The Essence of A Journey To Ixtlan?

[papillondemai]

The quote below is from another thread:

Originally Posted by bookowskee
I'm adding these:

The first three books of Carlos Castaneda, The Teachings of Don Juan, A Separate Reality, and Journey to Ixtlan

Great addition to the list. I loved these books. They made me want to go out and do some mushrooms. LOL

"... when and how did you finally reach Ixtlan?"
Both of them broke into laughter at once.
"So that's the final outcome for you, don Juan remarked. "Let's put it this way then... Genaro is still on his way to Ixtlan. ...
... in my feelings sometimes I think I'm just one step from reaching it. Yet I never will ....

The last section is a quote taken from near the end of Journey To Ixtlan by Carlos Castaneda. I always thought that quote captured the essence of the book. I never read a review of the book. Am I wrong? Did I misunderstand the message of don Juan's lessons? It's not the destination. It's the journey. Isn't there a car commercial that says that? When I first read the book years ago I thought the message was too easily discernable. I must be wrong, there has to be something way deeper in it that I am missing ... Is there?

[free]

It might be the matter of expression. People use different words to express the 'unexpressable', a metaphor, a concrete notion used as a symbol for abstract one. Which word or phrase would they use depends on the field closest to their way of thinking.

[papillondemai]

It might be the matter of expression. People use different words to express the 'unexpressable', a metaphor, a concrete notion used as a symbol for abstract one. Which word or phrase would they use depends on the field closest to their way of thinking.

Say what?

[free]

It's not the destination. It's the journey.

Castaneda writes about a state of changed consciousness produced by the intake of some plants when the user sees and experiences something other than our common reality. Viewed from that point it is just a way not a place where one goes to stay. Way of seeing something else.

The writer uses the word way or travel for the easier understanding, using vocabulary of our ordinary life. Although, I think, it could be described in many other ways of comparation, depending on writer's life habits or readers' for whom he writes.

[papillondemai]

Viewed from that point it is just a way not a place where one goes to stay. Way of seeing something else...

The writer uses the word way or travel for the easier understanding, using vocabulary of our ordinary life..

It sounds like you are agreeing with me.

[PeterL]

You might get more insight from a board involved with mysticism. I read Castenada quite a while ago, but I think that he is largely a real mystic.