Carlos Castaneda Quotes

When all the blandishments of life are gone, The coward sneaks to death, the brave live on.

What shall he fear that does not fear death.

Yes, as my swift days near their goal, 'tis all that I implore: In life and death a chainless soul, with courage to endure.

One has to accept pain as a condition of existence. One has to court doubt and darkness as the cost of knowing. One needs a will stubborn in conflict, but apt always to the total acceptance of every consequence of living and dying.

Each must act as he thinks best; and if he is wrong, so much the worse for him. We stand on a mountain pass in the midst of whirling snow and blinding mist through which we get glimpses now and then of paths which may be deceptive. If we stand still we shall be frozen to death. If we take the wrong road we shall be dashed to pieces. We do not certainly know whether there is any right one. What must we do? Be strong and of a good courage. Act for the best, hope for the best, and take what comes. . . . If death ends all, we cannot meet death better.

Firstly, do not fear hardship, and secondly, do not fear death.

We who think we are about to die will laugh at anything.

I think that any time a person comes face-to-face with their own mortality - close enough to Death that they can smell its breath - they have a choice: 1) Fall to pieces; 2) Reassemble yourself and keep walking.

Death is wonderful because you can't think about it. How are you gonna think about it?

What can they suffer that do not fear to die?

I’ve never once thought about how I was going to die,” she said. “I can’t think about it. I don’t even know how I’m going to live.

Behold me waiting—waiting for the knife.... The thick, sweet mystery of chloroform, The drunken dark, the little death-in-life.... [F]ace to face with chance, I shrink a little: My hopes are strong, my will is something weak. ...I am ready But, gentlemen my porters, life is brittle: You carry Cæsar and his fortunes—steady!

I would not fear nor wish my fate, but boldly say each night, to-morrow let my sun his beams display, or in clouds hide them; I have lived today.

I've always thought of myself as being a warrior. When you actually have a battle, it's better than when you don't know who to fight.

I was thinking Im going to die but I'm not going to tap

To die, and thus avoid poverty or love, or anything painful, is not the part of a brave man, but rather of a coward; for it is cowardice to avoid trouble, and the suicide does not undergo death because it is honorable, but in order to avoid evil.

Whether your time calls you to live or die, do both like a prince.

Every day I wake up like, "This might be my last day, and I'm not scared of it. I'm gonna go out there, do what I gotta do; I ain't gonna let nothing stop me." Nothing puts any fear in my heart. I'm never scared to bite my tongue about something, or never be scared to come out and speak about something - that's what I mean. Like, I ain't scared of death. What you gonna do to me?

Knowing you might not make it... in that knowledge courage is born.

Life is nothing unless death has been faced down.

So the first thing: become aware of death. Think about it, look at it, contemplate it. Do not be afraid, do not escape the fact. It is there and you cannot escape it! It has come into existence with you.

That is the ultimate power, to stare death in the face and be unafraid.

I am now face to face with dying. But I am not finished with living.

To fear death, my friends, is only to think ourselves wise without really being wise, for it is to think that we know what we do not know.