The Book of Manuals

1. Time is not a measure, but a quality. When we look back at the past, we are not rewinding a tape, but recalling the gift of our existence on this earth. You cannot measure time the way you measure a road, because we are always taking gigantic leaps backwards (memories) and forwards (plans).

2. Managing time is not living: The idea that time is money is pure nonsense. We should be conscious of every minute, knowing how to take full advantage of it by doing what we are doing (with love) or simply by contemplating life. The day is made up of twenty-four hours and many, many moments. If we slow down, everything lasts longer. It might take longer to wash the dishes, but why not use that time to think about nice things, to sing, relax, and take pleasure in being alive?

3. In harmony with life: Artur Rubinstein, one of the greatest pianists of the twentieth century, was once asked by an ardent admirer: ‘How do you handle the notes as well as you do?’ Rubinstein answered: ‘I handle the notes no better than many others, but the pauses – ah! that is where art resides.’ Stephan’s divorce was very painful, and he thought that by keeping busy, he would get through the difficult times. It didn’t work, the pain was still there. After a while, he started to ‘use the pauses’ – to sit down and allow the pain to enter him and touch him and then pass. Little by little, he began to rebuild his life, gaining a better understanding of the reasons behind the separation, and now his ex-wife works with him at the Omega Institute – because he was able to face up to the pain and not just hide it away behind a multitude of different tasks.

4. Experiencing things more deeply: A study of visitors to Washington’s National Zoo showed that, on average, people never spend more than about ten seconds looking at any group of animals. Why go to the zoo, then? Wouldn’t you be better off looking at an illustrated book? People complain that the hippos are always under water; in fact, the average time hippos spend under water varies between 90 seconds and a maximum of five minutes – the visitors are in such a hurry to move on that they miss what they came to see.

5. Knowing when to think and when to act: a seriously obese patient of Stephan’s said that she was prepared to do anything to lose weight. He suggested that whenever she felt like eating, she should observe the feeling, but not act. ‘But I’m hungry!’ she said. ‘Exactly! If you can live with that feeling, observe the hunger, allowing yourself to feel it in all its intensity – but not act – soon the urge will diminish, and you will learn to be the mistress of your will and not the slave of your impulses.’

6. Don’t remain passive in the face of negative emotions: When we sit down on a sofa and turn on the TV, we are, in fact, turning off from the world. Or else we start to feel anxious, thinking that we’re wasting time, that we should be phoning someone, working out, tidying the house. Why? Because when we sit still, a whole wave of repressed emotions washes over us, depressing us and leaving us feeling sad and guilty. The busier we are, the more those emotions will accumulate, with the risk that, one day, they will explode.

Yes, we all have problems that we need to face, so why not do it now? Stop. Think. Even suffer a little. In the end, we might understand who we are, what we are feeling, what we are doing here, in this moment, rather than being ruled by the Diary of Life.

The warrior of life and renunciation

1. Renouncing what you have. This is Mahatma Gandhi’s strategy, to which the warrior of light listens with respect, ignoring those people who, incapable of achieving anything, nevertheless preach renunciation:

‘When engaged in any activity, one must know what to expect, by what means we will reach our goal, and how capable we are of doing the task in hand.’

‘Only someone who has no desire for the results of conquest and remains absorbed in the combat itself can claim to have renounced the fruits.’

‘You can renounce the fruit, but that does not mean you are indifferent to the result.’

2. Renouncing vengeance. The warrior of light has the sword in his hands.

He is the one who decides what he will do and what he will never do.

There are moments when life leads him into a crisis; he is separated from things he has always loved; it is then that the warrior reflects. He checks that he is fulfilling God's will or if he is merely acting selfishly. If this separation is really part of his path, then he accepts without complaint.

If, however, such a separation was provoked by someone else’s perverse actions, then he is implacable in his response.

The warrior possesses both force and forgiveness. He can use both with equal skill.

3. Renouncing provocation. The experienced fighter puts up with insults; he knows the strength of his fist and the skill of his blows. Confronted by an unprepared opponent, he looks deep into his eyes and conquers him without ever having to resort to a physical fight.

As the warrior learns from his spiritual master, the light of faith shines in his eyes and he does not need to prove anything to anyone. He is not bothered by his opponent's aggressive arguments which say that God is a superstition, that miracles are just tricks, that believing in angels is running away from reality.

Like the fighter, the warrior of light is aware of his own immense strength; he never fights with anyone who does not deserve the honour of combat.

4. Renouncing time. The warrior of light listens to Lao Tzu when he says that we should let go of the idea of days and hours in order to pay more attention to the moment.

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Only in this way can he resolve certain problems before they occur; by focusing on the small things, he manages to avoid larger calamities.

But thinking about the small things is not the same as thinking small. Over-anxiety ultimately banishes every trace of joy from life.

The warrior knows that a great dream is made up of many different things, just as the light from the sun is the sum of its millions of rays.

5. Renouncing comfort. The warrior of light studies the two pillars on either side of the door he is trying to open.

One is called Fear and the other is called Desire. The warrior looks at the pillar of Fear and on it is written: ‘You are entering a dangerous, unfamiliar world where everything you have learned up until now will prove useless.’

The warrior looks at the pillar of Desire and on it is written: ‘You are about to leave a familiar world wherein are stored all the things you ever wanted and for which you struggled long and hard.’

The warrior smiles because nothing frightens him and nothing holds him. With the confidence of one who knows what he wants, he opens the door.

Carlos Castañeda and the sacred lineage