Ken Eagle Feather - On the Toltec Path: A Practical Guide to the Teachings of don Juan Matus, Carlos Castaneda, and Other Toltec Seers

On the

Toltec Path

Ken Eagle Feather

Bear & Company

Rochester, Vermont

Dedicated to

The Blue Ridge Mountains

A BOUT THE C OVER A RT

The ebb and flow of tides, the circle of seasons

Stars in the heavens, silence between pulses

Day moves into night into day into night.

Feel the drum beat within the heart

Moving in rhythm...

Wherever one stands at this time places that one in the center of a

Sacred Hoop

At the center of all that is

Part the veil of thought and enter this silence

Entering the silence, become silence

Beyond thought, between words

Open the heart door

Connect with the Sacred Mystery.

Let the medicine flow from this heart like an open door

Gentle river

Down to the fingertips

Outward into the world.

Contents

A RTHUR S CHOPENHAUER ,

FROM T HE W ORLD AS W ILL AND R EPRESENTATION

DON J UAN M ATUS ,

FROM C ARLOS C ASTANEDAS

T HE F IRE FROM W ITHIN

Preface to the Second Edition

T his new edition of A Toltec Path is a significant milestone, not only for the book but for that which the book represents: the Toltec philosophical system. Originating in central Mexico several thousand years ago, this metaphysical theory and practice is now gaining international recognition as a way to explore the mechanics of reality, to investigate the crevices of human consciousness, and to spur personal growth into heretofore unimaginable arenas. I wrote this book with the clear intention of providing not only the basic context of the Toltec system but summoning the best teachings to facilitate positive personal and social growth. When I first embarked upon the Toltec path over thirty years ago, I did notcould nothave imagined the effects of doing so. Time and again, my life has been rejuvenated as a result and the process of awakening continues, perhaps with even more vigor.

A Toltec Path , now ten years old, marked the completion of an apprentice-level learning task set for me by my teacher, don Juan Matus, a Yaqui Indian seer. To immerse me in Toltec thought and action he required that I write about the works of Carlos Castaneda, whose best-selling works examined the philosophy don Juan presented to him. That task took eighteen years, as I first had to learn and understand the complex topic that I was to write about. Daily practice of Toltec principles constantly turned my life upside down. What I had previously believed to be true turned out not to be necessarily so. I realized that my life had been based on only one narrow view of the world, one slice of the pie called reality.

To fulfill my teachers charge I also had to learn how to write. For this part of the task, one writing class turned out to be the first step toward earning a journalism degree, a journey that revealed to me even more of the nuances of human nature. If I couldnt bridge cultures and meanings, how could I effectively communicate about an altogether different version of reality and thereby complete my task? Completing all the aspects of my learning task pulled resources out of me I did not know I had. It placed me on a path of connection with the world at large, and set the stage for continued transformation.

The Toltec Way is only one of the many personalities of metaphysical perspective available, including those of religion and philosophy. The traditions of Christianity, Islam, Judaism, and Buddhism, for instance, all have intriguing metaphysical and mystical tapestries that foster a deeper and richer connection to the sacred, metaphysics being a branch of philosophy that deals with the nature of reality. These classic philosophies have withstood the rigors of examination and refinement.

On the Toltec Path offers an overview of theory, discipline, and practice, demonstrating that the Toltec Way deserves a rightful place among other major philosophical systems. It is neither religion-based nor is it contrary to religion. It enables learning and an expansion of awareness along any route, those well traveled and those not so well traveled. It accelerates learning and adaptation, and so it remains viable.

And while adherence to such a path is not for everyone, I do think that this path offers something for everyone. From general processes of managing perception, to steps for realizing purpose and meaning in ones personal life, to a unique psychological model of human development the Toltec Way yields plenty. Youre allowed to pick and choose. (If you do choose to follow it, though, youll have no more vacations.)

Perhaps the most dramatic revelation Toltecs provided to our understanding of the human condition is their map of the human energy body. Castanedas books made available to mass consciousness a detailed examination of an energy body that is a natural part of human anatomy; and that, at conscious and unconscious levels, determines our perceptions. My active investigation of this concept has led me into the surprising venture of expanding on Castanedas model to further detail what the energy body is and how it works. The surprise of this enterprise for me is how readily the essence of Toltec art and practice now falls within mainstream endeavors as characterized by the emerging field of bioenergetics.

A dictionary definition of bioenergetics is the study of the flow and transformation of energy within an organism and between an organism and its environment. This covers everything from cellular metabolism to acupuncture to homeopathy to quantum physics teleportation to the relationships between humans and their environment.

Toltec knowledge holds that the world is completely comprised of energy, and so bioenergetics is automatically at the heart of a Toltec path and, conversely, the Toltec path is automatically a part of this discipline. Dealing with the world as energy, rather than as material objects, turns everything on its ear, everything . What is currently known of science, technology, psychology, medicine, ecology, philosophy, education, business, and ethics falls away before reexamination, reinterpretation, and reformationthe Toltec 3 Rs. The Toltec philosophy reveals a well-defined way of engaging and managing the energy body within a universe of energy. It therefore has something to say to everyone simply because by virtue of being human we all have an energy body, and there are currently scant teachings relating to this area.