Was Don Juan Matus real?

[Nagual LoneWolf]

Do you believe Don Juan the old indian sorceror in Carlos Castaneda's books was a real person?

[HerbaMatey]

Was he a real dream?

[Nagual LoneWolf]

Yes and real time too.

[ranma187]

I certainly know he was real. I don't know how i know. I just sense it.
Sometimes when i meditate. I imagine I'm being guided by one of the great naguals. probly just a fantasy, But Still is not real the fantasy when believed in?

[Nagual LoneWolf]

As a stalker I will assure you now that there are naguals who guide certain warriors alive today, these naguals are both gone and here.

[Aranno Way]

Hello, whether he was real or not, I don't think it really matters because he made and left an impression on all of us.
In my opinion yes he was real or at least the manifestation that revealed or guide to journey outside of this constructs of society.
They say that we on use such a small portion of our brain.
The question that should be asked is what was the other larger portion of our brain supposed to be used for?
Aranno.

[Blackbeardd]

Quote:They say that we on use such a small portion of our brain
Aranno, that's just a myth. What 'they' actually said was, that we only use a (small) portion of our brain at the same time. Or better: a part of the total number of neurons in our brain 'fire' at the same time.

If every neuron in our brain started firing at the same time, we would be suffering from what's commonly known as epilepsy.

[SSilhouette]

Not only was he real, he still is real. Moreover he's been to this website "ghosting" if you will...
Although his actual name might not have been "Don Juan Matus". CC used alias for everyone he met almost. How respectful of him.."The Reailty Is That You Will Die. The Uncertainty Is What Will Happen After That.."

[Blackbeardd]

Ghosting??
Please explain.

[SSilhouette]

"Ghosting" is where a person lingers on a website reading the threads and keeping track of what's going on but doesn't necessarily post. S/he's a voyeur of sorts."The Reality Is That You Will Die. The Uncertainty Is What Will Happen After That.."

[charlila]

"don JUan is it true?"(sill's claim)
[makes face]
"do you read SR?"
[laughing]

[charlila]

h ttp://p103.ezboard.com/fspiritualitydiscussiongroupfrm20.
showMessage?topicID=41.topic

[mybelovedmateria]

you should make another poll:
suppose don juan exists, would you
- run away
- run after him
- don't move and don't mind
- don't move and hope he comes
?

[Guest]

Is that 'I can't believe it's butter' stuff real not-butter?

[Guest]

"you should make another poll:"
I've got an extra pole. Where do you want it shoved?

[Guest]

I was determined. I kept going North I kept going North I kept going North and eventually...
...I discovered the South Pole

[Guest]

I don't know if don Juan was real or not, but many of the lessons he taught are now an integral part of mainstream New Age teachings and that says a lot alright! There is no indication that Castaneda possessed such knowledge before he purportedly met don Juan. Even Castaneda's ex-wife says that Carlos was taking field trips and had many field notes. So who you gonna believe?

[Guest]

If Castaneda was a fraud everyone who reads his books should know it. It does matter!

[Guest]

I say that it's the quality of the lessons that matter. Whether people think Castaneda was a fraud or not is irrelevant. Hey, the Jews were certain Jesus was a fraud. what does it matter if we think someone is a fraud or not. If don Juan had nothing worthwhile to teach then throw the teachings in the garbage. If you find some of those teachings useful then use them! All this talk of fraud or not fraud is ridiculous.

[Shaboy]

Tanteric,
I understand it's polite to respond to whatever handle you're using.
I wonder if you believe that a person is capable of assembling "good lessons" from the teachings of others, and then using them to gain prominence for unsavory purposes.
I'm not thinking of Carlos so much, but of several persons of questionable morality and virtue who have taught "good lessons".
In an age when ideas can spread across the globe in a day, can we truly judge a man by the value of lessons he has taught?
Let's assume for the sake of illustration that "Love is the answer". Couldn't a person who did not understand, or truly believe that "love is the answer" merely parrot that cliche, and then use his influence for destructive purposes?
I do not believe the question here is "are Carlos' teachings good?". His teachings being good or not should be independent of an evaluation of his character.
For all I know, even the most infamous teachers in recent history have had undeniably good teachings, yet the value of those teachings may not have direct bearing on the question of whether or not such and such a person is "a fraud".
To be clear, I do not believe Carlos Castaneda acted irresponsibly with his teachings, or his influence on people.
I do suggest that anyone can offer "good teachings" and still be irresponsible with the effects those teachings may have on people.

[avadhut1008]

Don Juan Matus was real. Even the skeptics should see the obvious:
Castaneda wasn't bright enough to make it up.
The disbelievers are demented. A disbeliever could say that he copied a recolection of some other people, a posibility that a zen teacher by the name of "The Wanderling" stated over the internet at some point. He was also a brujo and studied with an obeah (man of spells of the african shammanism tradition) in his life, as a number of persons in his family. He says that he meet Castaneda before his nagual adventures.
But saying that the stories are all made up is just the talk of a very defensive, mud-shadow-ridden and scared tonal.
Excuse my english, it's not my mother tongue.

[Guest]