death is the hunter carlos castaneda quotes on this episode of all things
perceptual is it possible to see our death
I asked trying to remain within the topic sure he said laughing it is here
with us how do you know that I'm an old man with age one learns all kinds of
things I know a lot of old people but they have never learned this how come
you did well let's say that I know all kinds of things because I don't have a
personal history and because I don't feel more important than anything else
and because my death is sitting with me right here he extended his left arm and
moved his fingers as if he were actually petting something think of your death
now Don Juan said suddenly it is at an arm's length it may tap you at any
moment so really you have no time for crappy thoughts and moods none of us
have time for that I have no doubts or remorse everything I do is my decision
and my responsibility the simplest thing I do to take you for a walk in the
desert for instance may very well mean my death death is stalking me therefore
I have no room for doubts or remorse if I have to die as a result of taking you
for a walk that I must die you on the other hand feel that you are immortal
and the decisions of an immortal man can be cancelled or regretted or doubted in
a world where death is the hunter my friend there is no time for regrets or
doubts there is only time for decisions it doesn't matter what the
decision is he said nothing could be more or less serious than anything else
don't you see in a world where death is the hunter there are no small or big
decisions there are only decisions that we make in the face of our inevitable
death a hunter must not only know about the habits of his prey he must also know
that there are powers on this earth that guide men and animals and everything
that is living he stopped talking I waited but he seemed to have come to the
end of what he wanted to say what kind of powers are you talking about I asked
after a long pause powers that guide our lives and our deaths you don't have time
my friend he said that is the misfortune of human beings none of us have
sufficient time and your continuity has no meaning in this awesome mysterious
world your continuity only makes you timid he said your acts cannot possibly
have the Flair the power the compelling force of the acts performed by a man who
knows that he is fighting his last battle on earth in other words your
continuity does not make you happy or powerful I admitted that I was afraid of
thinking I was going to die and I accused him of causing great
apprehension in me with his constant talk and concern about death but we are
all going to die he said he pointed toward some hills in
the distance there is something out there waiting for me for sure and I will
join it also for sure but perhaps you're different and death is not waiting for
you at all he laughed at my gesture of despair
I don't want to think about it Don Juan why not it is meaningless if it is out
there waiting for me why should I worry about it I didn't say that you have to
worry about it what am I supposed to do then use it focus your attention on the
link between you and your death without remorse or sadness or worrying focus
your attention on the fact you don't have time and let your acts flow
accordingly let each of your acts to be your last battle
on earth only under those conditions will your acts have their rightful
power otherwise they will be for as long as you live the acts of a timid man it
is not natural to live with the constant idea of our death Don Juan our death is
waiting and this very act we're performing now may well be our last
battle on earth he replied in a solemn voice I call it a last battle because it
is a struggle most people move from act to act without any struggle or thought a
hunter on the contrary assesses every act and
since he has an intimate knowledge of his death he proceeds judiciously as if
every act were his last battle only a fool would fail to notice the advantage
a hunter has over his fellow men a hunter gives his last battle its due
respect it's only natural that his last act on earth should be the best of
himself it's pleasurable that way it dulls the edge of his fright
death is always waiting and when the Warriors power wanes death simply taps
him thus to venture into the unknown without any power is stupid one will
only find death is death a personage Don Juan I asked as I sat down on the porch
there was an air of bewilderment in Don Juan's look he was holding a bag of
groceries I had brought him he carefully placed them on the ground and sat down
in front of me I felt encouraged and explained that I wanted to know if death
was a person or like a person when it watched a warrior's last dance what
difference does it make Don Juan asked I told him that the image
was fascinating to me and I wanted to know how he had arrived at it how he
knew that that was so it's all very simple he said a man of knowledge knows
that death is the last witness because he sees do you mean that you have
witnessed a warrior's last dance yourself no one cannot be such a witness
only death can do that but I have seen my own death watching me as I have
danced to it as though I were dying at the end of my dance death did not point
in any direction and my place of predilection did not shiver saying
goodbye to me so my time on earth was not up yet and I did not die when all
that took place I had limited power and I did not understand the designs of my
own death thus I believed I was dying was your death like a person you're a
funny bird you think you are going to understand by asking questions I don't
think you will but who am I to say death is not like a person
it is rather a presence but one may also choose to say that it is nothing and yet
it is everything one will be right on every count death is whatever one wishes
I am at ease with people so death is a person to me
I am also given two mysteries so death has hollow eyes for me I can look
through them they are like two windows and they move like eyes move and so I
can say that death with its hollow eyes looks at a warrior while he dances for
the last time on earth