A book by
Carlos Castaneda. It details the teachings and practices of the old desert Yaqui sorcerers as experienced by Castaneda first hand. According to Castenada, the goal of the sorcerers is to become a
man of knowledge. The process takes three steps:
1) To overcome fear to achieve clarity,
2) To overcome
clarity to achieve
power,
3)and to overcome
power to achieve
true knowledge.
The man of knowledge uses "
allies", in the form of
power plants and
spirits, to aid his
quest. The final challenge for the
man of knowledge is to confront the fact of his own
death, a futile battle in which he will employ all of his formidable skills in an honorable display of
courage.