12-14-2008, 12:00 AM
He explained that the warriors' way was a structure of ideas established by the shamans of ancient Mexico. Those shamans had derived their construct by
means of their ability to see energy as it flows freely in the universe. Therefore, the warriors' way was a most harmonious conglomerate of energetic
facts, irreducible truths determined exclusively by the direction of the flow of energy in the universe. Don Juan categorically stated that there was nothing
about the warriors' way that could be argued, nothing that could be changed. It was in itself and by itself a perfect structure, and whoever followed it
was corralled by energetic facts that admitted no argument, no speculation about their function and their value. Don Juan said that those old shamans called
it the warriors' way because its structure encompassed all the living possibilities that a warrior might encounter on the path of knowledge. Those
shamans were absolutely thorough and methodical in their search for such possibilities. According to don Juan, they were indeed capable of including in their
abstract structure everything that is humanly possible. Don Juan compared the warriors' way to an edifice, with each of the elements of this edifice
being a propping device whose only function was to sustain the psyche of the warrior in his role of shaman initiate, in order to make his movements easy and
meaningful. He stated unequivocally that the warriors' way was the essential construct without which shaman initiates would be shipwrecked in the
immensity of the universe. Don Juan called the warriors' way the crowning glory of the shamans of ancient Mexico. He viewed it as their most important
contribution, the essence of their sobriety. "Is the warriors' way that overwhelmingly important, don Juan?" I asked him once.
"'Overwhelmingly important' is a euphemism. The warriors' way is everything. It is the epitome of mental and physical health. I cannot
explain it in any other way. For the shamans of ancient Mexico to have created such a structure means to me that they were at the height of their power, the
peak of their happiness, the apex of their joy."
means of their ability to see energy as it flows freely in the universe. Therefore, the warriors' way was a most harmonious conglomerate of energetic
facts, irreducible truths determined exclusively by the direction of the flow of energy in the universe. Don Juan categorically stated that there was nothing
about the warriors' way that could be argued, nothing that could be changed. It was in itself and by itself a perfect structure, and whoever followed it
was corralled by energetic facts that admitted no argument, no speculation about their function and their value. Don Juan said that those old shamans called
it the warriors' way because its structure encompassed all the living possibilities that a warrior might encounter on the path of knowledge. Those
shamans were absolutely thorough and methodical in their search for such possibilities. According to don Juan, they were indeed capable of including in their
abstract structure everything that is humanly possible. Don Juan compared the warriors' way to an edifice, with each of the elements of this edifice
being a propping device whose only function was to sustain the psyche of the warrior in his role of shaman initiate, in order to make his movements easy and
meaningful. He stated unequivocally that the warriors' way was the essential construct without which shaman initiates would be shipwrecked in the
immensity of the universe. Don Juan called the warriors' way the crowning glory of the shamans of ancient Mexico. He viewed it as their most important
contribution, the essence of their sobriety. "Is the warriors' way that overwhelmingly important, don Juan?" I asked him once.
"'Overwhelmingly important' is a euphemism. The warriors' way is everything. It is the epitome of mental and physical health. I cannot
explain it in any other way. For the shamans of ancient Mexico to have created such a structure means to me that they were at the height of their power, the
peak of their happiness, the apex of their joy."