12-05-2007, 04:27 AM
I know the word "Castaneda-ism" sounds bad, but as long as one takes his word as authority, that's what it is.
Any good teacher or system says "Don't believe me. Don't take my word for it. Find out for yourself. Investigate. Inquire... You are your own authority."
And any good system aims at transcending all systems, even itself.
Castaneda's books fulfill both of these guidelines. The books do their part.
It's up to each individual to prevent this from becoming religious-ized by not being a fanatic or philosopher. The system is action-based. Thinking plays a very small role, as it is thinking that gives the tonal its seeming power/authority.
How can you be an authority? Because knowledge only becomes power through a being such as yourself; through a being's acts, it becomes actualised.
This is old news, but it can't be stressed enough.
ps. I like etymology - the study of word origins (greek: etymos=true, logos=word).
So you'll notice I break words down now and then. To me it reveals their essence or intent.
Religio is latin for holiness, but that's deceiving IMO. I would break it down further.
First re means to do something again, repetition... which already begins to reveal the ignorance of religion. And there are several roots similar to ligio:
ligare, which means to bind; leger, which means to read or to gather; and lex which means law (as in legislation, legal, legitamate, etc.)
We're talking serious bondage here! One may thus define religion as the gathering and binding of rules or laws (and people), and re-reading them over and over. I guess that's supposed to make one holy.
Any good teacher or system says "Don't believe me. Don't take my word for it. Find out for yourself. Investigate. Inquire... You are your own authority."
And any good system aims at transcending all systems, even itself.
Castaneda's books fulfill both of these guidelines. The books do their part.
It's up to each individual to prevent this from becoming religious-ized by not being a fanatic or philosopher. The system is action-based. Thinking plays a very small role, as it is thinking that gives the tonal its seeming power/authority.
How can you be an authority? Because knowledge only becomes power through a being such as yourself; through a being's acts, it becomes actualised.
This is old news, but it can't be stressed enough.
ps. I like etymology - the study of word origins (greek: etymos=true, logos=word).
So you'll notice I break words down now and then. To me it reveals their essence or intent.
Religio is latin for holiness, but that's deceiving IMO. I would break it down further.
First re means to do something again, repetition... which already begins to reveal the ignorance of religion. And there are several roots similar to ligio:
ligare, which means to bind; leger, which means to read or to gather; and lex which means law (as in legislation, legal, legitamate, etc.)
We're talking serious bondage here! One may thus define religion as the gathering and binding of rules or laws (and people), and re-reading them over and over. I guess that's supposed to make one holy.