| The subject
of Belief can be split up into two parts. First there are the kind of beliefs
we have as normal human beings in a social context, beliefs that have been
told to us in one way or the other, and that many people share in some
way or the other. This kind of belief stand as opposed to knowledge, things
we know by direct experience. This kind of belief is mentioned under
verification.
The need to believe is described in the stories of the two cats [Tales of Power, CC4], which where on their last trip to be put to sleap at the vet's. One of the cats escaped (with some help from Castaneda). Without giving it a closer thought Castaneda believed that the cat survived. As a practitioner it is not only possibe, but mandatory to choose the right beliefs, and then to really live as if one believes in them. To believe in, for instance, 'sorcery stories' told to us by others, makes it possible to practice to achieve a certain goal. Without a belief it will be very hard to commence the practice. In the case of the cat who escaped, don Juan pointed out that there where also the cat who died. This cat where carried to the vet to be given the leathal injection, and seemed very comfortable, even playing, not knowing that its life was to end within a few minutes. Don Juan said, that in order for the belief to be complete, Castaneda had to concider the cat who was put to death as well as the one who escaped! He also had to consider that the cat who escaped maybe did not survive. After considering all possibilities, one chooses the right belief. Any belief that does not include death is no compleate belief, and without belief a practitioner have nothing. The compleate belief 1 cannot easily be questioned. All possibilities have already been concidered, and so there can be no doubt about them. Beliefs that can be shattered without much work cannot be a good support for anyone, and least of all for a practitioner of mysticism in a 'normal society'. People who have non-compleate beliefs are forced to defend their particular beliefs, which lead to odd behaviours. Compleate beliefs does not need to be defended. Another way of putting it is that 'just believing', like Castaneda had done in the first place, is just taking the first comfortable way that shows up. By 'having to believe' one looks at the whole picture, and chooses the way of belief that feels (is?) right. 'Right beliefs' *1 must have 'truth' as one of the primary ingredients, that is, a practitioner will not benefit from beliefs that endorce the Ego or any kind of self reflection. To believe that I am, or the group of people or country that I belong to are superior, is an example of this. The human history, and our libraries, not to mention the present, are full of such sad examples. One or two examples can easily be found within mystical systems as well. For instace; DT Suzuki says in some of his books that Zen is the highest form of Buddhism, and that only in Japan could Buddhism have evolved in this way. -Well, then, what about the cat who was put to sleep? A consequence of having to believe, is that we believe that the cat accepted its fate.
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