Topic: Needing to believe - Tales of Power

[Endless~Knot]

I am reading Tales of Power again. I am also in a Castaneda group which is on Facebook. In there, was a post about beliefs. Interesting enough, I just got done reading about Max the Cat from the story some may know well.

Ultimately, the topic of beliefs coming up was interesting. Beliefs get a bad wrap, in lieu of being a part of programming. And yes, some beliefs can hold us back, esp if they are false. Like we have science nowadays and in the year 2015 we have learned a lot. Stories telling of floods for example, dont really wash in what science has taught us. So with science, many beliefs of old are beginning to disappear from peoples minds.

However, back to Tales of Power. Max the Cat. Carlos and his friend were taking two cats to be put to sleep. One with no name in the book, which went happily to its death. Trusting its owner when she took it to the vet. He held Max in the car, and looked into his eyes. He felt a connection, and let Max go. Max may have died in a sewer. Carlos did not know.

But don Juan told him, he 'need to believe" that Max survived. And this was the difference in believing, and needing to believe something. This was important for Carlos.

Now, what the truth was may or may not be he lived. Carlos was left with an unknown. But don Juan felt it imperative, that he believed he lived. He needed to. He needed this. And this did not seem much of an option for Carlos.

So sometimes we 'need to believe' in something. Life without any beliefs is a pretty drab, empty one. We also need hope to. I know, this was an ill of Pandora's Box. But hope sustains us. However, hope also can be an act of power. We can take hope and run with it. This is also something we need.

We are human beings, and we are also luminous beings. We are pretty damn exquisite. Powerful. Wonderful. Spiritual. We can do many things. And we have done things believing in ourselves. We have done things with belief, like write great stories and myths, to tell deeper truths. Ultimately from this, I dont think believing is such a bad thing.

We all believe in things differently, some people have even some wild and crazy, outlandish beliefs. Sure, we should trim our beliefs. But what about getting past the Eagle? I think I need to believe I can pass it, in my opinion. Without that belief, what then would be the point in working on the self. Losing self importance, dropping my inventory, working on the totality of oneself. What would be the point then without the belief I can dart past that bird? So I need to believe I can. And I follow through with the necessary work to be done to do this.

So the need to believe in something is ok. If anything, its required. Its critical. We need to believe in something. But most importantly, we need to believe in 'us.' We have got to believe in us, and that we can go where we want to go, and be who we want to be.

[Endless~Knot]

You seem like you are looking for argument i was not discussing the American's dream but what don juan said about the need to believe. We all have the need to believe to sustain us.

[Endless~Knot]

I belong to several groups on facebook. I dont often write in them, but on occasion I will. I can only imagine if I read someone's post, and took one line from it, and criticized the whole post based on a line, I would not only waste energy, but I would be missing the mark in what the poster said throughout their entire post.

My post was about the Tale of Power that Carlos experienced with Max, and don Juans words on needing to believe. There is a reason he deemed this important to Carlos. And ultimately, it is for us that don Juan said this, as he would tell Carlos what to write down. This story is a wise story, and makes you think. It makes you think about death, about obtaining our cubic centimeter of a chance. This is what Carlos gifted to Max. And we may get this gift ourselves. This story is a story of the Eagle. The vet was the big Eagle, and Carlos gave Max a potential way out.

if you choose to miss the wisdom of the story and post I wrote, I wonder why you bother coming here at all. Now, RS is quiet at times, but then a discussion does get going, and there is some good food for thought which is shared. I come here on occasion, whether it is busy or not, because I want to share, and because I want to learn, and the latter is more important over the former.  Some may come for the sake of arguing, and many have come and gone just like that. To me they are cracked gourds and are at risk for not making it.

Personally I want to make it. I remember watching The Fault in Our Stars, where Gus, who is dying, and has faced death on many occasions, says he fears "Oblivion." This is a healthy fear, because it is a real threat. If we do not get that gift, this is what we face. Oblivion. And that, is something I do not want.

So you need to decide what you want when you come here. If it is to pick apart posts and argue, you wont get far. There is tons of wisdom here. I have brought over many posts from Michael, and there has been some good discussions which have taken place. I would aim for the good food versus the fodder, and take a seat, and learn something. Cause acquiring knowledge and turning it is to wisdom, is a pursuit which is noble, and one of the few things worth holding onto.

[Endless~Knot]

btw the cat died.

In the story it is unknown if he died or not. Carlos and don Juan did not know for certain. Thus why he said he needed to believe. I doubt don Juan would have told him he should believe if Max's death was certain.

You believe he died with certainty is like seeing the glass half empty instead of half full.

[Endless~Knot]

Seems like it seems to you that your view is the only valid view which exists.

You seem to be looking for an argument when it is not necessary. As stated I do not see engaging as having any point. So you will be left arguing on your own with your own presumptions. Not my style.