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The Secret of the Golden Flower: A Chinese Book of Life
The ancient Taoist text that forms the central part of this book was discovered by Wilhelm, who recognized it as essentially a practical guide to the integration of personality.
149 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1692
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October 14, 2019
Secret of the Golden Flower is an ancient Chinese book from an esoteric religious sect. In “Memories, Dreams, Reflections” Jung wrote this about it: “I devoured the manuscript at once, for the text gave me undreamed-of confirmation of my ideas about the mandala and the circumambulation of the center. That was the first event which broke through my isolation. I became aware of an affinity; I could establish ties with something and someone.”
I don’t like rating a book like this by stars. If you’re into Jung this is an important text but if you’re not it probably won’t be up your alley.
For me, personally, the book’s teaching about non-action strikes a chord and makes me understand the words “have no expectations” as something “active” rather than “passive”; a conscious action. Here are two quotes on the subject:
“The most important things in the great Tao are the words: action through non-action. Non-action prevents a man from becoming entangled in form and image.”
“In what does the spiritual Elixer consist? It means forever dwelling in purposelessness … What I have revealed here in a word is the fruit of a decade of effort.”
On meditation:
“The chief thought of this section is that the most important thing for achieving the circulation of the light it rhythmical breathing. The further the work advances, the deeper becomes the teaching. During the circulation of the light, the pupil must co-ordinate heart and breathing in order to avoid the annoyance of indolence and distraction. The Master fears that when beginners have once sat and lowered their lids, confused fantasies may arise, because of which, the heart will begin to bat so that it is difficult to guide. Therefore he teaches the practice of counting the breath and fixing the thoughts of the heart in order to prevent the energy of the spirit from flowing outward.”
From Jung’s commentary section of the book:
“Our text promises to ‘reveal the secret of the Golden Flower of the great One’. The Golden Flower is the light, and the light of heaven is the Tao. The Golden Flower is a mandala symbol which I have often met with in the material brought me by my patients. It is drawn either seen from above as a regular geometric ornament, or as a blossom growing from a plant.”
“When my patients produce these mandala pictures it is, of course, not through suggestion; similar pictures were being made long before I knew their meaning or their connection with the practices of the East, which, at one time, were wholly unfamiliar to me. The pictures came quite spontaneously and from two sources. One source is the unconscious, which spontaneously produces such fantasies; the other source is life, which, if lived with complete devotion, brings an intuition of the self, the individual being. Awareness of the individual self is expressed in the drawing, while the unconscious exacts devotedness to life.”
I also like these quotes from the Chinese text:
“Related things attract each other.”
“Disciples, keep it secret and redouble your effort!”
I don’t like rating a book like this by stars. If you’re into Jung this is an important text but if you’re not it probably won’t be up your alley.
For me, personally, the book’s teaching about non-action strikes a chord and makes me understand the words “have no expectations” as something “active” rather than “passive”; a conscious action. Here are two quotes on the subject:
“The most important things in the great Tao are the words: action through non-action. Non-action prevents a man from becoming entangled in form and image.”
“In what does the spiritual Elixer consist? It means forever dwelling in purposelessness … What I have revealed here in a word is the fruit of a decade of effort.”
On meditation:
“The chief thought of this section is that the most important thing for achieving the circulation of the light it rhythmical breathing. The further the work advances, the deeper becomes the teaching. During the circulation of the light, the pupil must co-ordinate heart and breathing in order to avoid the annoyance of indolence and distraction. The Master fears that when beginners have once sat and lowered their lids, confused fantasies may arise, because of which, the heart will begin to bat so that it is difficult to guide. Therefore he teaches the practice of counting the breath and fixing the thoughts of the heart in order to prevent the energy of the spirit from flowing outward.”
From Jung’s commentary section of the book:
“Our text promises to ‘reveal the secret of the Golden Flower of the great One’. The Golden Flower is the light, and the light of heaven is the Tao. The Golden Flower is a mandala symbol which I have often met with in the material brought me by my patients. It is drawn either seen from above as a regular geometric ornament, or as a blossom growing from a plant.”
“When my patients produce these mandala pictures it is, of course, not through suggestion; similar pictures were being made long before I knew their meaning or their connection with the practices of the East, which, at one time, were wholly unfamiliar to me. The pictures came quite spontaneously and from two sources. One source is the unconscious, which spontaneously produces such fantasies; the other source is life, which, if lived with complete devotion, brings an intuition of the self, the individual being. Awareness of the individual self is expressed in the drawing, while the unconscious exacts devotedness to life.”
I also like these quotes from the Chinese text:
“Related things attract each other.”
“Disciples, keep it secret and redouble your effort!”
July 13, 2014
What? That was mostly my thoughts on this. There may be a lot in here of use, but it wasn't necessarily written for anyone's use.
October 6, 2015
برای من توضیحات بخش اول کتاب که شامل ترجمه و تفسیر ریچارد ویلهم است، کم بود و ابهامآمیز. بخش دوم که تفسیر یونگ است تا حد زیادی به بینش غرب و واکنشش در برابر دین و ذهنیت شرقی پرداخته که بازهم قابل انطباق برای من نبود. یونگ تاکید زیادی روی اروپا و مواجهاش با دین شرقی و یوگا دارد. در مجموع با وجود اندک پیش زمینهای از آیین تائوییسم ارتباط کمی با کتاب برقرار کردم.
June 15, 2017
Μόνο και μόνο για το σχολιασμό του Jung αξίζει να διαβαστεί. Είναι ένας οδηγός προς την ένωση...
August 1, 2011
Great little manual of meditation and philosophy. Each time you read it you are sure to discover something new.
August 6, 2008
This lovely book is a description of an ancient Chinese meditation technique, and the underlying philosophy. Cleary also translated this work, but I find his rendition more pedantic than Wilhelm's. By practicing this straightforward meditation, many people have found many benefits. Not only does it quiet the mind and focus inner being, it also works to bring the body into a harmonic state.
August 12, 2013
A fascinating work of Taoist literature and the first in the genre that I've read so far which even came close to being understandable in English (a credit to the translator Richard Wilhelm).
Read
February 24, 2015Jung’s marvelous commentary is balm for the writer’s psyche. He warns us against being enthralled to “… the secret objective of gaining power through words …” He explains how this ancient text guides one through disentanglement. Here is the context in which Jung makes his statement:
“It is really my purpose to push aside without mercy the metaphysical claims of all esoteric teaching; the secret objective of gaining power through words ill accords with our profound ignorance - which we should have the modesty to confess. It is my firm intention to bring things which have a metaphysical sound into the daylight of psychological understanding, and to do my best to prevent the public from believing in obscure words of power.” pg. 128
Read through Jung’s lens, you can see the narrator telling us, right at the beginning of his text, that it is not to be taken literally, that it is an allegory:
“Master Lu-tsu said, That which exists through itself is called the Way (Tao). Tao has neither name nor shape. It is the one essence [also translated ‘human nature’], the one primal spirit. Essence and life cannot be seen. They are contained in the light of heaven. The light of heaven cannot be seen. It is contained in the two eyes. To-day I will be your guide and will first reveal to you the secret of the Golden Flower of the great One, and starting from that, I will explain the rest in detail.
“The great One is the term given to that which has nothing above it. [great definition for “God”] The secret of the magic of life consists in using action in order to attain non-action. One must not wish to leap over everything and penetrate directly. …
“The Golden Flower is the light. What colour is the light? One uses the Golden Flower as a symbol. It is the true energy of the transcendent great One….” pg. 21
What can be taken literally is some excellent advice on how to meditate.
“It is really my purpose to push aside without mercy the metaphysical claims of all esoteric teaching; the secret objective of gaining power through words ill accords with our profound ignorance - which we should have the modesty to confess. It is my firm intention to bring things which have a metaphysical sound into the daylight of psychological understanding, and to do my best to prevent the public from believing in obscure words of power.” pg. 128
Read through Jung’s lens, you can see the narrator telling us, right at the beginning of his text, that it is not to be taken literally, that it is an allegory:
“Master Lu-tsu said, That which exists through itself is called the Way (Tao). Tao has neither name nor shape. It is the one essence [also translated ‘human nature’], the one primal spirit. Essence and life cannot be seen. They are contained in the light of heaven. The light of heaven cannot be seen. It is contained in the two eyes. To-day I will be your guide and will first reveal to you the secret of the Golden Flower of the great One, and starting from that, I will explain the rest in detail.
“The great One is the term given to that which has nothing above it. [great definition for “God”] The secret of the magic of life consists in using action in order to attain non-action. One must not wish to leap over everything and penetrate directly. …
“The Golden Flower is the light. What colour is the light? One uses the Golden Flower as a symbol. It is the true energy of the transcendent great One….” pg. 21
What can be taken literally is some excellent advice on how to meditate.
January 6, 2017
Είναι η δεύτερη φορά, τα τελευταία 3-4 χρόνια που νιώθω ότι κρατώ ένα βιβλίο στα χέρια μου, που απαντάει με ακρίβεια και σαφήνεια σε κάποια από τα πιο βαθιά και -μέχρι πρότεινως- ενοχλητικώς αναπάντητα ερωτήματά μου. Αυτή την φορά το ένιωσα με το Μυστικό του Χρυσού Λουλουδιού, αλλά όχι από το κυρίως κέιμενο και τα ερμηνευτικά σχόλια του Βίλχελμ, αλλά από τα σχόλια του Γιουνγκ -που ήταν ακριβώς on target! Το ίδιο το κείμενο είναι γραμμένο στον αλχημικό κώδικα και κατόρθωσα με κόπο τα "πιάσω" ένα 30% από το σύνολο της πληροφορίας. Τα σχόλια όμως ��δωσαν απαντήσεις που περίμεναν για πολύ καιρό αυτή την ώρα. Την προηγούθμενη φορά που είχα νιώσει το ίδιο ήταν πριν από μερικά χρόνια, με την Εισαγωγή στην Ερμηνεία των Ονείρων, ποιανού άλλου; -του Γιούνγκ, φυσικά!
Συνιστώ και τα δύο βιβλία, ανεπιφύλακτα, σε όσους κινούνται συνειδητά στην οδό της αυτο-παρατήρησης και της αυτο-αναγνώρισης.
Συνιστώ και τα δύο βιβλία, ανεπιφύλακτα, σε όσους κινούνται συνειδητά στην οδό της αυτο-παρατήρησης και της αυτο-αναγνώρισης.
December 19, 2013
During my year out of college, intent upon remedying some dimensions of my ignorance and having become reacquainted with and challenged by C.G. Jung, I did a great deal of reading, much of it in the areas tangent to depth psychology. I'd read some, maybe all, of Jung's commentary on Wilhelm's translation some years before, but not the Taoist text itself.
April 17, 2012
Worth it for the articulation of the Host/Guest alone (which is in the Afterword). Cleary's knowledge and experience of Zen and Taoist praxis informs his "notes" and they are an invaluable guide to the text itself.
A true classic of simplicity.
A true classic of simplicity.
September 27, 2016
This is a Taoist classic in many ways. But the primary reason is because of the crystal clear translation from Richard Wilhelm and the commentary of Carl Jung. Transparent with their understanding, it gives the reader deeper insight into Chinese philosophy and spiritual practice.
November 1, 2012
Though it is not easy to comprehend at first glance it is a book that I will open time and time again. This is going to be an important guide for me and my personal growth.
March 25, 2014
June's commentary is great. The second part makes more sense if you're interested in Taoism or esoteric practices. I found it hard to grasp since I had no previous knowledge of such things.
September 23, 2022
This kind of a book has wisdom in it which makes you feel very small and ignorant. Jung's commentary was very interesting and helpful, but only opens the door a tiny bit to this Chinese wisdom and is not able to really dive deep into it. Maybe my Tao leads me to do that in the future.
December 14, 2020
م�� حبيته
December 8, 2016
A great, new translations of an old classic which combines ideas from both Taoism and Ch'an Buddhism. The basic idea being to cultivate the practice of 'turning back the light', 'reverse seeing' and other allusions pointing to self-investigation and direct-pointing style meditation. This style of meditation is popular in Zen Buddhism, and certain other nondual traditions as a means of directly approaching reality. This little treatise sums up the benefits of the approach, and some tips on how to cultivate the practice. This is a much improved version of a previous German version, popularized by Jung, which was badly translated at that time due to a lack of knowledge of the practice and subject. Cleary has done a great service in revisiting these texts.
June 4, 2017
لا يستحق هذا الكتاب أي نجمة لشقه الأول بسبب الترجمة الرديئة جداً بحيث ليس هناك أي جدوى من قراءته..
إلا أن الجزء الثاني يستحق 5 نجمات فالكاتب وهو عالم النفس الشهير يونغ يخوص في العلاقة بين الشرق والغرب بقضية الروح..
تحليله للموضوع عميق ولكنه كما يشدد أنه عام في هذا الكتاب..
لا أنصح أي أحد بقراءة الجزء الأول ولكن إذا كان مهتم بوجهة نظر نفسية للروحانية والفرق بين شكلها الشرقي والغربي فيجب أن يقرأ ليونغ في هذا الموضوع..
إلا أن الجزء الثاني يستحق 5 نجمات فالكاتب وهو عالم النفس الشهير يونغ يخوص في العلاقة بين الشرق والغرب بقضية الروح..
تحليله للموضوع عميق ولكنه كما يشدد أنه عام في هذا الكتاب..
لا أنصح أي أحد بقراءة الجزء الأول ولكن إذا كان مهتم بوجهة نظر نفسية للروحانية والفرق بين شكلها الشرقي والغربي فيجب أن يقرأ ليونغ في هذا الموضوع..
December 2, 2015
Maravilloso acercamiento psicologico a la instrospección y el universo.
December 30, 2022
Apart from a few quotes about Tao that I saved, the book is incomprehensible. No idea who it is intended for.
April 3, 2022
So what is the secret of the golden flower after all?
I am not too sure whether I have understood the secret (if it can be understood at all) but I feel like I have definitely taken away some of its appeal. This sounds all very poetic, so what is this book all about?
The first part, constituting half of the book, are some lucid contextualisations of the ancient Daoist text “The Secret of the Golden Flower” by Richard Wilhelm and Carl Jung (both pioneers in making Eastern systems of thought intelligible to a mind embedded in Western concepts). Especially Jung’s writing presents a valuable primer in appreciating Eastern mysticism from a (Western) psychological perspective. He points out the profound issues that come with trying to integrate the accumulated wisdom from Eastern and Western thought traditions, when one is conditioned to think from one (being mostly oblivious of its fundamental assumptions), while being in the dark about the other. Facing profound truths, strange to one’s own thought tradition, usually leads to either the emphatic rejection of them on the one hand or a futile attempt in “cutting off the branch that one is sitting on”. The middle way of carefully investigating confluences, while not trying to abandon one’s culturally constructed viewpoint, is the goal according to Jung. He sees the Western emphasis on the conscious and rational as a compliment to the Eastern emphasis on the unconscious forces beyond the intellect, rather than a contradiction. Jung finds the common denominator in the “tremendous experiment of becoming conscious, which nature has laid upon mankind, and which unites the most diverse cultures in a common task.”
I could not agree more. Jung is again ahead of his time, in which us Westerners look desperately eastwards after the erosion of our own traditions of making meaning through encounters with the numinous. Since Kant, we limit ourselves to observable phenomena, laughing away speculations about the beyond. Jung presents an invaluable corrective to this cultural near-sightedness, while casually dropping one quote-worthy insight after another in this 50-something-page long primer to the actual “Secret of the Golden Flower”.
The flowery writing, mixed with a symbolism rooted in the mystical I Ging (Book of Changes), lets the message of the book appear quite obscured throughout vast passages of the text. However, it is precisely this refreshingly different manner of putting the way in which the mind needs to be still in order to perceive truth, that shines through the mist. We are simply not used to expressing ourselves in such metaphorical language when discussing epistemology and right conduct. This should not take anything away from the point the author is trying to make, but you should be prepared for the at times estranging formulations. At the end of the book, though, the message has become clear: In order to see and act with clarity, one’s consciousness needs to be brought to a state of non-duality. Here, the syncretism between the Buddhist practice of meditation and the Daoist wu wei (non-action) becomes evident: One needs to trace back the contents of one’s consciousness to the place they originated from - and stop there. Without further attempting to discern what the non-discerning consciousness behind all processes of discernment itself is, one should seek refuge in it. Through the act of observation - not of, but from this indivisible perspective or state of consciousness (whatever you want to label it), truthful action and thought arise paradoxically from non-action.
Although I have personally found much value in the writing of both Jung and the author himself, I could see that such philosophising might be hard to relate to, if it has no prior experience of mental states akin those described to stand upon. Despite its more obscure passages, my verdict would still be to go ahead and read this insightful book with an open mind.
I am not too sure whether I have understood the secret (if it can be understood at all) but I feel like I have definitely taken away some of its appeal. This sounds all very poetic, so what is this book all about?
The first part, constituting half of the book, are some lucid contextualisations of the ancient Daoist text “The Secret of the Golden Flower” by Richard Wilhelm and Carl Jung (both pioneers in making Eastern systems of thought intelligible to a mind embedded in Western concepts). Especially Jung’s writing presents a valuable primer in appreciating Eastern mysticism from a (Western) psychological perspective. He points out the profound issues that come with trying to integrate the accumulated wisdom from Eastern and Western thought traditions, when one is conditioned to think from one (being mostly oblivious of its fundamental assumptions), while being in the dark about the other. Facing profound truths, strange to one’s own thought tradition, usually leads to either the emphatic rejection of them on the one hand or a futile attempt in “cutting off the branch that one is sitting on”. The middle way of carefully investigating confluences, while not trying to abandon one’s culturally constructed viewpoint, is the goal according to Jung. He sees the Western emphasis on the conscious and rational as a compliment to the Eastern emphasis on the unconscious forces beyond the intellect, rather than a contradiction. Jung finds the common denominator in the “tremendous experiment of becoming conscious, which nature has laid upon mankind, and which unites the most diverse cultures in a common task.”
I could not agree more. Jung is again ahead of his time, in which us Westerners look desperately eastwards after the erosion of our own traditions of making meaning through encounters with the numinous. Since Kant, we limit ourselves to observable phenomena, laughing away speculations about the beyond. Jung presents an invaluable corrective to this cultural near-sightedness, while casually dropping one quote-worthy insight after another in this 50-something-page long primer to the actual “Secret of the Golden Flower”.
The flowery writing, mixed with a symbolism rooted in the mystical I Ging (Book of Changes), lets the message of the book appear quite obscured throughout vast passages of the text. However, it is precisely this refreshingly different manner of putting the way in which the mind needs to be still in order to perceive truth, that shines through the mist. We are simply not used to expressing ourselves in such metaphorical language when discussing epistemology and right conduct. This should not take anything away from the point the author is trying to make, but you should be prepared for the at times estranging formulations. At the end of the book, though, the message has become clear: In order to see and act with clarity, one’s consciousness needs to be brought to a state of non-duality. Here, the syncretism between the Buddhist practice of meditation and the Daoist wu wei (non-action) becomes evident: One needs to trace back the contents of one’s consciousness to the place they originated from - and stop there. Without further attempting to discern what the non-discerning consciousness behind all processes of discernment itself is, one should seek refuge in it. Through the act of observation - not of, but from this indivisible perspective or state of consciousness (whatever you want to label it), truthful action and thought arise paradoxically from non-action.
Although I have personally found much value in the writing of both Jung and the author himself, I could see that such philosophising might be hard to relate to, if it has no prior experience of mental states akin those described to stand upon. Despite its more obscure passages, my verdict would still be to go ahead and read this insightful book with an open mind.
October 8, 2021
Diving into Eastern philosophy has been quite a trip. The Secret of the Golden Flower was especially interesting because not only do you get this beautiful translation but Jung provides his psychological interpretation of this metaphysical writing. He also provides the context of our very Western 'yang' type civilization and why some of this duality of opposites contained in Eastern philosophy, often finds itself misinterpreted or dismissed or laughed off in western rationalism. Whether the metaphysical experience is real or not, the psychical experience is very real and has a significantly powerful influence on our lives. To dismiss it, as beneath us or as illness, as we do here, is taking away the treasures that lie beneath. If he believes, I believe.
While reading him talk about these metaphysical texts as psychic experience makes me think of people who have done great things attributed to their faith. Whether the strength they summoned was from God or themselves, the result were the same; people committing extraordinary feats, that are beyond simple conscious choices. On the flip side, these forces can make us do things that we seemingly have no agency in, and there in lies the challenge of making the unconscious conscious and thus living in symbiosis with these forces; wherever they may lie....all I know is when I was a kid, picking baseball teams in the playground, alway safe to pick the kid who thinks his bat was graced with that good ole' Jesus juju.
The Golden Flower also provides some guidance into connecting with your inner being through meditation and the breath. What better way to bring the unconscious to the conscious than be breathing on purpose and with purpose. The more I read on Chinese philosophy and the body, the more I wish I still had my gall bladder....'it's not important they said.' You're #%!#$% with my chi :\
There's a really cool quote that sums up our western obsession with the self and our one-sidedness "Worldly people lose the roots and cling to the treetops"
It's amazing how much we forfeit with our egos and our certainty of things, all the while completely oblivious to what lies at the root.....but hey, Mars looks cool. We'll just keep treating this planet like a comped hotel room. I'm sure that won't get old anytime soon.
While reading him talk about these metaphysical texts as psychic experience makes me think of people who have done great things attributed to their faith. Whether the strength they summoned was from God or themselves, the result were the same; people committing extraordinary feats, that are beyond simple conscious choices. On the flip side, these forces can make us do things that we seemingly have no agency in, and there in lies the challenge of making the unconscious conscious and thus living in symbiosis with these forces; wherever they may lie....all I know is when I was a kid, picking baseball teams in the playground, alway safe to pick the kid who thinks his bat was graced with that good ole' Jesus juju.
The Golden Flower also provides some guidance into connecting with your inner being through meditation and the breath. What better way to bring the unconscious to the conscious than be breathing on purpose and with purpose. The more I read on Chinese philosophy and the body, the more I wish I still had my gall bladder....'it's not important they said.' You're #%!#$% with my chi :\
There's a really cool quote that sums up our western obsession with the self and our one-sidedness "Worldly people lose the roots and cling to the treetops"
It's amazing how much we forfeit with our egos and our certainty of things, all the while completely oblivious to what lies at the root.....but hey, Mars looks cool. We'll just keep treating this planet like a comped hotel room. I'm sure that won't get old anytime soon.
May 21, 2022
La sección de Jung es muy profunda y un buen resumen de sus teorías. Me encantó su visionaria alerta de cómo los occidentales estamos tomando el conocimiento oriental. La parte de Wilhelm me gustó menos, muy analítica y pudo haber sido más relacionada a su experiencia personal en china. La traducción es muy bonita y poética, ligada a los pensamientos jungianos. El texto es una belleza ecléctica y sincrética de tao, budismo y confusionismo. Me gustaría tener una traducción más moderna para compararlas.
June 13, 2021
راستش دلیل اینکه سه دادم این بود که از قسمتهای قبل تفسیر یونگ با تقریب خوبی هیچی نفهمیدم. هر قسمت هم که حس کردم آره دارم یه چیزی میفهمم چند جمله بعدش هرچی تصور کرده بودم نقش بر آب میشد. ولی حرفای یونگ فوقالعاده بود. همون چیزی بود که نیاز داشتم بخونم، همون مسئلهای که چندوقته ذهنمو مشغول کرده. در کل توصیه میکنم کتابو، در واقع قسمت تفسیر یونگو :))
January 21, 2024
This is my meditation bible. There are many points of how to meditate through the 4 stages of development. The first one is the most important, IMO. Circulating the light not only means physically but mentally. It'd about working on past trauma.
May 23, 2021
Un libro difícil, pero muy interesante para leer y pensar detenidamente, sobretodo la magnífica introducción de Jung y Wilhelm.
May 25, 2018
The Secret of the Golden Flower is a Taoist text deeply intertwined with many other Chinese classics, though it is now believed to have been published much later (it was originally thought to have been written in the T'ang period around when poet Tu Fu was active).
The text itself is an excellent description of both the physical and mental attributes of Taoist meditation, and it contains perhaps the most descriptive exposition regarding the end "goal" of these practices. Looking at the history of Chinese philosophy, I'd wager that having been manifested several centuries later, The Secret of the Golden Flower was given the opportunity to perform further exegesis of earlier canonized Taoist texts.
For Western readers, I would strongly recommend reading a copy that also includes C.G. Jung's commentary which—while not indispensable for comprehension—provides a beneficial perspective on classic Eastern mythology and its relevance for a modern Western world.
The text itself is an excellent description of both the physical and mental attributes of Taoist meditation, and it contains perhaps the most descriptive exposition regarding the end "goal" of these practices. Looking at the history of Chinese philosophy, I'd wager that having been manifested several centuries later, The Secret of the Golden Flower was given the opportunity to perform further exegesis of earlier canonized Taoist texts.
For Western readers, I would strongly recommend reading a copy that also includes C.G. Jung's commentary which—while not indispensable for comprehension—provides a beneficial perspective on classic Eastern mythology and its relevance for a modern Western world.
October 22, 2023
Li devagar, li em voz alta, e mesmo assim vou precisar de uma vídeo aula pra entender esse livro kkk
October 26, 2019
Typically eastern way of approaching mediation, and a good review on where Wilhelm and Jung did not get this way of thinking right.
November 30, 2018
"We have to see that the spirit must lean on science as its guide in the world of reality, and that science must turn to the spirit for the meaning of life." - Richard Wilhelm
I think that he's saying with this that we need the means of science to progressively understand and learn to work better with the outside world, to connect the dots there, but that we need spirituality to integrate that whole into our daily lives in a meaningful and relatable and appropriate way. If we don't give both sides their due but lean too much towards one side of this equation, then usually some form of crisis, sometimes catastrophic, results. This perhaps because its inherent chaos threatens to break free in, by definition, unexpected and probably harmful ways. If done properly though and we explore and gain a better appreciation of both worlds, we develop a new vision of ourselves and the cosmos, resulting in some kind of psychological maturity in which we become more competent to make individual and thus collective decisions, potentially rendering us all a better future.
The first part of this review is my deficient summary of the book. The second part a short review of the experience of the read.
1.
In the edition I have (Baynes), two Chinese alchemical texts are translated. First the T'ai I Chin Hua Tsung Chih, then the Hui Ming Ching. Afterwards there is a commentary by C. G. Jung, while the first text contains further explanations by Richard Wilhelm. The afterword and foreword are written by each of them respectively.
I would like to make clear to you that these texts use ambivalent language and are difficult to understand, definitely in my experience, but probably for Westerners in general. I will simply try to articulate what I've come to make of the book upon having read it once and upon reviewing my notes a few times, don't expect more than a humble and flawed subjective understanding of it as a whole. I'll try to keep it short and won't be diving into historical contexts--for this you have to read it yourself--but will stick to the text and the scholarly interpretations given. All I can say is that it has strong Confucianist, Buddhist and Taoist undercurrents, as well as parallels with other religions such as Christianity.
According to these scholars the effective intent of the practice being elucidated in the original texts is that of transcending the psyche above the misery that inevitably comes with life. Inevitably because life is a predicament not subjected to rationality or to the conscious will. In my own experience upon practicing a bit the methods expounded I've come to notice that something like this may in fact appear to be happening (I'm a petty meditator so don't take this too seriously, though my experience was more with active imagination). The idea would be that consciousness and life spring from heaven or "Tao", a still non-dual, primordial state of being, but from the moment of conception separate and become transient and conflicting supra-individual forces (logos vs. eros). Only cultivation of the Golden Flower, something akin to detachment from entanglement with this painful duality, can reunite both beyond in the eternal state of Tao. This can be achieved through "circulation of the light," penetration of the magic circle, which in Jung's interpretation is something akin to the psychic process of development expressed in symbols, more precisely mandala symbolism. He argues that this symbolism represents--among many other things--the circumambulatio of parts or our psyche around a center, and that in concentrating (notice: centre) upon these animations and allowing them to take their own course (through stillness, observance and acceptance), a higher power locked in our unconscious takes over and begins to lead our psychic development. He calls it "self-knowledge by means of self-incubation," projections of events of the psyche on itself, or putting a "spell" on oneself. In the center is the seed which must blossom, and does so through circulation or "non-doing."
According to the philosophy, human nature and consciousness are closely related and are in some sense opposites to life. In intensifying the former two, and "extensifying" the latter, they may be brought back together. You intensify consciousness through directing your attention inward "to the realm of the ancestors," if done right it amounts to reflection on the dark and unformed aspects of the inner realm (in other words shadow work, I think), in controlling your breathing then you directly spur the development of these aspects (something akin to active imagination) and still your heart (passions). To extensify life you have to live it, you accept and fulfill your ordinary occupations in the first place so that you clear the way to unperturbed quietness. If you meet your responsibilities there is less distraction for you, and if you do get distracted in meditation, simply stand up and do something else, don't try to force it, but go with it (your instincts).
A number of instructions are given in the text about how one can bring about this tranquility and centeredness, and what one is to do with this state in order to eventually unify the forces and crystallize it. Hypothetically, as I understand it, the control over one's inner energy has to direct it in certain ways (at some point towards the heart, at another upward, if I got that right) so as to conserve it and harmonize them in a deep center in yourself. If one succeeds at treating these forces appropriately, the text claims, one may extend the length of one's life and may even continue living as a disembodied ego after death. But, Jung, in his outstanding commentary, warns that blind imitation of the Chinese way of cultivating the practice expounded in these texts, as a Westerner, is an unscrupulous idea. He stresses the argument that doing so would be against the principles of the philosophy, and that the way of integrating these insights properly, for us Western people, would be to keep a firm stand on our own ground whilst exploring this text, staying true as such to our own Western nature and disposition. If our own historical premises are betrayed only conflict will ensue, but if not and if we find a parallel way to undergo the same inner transformation as the East has, it will be much the better for the integrity of our culture and its prospect. For this we have to acknowledge the authenticity of other kinds of consciousness, and of the validity of our own unconscious and its autonomous processes, in all honesty, in a strife towards self-realization.
"It is not I who live, it lives me." - C. G. Jung
The symbolism is rather complex and I probably didn't do it much honor with my defective summary here, nor to the texts, nor to the scholars' interpretations. If you're interested in learning about Dr. Jung's work, I highly recommend reading Liber Novus first, and then afterwards this book, it will profoundly deepen the sense of meaning you have when reading it. But it's a great book in and of itself.
2.
It was a lovely read, and weird. I'm currently beginning a study of part of Jung's corpus and I'm convinced it will further deepen my insight into the meaning of this text. Nonetheless it was already very insightful, and is probably one of the most important works for the West in trying to truly bridge the gap with the East. It has deepened substantially my appreciation of Jung's Liber Novus, and of course hope it does the same for his other works. As I already said I did have some interesting experiences after learning about this philosophy and method. I was lying in my bed one night watching the theater of my imagination, while at some point I began to have the sense that in there was manifesting a second body, a second "me," another stream of consciousness in some sense but directed inward. I can't explain it well but in the text there is talked about something of this kind and so I'm going to explore if I can get at this again and perhaps look deeper into it.
Long story short, if you're interested in the reconciliation of West and East, in Jung's psychology, in active imagination, in analytical psychology, in spirituality, or whatever other reason you may be considering to read this book, please do! It will probably be a weirdly interesting and insightful read.
"The Westerner ought again to experience the reality of this illusion. He ought to learn to recognize these psychic forces again, and not wait until his moods, nervous states, and hallucinations make clear to him in the most painful way possible that he is not the only master in his house." - C. G. Jung
I think that he's saying with this that we need the means of science to progressively understand and learn to work better with the outside world, to connect the dots there, but that we need spirituality to integrate that whole into our daily lives in a meaningful and relatable and appropriate way. If we don't give both sides their due but lean too much towards one side of this equation, then usually some form of crisis, sometimes catastrophic, results. This perhaps because its inherent chaos threatens to break free in, by definition, unexpected and probably harmful ways. If done properly though and we explore and gain a better appreciation of both worlds, we develop a new vision of ourselves and the cosmos, resulting in some kind of psychological maturity in which we become more competent to make individual and thus collective decisions, potentially rendering us all a better future.
The first part of this review is my deficient summary of the book. The second part a short review of the experience of the read.
1.
In the edition I have (Baynes), two Chinese alchemical texts are translated. First the T'ai I Chin Hua Tsung Chih, then the Hui Ming Ching. Afterwards there is a commentary by C. G. Jung, while the first text contains further explanations by Richard Wilhelm. The afterword and foreword are written by each of them respectively.
I would like to make clear to you that these texts use ambivalent language and are difficult to understand, definitely in my experience, but probably for Westerners in general. I will simply try to articulate what I've come to make of the book upon having read it once and upon reviewing my notes a few times, don't expect more than a humble and flawed subjective understanding of it as a whole. I'll try to keep it short and won't be diving into historical contexts--for this you have to read it yourself--but will stick to the text and the scholarly interpretations given. All I can say is that it has strong Confucianist, Buddhist and Taoist undercurrents, as well as parallels with other religions such as Christianity.
According to these scholars the effective intent of the practice being elucidated in the original texts is that of transcending the psyche above the misery that inevitably comes with life. Inevitably because life is a predicament not subjected to rationality or to the conscious will. In my own experience upon practicing a bit the methods expounded I've come to notice that something like this may in fact appear to be happening (I'm a petty meditator so don't take this too seriously, though my experience was more with active imagination). The idea would be that consciousness and life spring from heaven or "Tao", a still non-dual, primordial state of being, but from the moment of conception separate and become transient and conflicting supra-individual forces (logos vs. eros). Only cultivation of the Golden Flower, something akin to detachment from entanglement with this painful duality, can reunite both beyond in the eternal state of Tao. This can be achieved through "circulation of the light," penetration of the magic circle, which in Jung's interpretation is something akin to the psychic process of development expressed in symbols, more precisely mandala symbolism. He argues that this symbolism represents--among many other things--the circumambulatio of parts or our psyche around a center, and that in concentrating (notice: centre) upon these animations and allowing them to take their own course (through stillness, observance and acceptance), a higher power locked in our unconscious takes over and begins to lead our psychic development. He calls it "self-knowledge by means of self-incubation," projections of events of the psyche on itself, or putting a "spell" on oneself. In the center is the seed which must blossom, and does so through circulation or "non-doing."
According to the philosophy, human nature and consciousness are closely related and are in some sense opposites to life. In intensifying the former two, and "extensifying" the latter, they may be brought back together. You intensify consciousness through directing your attention inward "to the realm of the ancestors," if done right it amounts to reflection on the dark and unformed aspects of the inner realm (in other words shadow work, I think), in controlling your breathing then you directly spur the development of these aspects (something akin to active imagination) and still your heart (passions). To extensify life you have to live it, you accept and fulfill your ordinary occupations in the first place so that you clear the way to unperturbed quietness. If you meet your responsibilities there is less distraction for you, and if you do get distracted in meditation, simply stand up and do something else, don't try to force it, but go with it (your instincts).
A number of instructions are given in the text about how one can bring about this tranquility and centeredness, and what one is to do with this state in order to eventually unify the forces and crystallize it. Hypothetically, as I understand it, the control over one's inner energy has to direct it in certain ways (at some point towards the heart, at another upward, if I got that right) so as to conserve it and harmonize them in a deep center in yourself. If one succeeds at treating these forces appropriately, the text claims, one may extend the length of one's life and may even continue living as a disembodied ego after death. But, Jung, in his outstanding commentary, warns that blind imitation of the Chinese way of cultivating the practice expounded in these texts, as a Westerner, is an unscrupulous idea. He stresses the argument that doing so would be against the principles of the philosophy, and that the way of integrating these insights properly, for us Western people, would be to keep a firm stand on our own ground whilst exploring this text, staying true as such to our own Western nature and disposition. If our own historical premises are betrayed only conflict will ensue, but if not and if we find a parallel way to undergo the same inner transformation as the East has, it will be much the better for the integrity of our culture and its prospect. For this we have to acknowledge the authenticity of other kinds of consciousness, and of the validity of our own unconscious and its autonomous processes, in all honesty, in a strife towards self-realization.
"It is not I who live, it lives me." - C. G. Jung
The symbolism is rather complex and I probably didn't do it much honor with my defective summary here, nor to the texts, nor to the scholars' interpretations. If you're interested in learning about Dr. Jung's work, I highly recommend reading Liber Novus first, and then afterwards this book, it will profoundly deepen the sense of meaning you have when reading it. But it's a great book in and of itself.
2.
It was a lovely read, and weird. I'm currently beginning a study of part of Jung's corpus and I'm convinced it will further deepen my insight into the meaning of this text. Nonetheless it was already very insightful, and is probably one of the most important works for the West in trying to truly bridge the gap with the East. It has deepened substantially my appreciation of Jung's Liber Novus, and of course hope it does the same for his other works. As I already said I did have some interesting experiences after learning about this philosophy and method. I was lying in my bed one night watching the theater of my imagination, while at some point I began to have the sense that in there was manifesting a second body, a second "me," another stream of consciousness in some sense but directed inward. I can't explain it well but in the text there is talked about something of this kind and so I'm going to explore if I can get at this again and perhaps look deeper into it.
Long story short, if you're interested in the reconciliation of West and East, in Jung's psychology, in active imagination, in analytical psychology, in spirituality, or whatever other reason you may be considering to read this book, please do! It will probably be a weirdly interesting and insightful read.
"The Westerner ought again to experience the reality of this illusion. He ought to learn to recognize these psychic forces again, and not wait until his moods, nervous states, and hallucinations make clear to him in the most painful way possible that he is not the only master in his house." - C. G. Jung
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