those who care about others and those who do not

Posted on Ιουλίου 3, 2009. Filed under: choses vécues, exploring, flying, stories | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Nagual (pronounced nah-wa'hl) - tulpa - monad - モナド by sanchezdot monad-monism by smile 44
Don Juan explained that the new seers saw that there are two main groups of human beings: those who care about others and those who do not. In between these two extremes they saw an endless mixture of the two. The nagual Julian belonged to the category of men who do not care; don Juan classified himself as belonging to the opposite category.
‘But didn’t you tell me that the nagual Julian was generous, that he would give you the shirt off his back?’ I asked.
‘He certainly was,’ don Juan replied. ‘Not only was he generous; he was also utterly charming and winning. He was always deeply and sincerely interested in everybody around him. He was kind and open and gave away everything he had to anyone who needed it, or to anyone he happened to like. He was in turn loved by everyone, because being a master stalker, he conveyed to them his true feelings he didn’t give a plugged nickel for any of them.’
I did not say anything, but don Juan was aware of my sense of disbelief or even distress at what he was saying. He chuckled and shook his head from side to side.
‘That’s stalking,’ he said. ‘You see, I haven’t even begun my story of the nagual Julian and you are already annoyed.’
He exploded into a giant laugh as I tried to explain what I was feeling.
‘The nagual Julian didn’t care about anyone.’ he continued. ‘That’s why he could help people. And he did; he gave them the shirt off his abck, because he didn’t give a fig about them.’
‘Do you mean, don Juan, that the only ones who help their fellow men are those who don’t give a damn about them?’ I asked, trully miffled.
‘That’s what stalkers say,’ he said with a beaming smile. ‘The nagual Julian, for instance, was a fabulous curer. He helped thousands of people, but he never took credit for it. He let people believe that a woman seer of his party was the curer.’
‘Now, if he had been a man who cared for the fellow men, he would’ ve demanded acknowledgment. Those who care for others care for themselves and demand recognition where recognition is due.’
Don Juan said that he, since he belonged to the category of those who care for their fellow men, had never helped anyone: he felt awkward with generosity; he could not even conceive being loved as the nagual Julian was, and he would certainly feel stupid giving anyone the shirt off his back.
I care so much about my fellow man,’ he continued, ‘that I don’t do anything for him. I wouldn’t know what to do. And I would always have the nagging sense that I was imposing my will on him with my gifts.’

(Carlos Castaneda, ‘The Fire From Within‘)

Tags: stalker, stalking, generosity, care, cure, agrimi-mou, nagual, carlos-castaneda, don-juan | Edit Tags Monday June 8, 2009 – 10:40am (PDT) Edit | Delete

Previous Post: The New Eloquence

Comments

(20 total) Post a Comment

Sounds like a harmless Indian tale but it’s TNT. I read it over and over.

Monday June 8, 2009 – 10:18pm (EEST) Remove Comment

Isn’t it very wise and true? Thank you for suggesting me to read Castaneda again. Towards which side are you on? Those who care about others or those who do not? I had thought of putting up a poll, you know.

Tuesday June 9, 2009 – 11:41am (PDT) Remove Comment

Thank you

Tuesday June 9, 2009 – 11:06pm (EEST) Remove Comment

I’d rather you spoke first.

Wednesday June 10, 2009 – 09:28pm (EEST) Remove Comment

A poll? haha:-)) That’s “stalking”! Since when witchcraft obeys democracy?

Wednesday June 10, 2009 – 09:30pm (EEST) Remove Comment

I have spoken.

Thursday June 11, 2009 – 03:38am (PDT) Remove Comment

You have indeed. It’s frightening to think I am more like in the group of those who do not care about others.

Friday June 12, 2009 – 06:38pm (EEST) Remove Comment

Thank you for the confession but let me mistrust the “it’s frightening” part. You are saying this perhaps because this is public space.

Saturday June 13, 2009 – 12:48am (PDT) Remove Comment

I am not a nagual! I AM frightened!

Saturday June 13, 2009 – 01:01pm (EEST) Remove Comment

Oh what a difficult subject this is..
Think about professional politicians, for example. They say that they care about others, and I believe most of them do. Do they help? Have they ever helped? Really helped I mean. Not administrate “help”.

Sunday June 14, 2009 – 08:09pm (EEST) Remove Comment

I’ve never read Castaneda – now I am inspired to do so.

Yes, its puzzling and difficult. I don’t know what else to say,except that reading the passage has forced me to acknowledge this post.

Monday June 15, 2009 – 07:46am (BST) Remove Comment

When words are used with their meanings stretched it can get you thinking…

Don Juan’s “cares about” is stretched. What he really maans is “enjoys attention from, wants the acceptance of”. And that these needs, though normal and healthy, limit what a person can do for others.

I am definitely in the enjoys attention, wants acceptance camp, though I can see what Don Juan is getting at.

Monday June 15, 2009 – 05:21pm (CEST) Remove Comment

So am I definitely in. Or rather so was I. It’s getting more and more tiresome though.
By the way, the previous book ends with the party of female and male apprendices (including Carlos) jumping off a cliff and flying out to a separate reality!

Tuesday June 16, 2009 – 02:05am (PDT) Remove Comment

! – not to be tried without proper preparation!

Like going completely without needing affirmation and attention!

Tuesday June 16, 2009 – 12:53pm (CEST) Remove Comment

! – although we are flying in a separate reality here!

Tuesday June 16, 2009 – 12:55pm (CEST) Remove Comment

Eleniiii!!!! please don’t jump!!!

Tuesday June 16, 2009 – 02:22pm (EEST) Remove Comment

(how un-nagualish of me…)

Tuesday June 16, 2009 – 02:25pm (EEST) Remove Comment

Damn! I got stuck! I am reading Castaneda! Love the unworldly technical details. I haven’t come to that part with the jump but it’s obvious those guys “walked” on something called “emanations” or beams of light.
I also like the scenery.

Wednesday June 17, 2009 – 10:07pm (EEST) Remove Comment

I somehow love to come and read and stay silent…

Thursday June 18, 2009 – 11:00pm (EEST) Remove Comment

Wise angle.

Friday June 19, 2009 – 10:35am (PDT)

I am on vacation, so technically I am not allowed to have any philosophical thoughts.
So, let’s talk about Castaneda the author.
He started out as a Sophist (in the classical meaning of the word) he created an interesting fusion between Native American and traditional oriental thinking. Then he violated a basic rule in fiction writing, he tried to be part of his world in a big way. Moreover at some point, he killed the main characters of the world he created and then he tried to emerge as the successor and the supernatural chief of this cult. All these were possible because they happened in the background of the psychedelic sixties when most known rules of the western world were challenged and many influential people were “experimenting” with something or other.
At the end, Carlos died as a mortal man and as a typical successful Messianic male, rich from his publications and surrounded by misguided victims of his cult.
However not all is lost. We have to separate the author from his work and there is plenty of good ideas in Castaneda’s work.

Nagual – Don Vasilio
(High on faskomilo)

Monday July 6, 2009 – 12:59am (PDT) Remove Comment

Thank you, Don Vasilio! I am reading Castaneda as fiction and as fiction I appreciate it a lot during the very out-of-the-ordinary times I am going through. I would have taken to some of the wildest by Stephen King but he is sometimes too frightening and dark.
And yes (thank you again), this literature comes from a time when “most known rules of the western world were challenged” —this is what I urgently need now!

D E T A C H E M E N T

by streunerin

Monday July 6, 2009 – 02:27am (PDT)

Make a Comment

Make a Comment: ( None so far )

blockquote and a tags work here.

Liked it here?
Why not try sites on the blogroll...