Given
Carlos Castaneda's great success, others began to emerge who also
started explaining the teachings of the nahual Don Juan Matus, but
without Castaneda's consent. And Castaneda addressed this matter on
several occasions.
1. In the lecture that Castaneda gave at the Tibet House Mexico in 1993, about this subject he said:
« There
are people who give classes on Carlos Castaneda, on the path of the
warrior, and there are idiots who pay to hear them, and when I hear
them, it makes my hair stand on end.
For
example, I know there's an Argentinian woman who begins all her classes
by saying, "Carlos Castaneda as a person is so insignificant." But if
she's going to teach, she should say something more forceful. What I do
is very serious because I put my life into it. »
2. In 1997, journalist Daniel Trujillo Rivas interviewed Castaneda, and when he asked him:
There are countless people who, in one way or another, have "latched on" to you to gain public notoriety.
What
is your opinion of the actions of Victor Sanchez, who has interpreted
and rearranged his teachings to develop a personal theory?
Or the claims of Ken Eagle Feather, who asserts that he has been chosen as a disciple by Don Juan himself?
Castaneda replied:
« Indeed, there are a number of people who call themselves my students or
students of Don Juan himself, whom I have never met and whom I can
assure you Don Juan never met either.
Don
Juan Matus was exclusively interested in perpetuating his lineage of
shamans. He had four disciples who remain to this day [Castaneda, Carol,
Taisha, and Florinda].
He
had others who left with him. Don Juan wasn't interested in teaching
his knowledge; he did so with his disciples so they could continue his
lineage. And since his disciples [Castaneda, Carol, Taisha, and
Florinda] cannot continue Don Juan's lineage, they have been forced to
spread his ideas.
The
concept of a teacher imparting knowledge is part of our cognitive
system, but it wasn't part of the cognitive system of the shamans of
ancient Mexico. For them, teaching was absurd. Transmitting their
knowledge to those who would perpetuate the lineage was another matter
entirely.
The
fact that there are a number of individuals determined to use my name
or that of Don Juan is simply an easy maneuver to benefit themselves
without much effort. »
OBSERVATIONS
As
expected, Castaneda did not like that others also began to explain the
teachings of Don Juan, to the point that he sued Victor Sanchez for
violating his copyright.
What
I have observed is that some of these instructors teach poorly and it
is clear that they only want to profit by taking advantage of the fame
that Castaneda obtained, but others are passionate about this subject
and teach very well, even better than Castaneda himself.
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