The Shin Reader – Journey to Ixtlan
Review by Michael Li
Journey to Ixtlan, the third book by Carlos Castañeda, is a classic story of a student’s encounter with a teacher who helps him reshape his understanding of himself and the world around him. Reading the prior books is not necessary to understand or appreciate this work. Although the book was published as nonfiction, I encourage readers not to be overly concerned about whether the characters and events in the book are to be read as literal or factual—this is not a peer-reviewed anthropological manuscript. Rather, the most valuable “truths” from this book spring from the wisdom and questions raised by Don Juan’s teaching and Castañeda’s journey.
Our point-of-view character, Castañeda, initially seeks information from Yaqui shaman, Don Juan, to learn how psychotropic plants are used. Instead, Castañeda is drawn into an apprenticeship that opens his mind to alternative perspectives of reality, even without the aid of psychotropics. During Don Juan’s lessons, Castañeda attempts to answer existential questions using the scientific method. Although this repeatedly proves to be futile, Castañeda struggles to let old habits go despite Don Juan’s encouragement to do so.
Castañeda and Don Juan’s dynamic feels charming and relatable. At times, they seem to find each other insufferable. Still, Castañeda feels compelled to learn more, and Don Juan keeps walking him through different modalities to deconstruct and expand his perspective. Similarly, why do we as human beings find ourselves pursuing things we find frustrating and inexplicable? Perhaps it is our instincts telling us it is worth understanding.
Ixtlan is not a physical place but a metaphor for an inner state of being, a home for knowledge and wisdom that beckons us to return. By the end of his spiritual journal, Castañeda comes to recognize his insignificance while appreciating the countless other life forms around him. His relationship with the world around him has been transformed. What does this mean for him if he chooses to return home? Perhaps you will find these concepts and questions relatable to the Shin Buddhists’ lessons we apply to our everyday lives.