The following is an updated version of a thesis I have been working on for a while. I actually “Back dated” the story to fit my new thesis. This version is still a work in progress. Any feedback will be appreciated.
The First Story Ever Told
Self-importance can't be fought with niceties.....Self-importance is our greatest enemy. Think about it--what weakens us is feeling offended by the deeds and misdeeds of our fellow men. Our self-importance requires that we spend most of our lives offended by someone.....Self-importance is not something simple and naive. On the one hand, it is the core of everything that is good in us, and on the other hand, the core of everything that is rotten. To get rid of the self-importance that is rotten requires a masterpiece of strategy.--Don Juan
"Don Juan's argument was that most of our energy goes into upholding our
importance. This is most obvious in our endless worry about the presentation
of the self, about whether or not we are admired or liked or acknowledged.
He reasoned that if we were capable of losing some of that importance, two
extraordinary things would happen to us. One, we would free our energy from
trying to maintain the illusory idea of our grandeur, and two ,we would
provide ourselves with enough energy to enter into the second attention to
catch a glimpse of the actual grandeur of the universe".........
To seek freedom is the only driving force I know.
Freedom to fly off into that infinity out there.
Freedom to dissolve; to lift off; to be like the
flame of a candle, which, in spite of being up
against the light of a billion stars, remains
intact, because it never pretended to be more
than what it is: a mere candle."
Carlos Castaneda
THE FIRST STORY EVER TOLD
The most profound story that I’ve never really read, originated from one of Carlos Castaneda’s books, it was like many of his “Tales of Eternity” they always hint at more than they actually say . The story I am about to recount never really happened in the books, not in the way I will present it anyway, but the stories there hints at the first story every told.
Most all of man’s history there was one culture one religion and it was based the first myth told by every father to every son for thousands of generations. Up until the last 5-10 thousand years that is. Before this time of record there was only the hunter’s story told to the hunter’s son. The only evidence of that story exist in a few cave paintings from this time. This original archetypal story was told not out a need to connect with the culture, sense of history or even god, but would branch out to connect and create all these ideals of our place in the world. The story was a simple cognitive device to keep the hunter gather tribe alive in a completely hostile environment, that we as modern man can not even fathom.
This one starts with the old Neolithic sage Don Juan and his apprentice the modern educated anthropology student Carlos observing some desert creatures as they scurried about in the desert chaparral.
Don Juan commented that a man could survive in the dessert by hunting those animals, But first you would need to study them and know their habits.
He explain how they followed a pattern that could be mapped as a circle around a burrow. Once these feeding cycles are learned snares could be set and escape routes could be routed, so the animals own cyclical behavior became its venerability.
But he warned his apprentice, as you follow these behaviors and set your snares every day in the same way, you also make yourself venerable because you too are being observed.
He said there were predators even more attuned to theses circular patterns of the dessert, so some day something could be waiting for you along one of your well worn paths.
He went on to say that there existed in nature an ultimate balance between awareness of these cyclical movements in the world and a spontaneity of action in ones self, an unpredictability that wells up from the spirit.
Once this balance is achieved the hunter becomes a “Magical Warrior.”
“A magical warrior can never be trapped” don Juan said or “ be caught without an escape route,” because he can never be reduced to behaviors .
This “warrior’s path” are no longer connected to cycles of the world, but of the spirit, thus he can always “see” what is coming without being seen himself. If this state can be achieved the man would never die. Death itself the recorder of all life, the supreme predator would acknowledge that the man was no longer of the world but the spirit so death was not death only another force to be utilized as an ally.
Also, he said there existed in the world animals “magical creatures.” that have achieved this balance. The average hunter would never cross the path of a magical creature, but the magical warrior may in time if he was worthy. At this supreme moment in a warrior life the imortal creature would divulge the answerer to the riddle of life.
Don Juan recounted that he himself had achieved this state as a young man and became a magical warrior, and seemed to always know instinctively what to do in any situation, until one day he was hunting on a heavily forested ridge top. He remembered hearing a strange sound that sent shivers though his body.
He knew instinctively that he was to about to have an encounter with a magical creature, and for the first time since he had reached this state he had no clue what to do.
The shivering became terror as he heard soft steps coming from behind. The terror then became shame. He suddenly understood that he was only a child in this world and he was about to encounter a king of the earth. Old as the mountains. He then gave into his instincts and found himself doing a most inexplicable thing. He stood on his head and began to cry. After some time he felt something breathing in his ear, he fell over in a sitting position and looked up at the most beautiful deer that he had ever seen. It glowed with a light of a fierce nobility, and then it spoke “ Why are you crying ?” the deer inquired "Because I'm not worthy" the warrior replied . Then he remembered the deer lowered his head and said very clearly “ So ? ” and then ambled away....
