have any desire to smoke anymore!
That's how I lost my desire to smoke. We were running around like crazy in the hills!
When
it was time to return, you can imagine that Don Juan knew exactly how
to do it. We went straight down to the village. The difference was that
then, I no longer needed to buy cigarettes.
About 15 years have passed
since this episode—Castaneda said with a nostalgic tone.
"The
line of changes –he commented– is precisely the opposite of the
routine or routines to which we are accustomed. Habits like smoking, for
example, are what keep us tied down, chained. In the sense of
changes, however, all paths are possible."
Castaneda
implied that Don Juan knew them all [his disciples] very well; he knew their habits and
weaknesses. And that's how he gradually captured them, one by one.
Don
Juan and Don Genaro, "those two cronies," as Castaneda called them,
knew how to play the right trick on each of them and thus lead them down
the path of knowledge, »
(Mutantia Magazine)
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