The Secret of the Golden Flower is the translated name for 太乙金華宗旨, a Daoist text on inner alchemy via meditation. There are several translations of the work, but the most famous is that of Richard Wilhelm which was subsequently translated into English by Cary F. Baynes. The copy I’m reviewing is a reprint of the 1932 edition.
I have not currently read the other well-known translation by Thomas Cleary, though I have heard it is more faithful to the original. One thing to keep in mind about the Wilhelm edition is that it was translated in the 30s in an era when East Asian studies were viewed through a veil of “oriental mysticism”. You will see some apologetics about the colonial occupation of East Asia at the time as well.
Despite the taint of this sort of internalized racism, I wouldn’t throw the baby out with the bathwater. I view these works as products of their time. Even the greatest and most progressive minds at the time held similar views. While this bias and prejudice might arguably taint certain parts of the translation, I would argue this book is invaluable for someone interest in Daoism or eastern spirituality in general.
Two Books in One
This book is arguably two smaller books in one. The beginning is Wilhelm’s introduction and translation of The Secret of the Golden Flower. Wilhelm (or Baynes) put the work in the context of Jung’s theories, but these are notated. While there may be some questionable spots where this work feels like it is trying hard to reconcile this work with Jungian psychology and metaphysics, the translation reads well in my opinion.
The second half is Jung’s commentary about the work, Daoism in general, and his treatment of metaphysics in the context of psychology. This section has aged in many ways, but does shed light on Jung’s philosophy and his treatment of religion and eastern studies. Keep in mind this is a very progressive view for its time though it is a very dated view today when reading. I feel this section adds value to this work, but I focused on it as a separate entity when reading.
I tend to prefer paper copies of books, but if you want to read this for free, check out archive.org. The copyright has long since expired and the work has fallen into the public domain. I will say, the print copy is much higher quality than the linked scan.
About “The Secret of the Golden Flower”
As mentioned before, The Secret of the Golden Flower is a Daoist inner alchemy text. The differentiation between inner alchemy (内丹) and outer alchemy (外丹) boils down to the difference between whether the alchemical process is spiritual transformation or the application of metaphysics upon physics. Inner alchemy transforms the self which can transform how one interacts with the world while outer alchemy is more concerned with transforming lead into gold and similar feats.
The Secret of the Golden Flower covers a form of meditation which is arguably very similar to that in Zen meditation (something like Taking the Path of Zen can help you understand this process). The book is written in a very cryptic manner with a mixture of poetic explanations and metaphoric instructions. You want to be familiar with the Dao De Jing and the basics of Daoist meditation before reading this. Familiarity with Zazen helps with the mental process for this meditation.
Despite Daoist meditation being very similar to zazen, there are some marked differences. If you have a good background in Zen or other forms of Buddhism, and a good foundation for the Dao De Jing, this work is approachable but cryptic. Ironically enough, one of the best practical bits of advice for the practice of Daoist meditation came from an out of print Tai Chi book someone loaned me ages ago. We’ll get into the meditation in a bit though.
Digging into the Translation
The translation itself is in line with many of the better works of the time. It is a passable translation today, but was probably quite profound back in its day. Each section is explained clearly and the book is accessible even if the practice doesn’t really make sense.
Like many esoteric works, there are layers to conquer for this work to really make sense of it. Wilhelm also has made some sacrifices to accuracy in order to try and make the work more accessible to western readers in a time when travel was rare. He tries to reconcile many decidedly Chinese concepts with western philosophy. While this does work to a degree, you can see certain stretches.
Another point of note is that this is a translation of a translation. Ironically I think the retranslation has actually helped with clarity as the translator added notes and mentioned certain parts where things may be edited from the original. All said, this is a great work to have on your bookshelf if you’re interested in eastern esoteric thought, Daoism, or Chinese religion (Daoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism have all mutually affected on another).
Applying Daoist Meditation
I’m going to explain some of the basics of how Daoist meditation varies with Buddhist meditation (zazen, etc.). This section is going to be a gross simplification of the process. The purpose of this section is to just present some of the more notable differences to see that though the processes are similar, they’re quite different.
Daoist meditation, especially in the context of this work, focuses on “the circulation of light”. This impacts the visualization, breathing, etc. While this form of meditation does work to foster mindfulness and looking into and analysis of the self, it also has different implications and expectations of this state.
One of the largest differences is in the way you breathe. When you breathe for zazen or any other Buddhist style of meditation, you breathe in and feel the air coming down and pushing out. You see it like filling a vase in some schools, a balloon in more contemporary explanations, or being pulled down the spinal column. The act of controlling your breathing is the act of bringing the unconscious into the conscious mind. You become aware of the entirety of the self as it functions. The alienation of the ego from self is still the same though.
Daoist meditation uses breathing as the focus to help the natural circulation of the body synchronize. When you breathe in, you try to imagine the diaphragm raising or stretching out in order to pull air in like a bellows. The bellows fills and then as you exhale it pushes the light or qi to circulate (the visualization depends on the teacher or the school). You are allowing the unconscious process to take over the conscious process in order to better fit the rhythm of the Dao. The subconscious is the soul which is in rhythm with the Dao, and the conscious needs to learn to act in accordance with each breath tying the two into the ebb and flow of existence. The golden flower and other concepts are visualizations to help maintain this process.
On Jung’s Commentary
While Wilhelm’s translation is largely untainted by any overt insertion of western concepts for a work of its time, Jung’s commentary tries to explain the process of demysticizing the work in order to make it fit in with the current western train of thought as viewed by Jung. Jung largely fell out of favor due to his obsession with the esoteric and the occult, but I love his work overall. It unfortunately shows its age on many fronts.
I feel this commentary is largely like something like Asimov’s work or similar in science fiction. It reads as cliché because it made so many of the cliches. The work was a catalyst to a better understanding of eastern esoteric works. While it may be dated now, it helped to try and tie western science to religious metaphysics in the context of the working of the mind.
Cultural background, cultural philosophy, social structure, etc. all contribute to how someone is able to relate to the world. This work is from a different time when only the affluent could easy travel away from their homes. It makes sense that it treats the reader as less knowledgeable about the rest of the world and worked to put it in a worldview which would suit those who had less access to the rest of the world.
The Good and the Bad
The good and the bad for this work boils down to the fact it is a product of its time. I think it’s a fascinating read. If you like philosophy, especially Jung, get a copy. If you want to learn more about Daoism, this book is great as long as you take note that there are some omissions to accuracy for the sake of accessibility.
This book also isn’t a truly stand alone work. It is made to be introduced in the context of a teacher or having practiced Daoist meditation before. You can get very close to the practice of standard Daoist style meditation by changing your breathing and focus from that of standard “eastern meditation”. You still want something else to explain the basics without beating around the bush as much if you want to actually practice though.
The Secret of the Golden Flower is an amazing work which really contributes to one’s understanding of Daoist inner alchemy. I am curious to read the other translations and see how they differ. As long as you can take it as a product of its time, it’s a great read which will give you a lot to think about. The commentary is separate from the translation too in case you just want to read The Secret of the Golden Flower.
Get The Secret of the Golden Flower here: