While the two teachers are very different of course. There is still some neat similarities to the teachings of DJ and Jesus. This is from The Crack in the Cosmic Egg, which this chapter is devoted to the topic. I'll give some of my commentary with it:
"Don Juan and Jesus believe the materials of the world to be subject to dramatic alteration and reorganization by an activity of the mind. Both systems work to lower the threshold between reality-adjusted thinking and autistic thinking, and without loss of identity. Both systems have analyzed the way in which reality events shape, and have then dared to dissolve the structure of the common domain, the selective world agreed upon in ordinary social thinking. Such a dissolution would ordinarily threaten the ego-personality which has been centered and formed by the common domain, and this is a risk assumed."
Now if I presented this to a Christian, upon first glance, they would argue that Jesus didn't teach this. But he did. One of the big ones was walking on water. And encouraging the disciples to do the same. How else could he have done it, without the power of mind, and understanding the nature of "perceived" reality and how it can be altered? Jesus was able to do this, and even miracles performed by Paramahamsa Yogananda proved certain things could be defied. Don Juan definitely challenged Carlos hard, for example, when he shows him how to shapeshift into a crow. The power of imagination and mind seem to be what causes these men to do these feats. Don Juan challenges Carlos, and can shift his AP. Jesus was able to do the same for the disciples.
"Both Don Juan and Jesus have as a goal the seizure of the ontological function itself and both attempts hinge on a complete surrender to the function. Through a sacrifice of self and absolute obedience to the way of the system, union with the process of reality is achieved. There is a single underlying way by which all reality forms and "union" with this procedure is possible. However, the system or means of achieving such union depends on the kind of reality then shaping as experience for the person involved. There is a single unitary core of reality-functioning, but it is not available in a "pure form." It is, in actuality, according to the method of actualizing it. The subject's approach to the function determines his realization of it."
"Die to self, born to life" would be the Jesus way. Losing the human form Don Juan's. Jesus has techniques to be able to achieve this, golden rule, do not judge, bless those that curse you. Don Juan has the warrior way. Impeccability, which is very similar to Jesus per his own strategies. Both assume an impeccable stance. But also the realization of it as stated. I feel both give concrete methods for this union that they seek. The false self must be dropped, it is the wool cast over the subject's eyes and they cannot have this union or pierce the veil until they do this.
"Jesus aims to restructure particular events within the world. He aims toward a special consensus concerning the ordinary reality. Non-ordinary reality is used only for the sake of the ordinary world. Achieving a new and different "editorial hierarchy of mind: and the follower of the Way serves as catalyst for new syntheses when our fated and autonomous blindnesses, split from our whole mind as they are, lead us to inescapable dilemmas."
"Don Juan uses the ontological process to construct paths of "breathless wonder." Jesus seizes the process to bridge the modes of mind. Don Juan is in love with eternity. He is a kind of hedonist of the psyche. Jesus is in love with time. He is pragmatic Hebrew, concerned over his fellow man. The esthetic differences of goals, of techniques and disciplines, give dramatically different results. But the process of attainment is similar."
The results and aims are unique, since Don Juan seeks the Infinite, and for Jesus he is aiming the disciples at the Kingdom of God. There is magic used in both systems, and while the Christian would cringe, Jesus is a Magician in many respects. Feeding five thousand with a few fish and loaves of bread or raising Lazarus from the dead. Those are great feats which defy reality. But he also does not try to assume a role that he is the only one capable of doing this. He does try to show the disciples the way through "faith" to be able to do such feats. Jesus has a mind which does not doubt at all. He is secure in what he is capable of and very confident. Don Juan is well versed in the magical world and throws himself into it, and has even spoken how he has almost died before as a result of it. But Don Juan also warns Carlos of various dangers. Jesus does as well but the dangers are more connected to the adversary, and the people of the day who reject him. Now Don Juan is more private in his approach, as many flocked to Mexico to find this man, after Carlos published his books. He probably knew the dangers of being a magicc man discovered in such a world and hid out, apparently by burning with the fire from within. Jesus however took the risk, knowing his fate, and we know the endgame to that one.
"Eastern thought viewed the world as a fated illusion and yearned for the real world. This is a proposition denied by both don Juan and Jesus, who know the world to be perfectly real. Greek-Stoic thought viewed the world as a fixed mechanical unit, distinct from the mind of man. This too, is denied by don Juan and Jesus, who see the world as a matrix for continual resynthesis. Both recognize the world as an agreed upon and practiced construct in a continuum of possible constructs. Both recognize this as true with any and all possible worlds."
One of the things the Stoics believed, is we could not control outside events. Definitely not in any magical way. Now surely petitioning the gods for aid they did. But they did not see man as capable of altering reality in any manner. Don Juan and Jesus are in alignment this can be done. But I noticed tho the consensual "dream" is upheld in don Juan's world, he is not one to call the world an illusion. A dream, he can stand by that one, and it would almost seem this to be the same thing. But a dream isn't quite the same. Where the world being an illusion is what is perceived, dancing outside of us, when it is a dream, it is something happening within us, and then altering our perception. Don Juan and Jesus both teach becoming lucid to what the world is, and in what people see, they are in alignment.
Both men seem to renounce the world. But still be "in the world but not of the world" in the dream that is being upheld. But don Juan confines his message more so to a warrior party. Jesus does the same, but he is unique when he asks the disciples to go out and about, spread the word to the nations. (of course, was this him or an alteration - hard to say). Both had their warrior party so to speak. Their own group. But the aims were different in that Don Juan felt all ends with Carlos in a way. For Jesus and the disciples - it was the beginning. A bit different in approach.
But then again, Don Juan is tricky, and while things would appear to end with the warrior party, why allow Carlos to document and write books at all? So who knows if Don Juan had an ulterior movive, for more warriors to follow the way. Food for thought.
