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From the Back Cover
The brilliant new translation of the classic Taoist guide to meditation that Carl Jung made famous.
'Thomas Cleary's translation is like an island of peace in the troubled sea of today's world. His beautifully lucid translation of the classic Chinese text transcends the limitations of its culture to reveal universal and timeless practices that awaken awareness and clarity of mind.'
JUNE SINGER, author of 'Seeing Through the Visible World'
'This text, like all of Cleary's work, shows that these Eastern classics have a depth of intelligence that can enrich any serious Western person. Until Cleary, these books have too often been shrouded in a mist of mystical allure and vague sentiment. Cleary is finally making them authentically available. In giving this particular text of extraordinary density and subtlety its first definitive presentation in English, Cleary has done a great service in opening 'The Secret of the Golden Flower' to as much true understanding and application as diligent attention can allow.'
JACOB NEEDLEMAN, author of 'The Heart of Philosophy'
'Thomas Cleary's new and inspiring translation of one of the great mystical classics is most welcome in these times of great spiritual hunger.'
CHARLES T. TART, Ph.D.>, author of 'Open Mind, Discriminating Mind' and 'Transpersonal Psychologies'
THOMAS CLEARY, Ph.D., East Asian Studies, Harvard University is editor and translator of 'The Essential Tao', 'The Essential Confucius' and the bestselling 'The Art of War'.
1 From the point of view of the universe, people are like mayflies; but from the point of view of the Way, even the universe is as an evanescent reflection. Read the first page
Concordance
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
The "Song to Inspire the World" contained within it is beautiful.
Highly recommended.
With practice, the book gets more and more profound and the practice more refined. It subsumes the whole of the Buddhist canon and that of Taoism and Confucianism and Christianity as well. In particular it brings one to the realization that scriptures, while valuable, have the danger of enmeshing one in words and concepts. On a more personal note, it has helped free me from trying to reproduce past experiences of enlightened mind, which are now just memories and therefore also concepts and ideas.
I have waded through Stopping and Seeing, also translated by Mr. Cleary in volume V of his collected translations, and would advise against it. It is very similar to Ashvagosha's Awakening of Faith in the Mahayana, translated by D.T. Suzuki, which I studied at length many years ago. After your practice has reached a certain point, perhaps it might be of value to study such treatises.
Another thing that commends Mr. Cleary's translation is that he puts his commentary at the end so the translated text is presented without distractions. For this I am also grateful.
One thing that is not addressed in this or other meditation texts, nor by the meditation instructors I have had, is the basics of sitting meditation. I spent years "on the mat" working through bodily problems such as back aches, legs falling asleep and painful tensions that can be avoided by a few expediencies, to say nothing of the fact that posture is essential to integrating one's entire being in the practice.
First of all, it is important that the body be relaxed. One should not waste precious time trying to assume unfamiliar and strenuous asanas, e.g. the Lotus posture, but should sit on a cushion, e.g. a Zafu, that raises one's butt and use a mat, e.g a Zabuton, that protects one legs and ankles from hard surfaces.
Secondly, it is necessary to sit with the back straight and the spine unsupported. However, one needs to relax into this position, like stacking a pile of coins, once they are straight, you can let go. You do not want to let go entirely because from time to time tensions arise, for example you begin tensing your back, neck or legs. This subtle awareness will allow you to immediately relax such tensions and again let go. In this way you can eliminate years of trial and error on the mat.
I would add that this relaxing into the posture is the same approach you should take to the meditation itself.
English translations on any text is difficult, because Chinese
ideograms are themselves sometimes associated with different
meanings based on context, and because, especially with regards
to religious symbolism and internal alchemy, the symbolism can
be quite esoteric.
This book is divided into sections. The first is Cleary's
direct translation. The second is his commentary for each verse.
The last is an afterward regarding the "technques" espoused in
this book relevant to modern life.
Personally, I would have found the commentary more useful
integrated directly after each verse. The translation is still
highly symbolic, and the commentary adds a little to
understanding what is trying to be said. As it is, I found
myself re-reading the translation verse by verse, at the end of
each verse thumbing to the appropriate commentary. I did not
find the direct translation so poetic that the interruptions
would have destroyed any aesthetic sense from reading it. At
the very least, commentary at the end of each chapter would
have been better.
To a layperson like me, this book provided illumination in
glimpses only. It was hardly direct, clear, or straightforward.
A very strong working knowledge in Chan Buddhism or the
Completely Real School of Taoism would have served me well, but
alas, I don 't have that. The symbolic content was frankly
overwhelming, and it wasn't until I re-read along with the
commentary that I had a sideways understanding of what the goal
of "turning the light around" actually meant.
In fact, much of this book is written like a dissertation.
Cleary spends much of his commentary efforts explaining why
his translation is superior to Wilhelm's, and why Jung's
theories are therefore misguided and/or incomplete since Jung
relied on the Wilhelm translation. I found this decidedly
distracting, but scholars may not.
For someone well-versed in this type of meditation technique,
this analogy-filled work may provide insights in stages. One
verse may be striking now, another verse revelationary only
years later. To me, trying to get a handle on the basic
principles and goals, this was like trying to see Michelangelo's
David through a stained glass-window. The color, the frilly
designs, the artistry of the window obscured my vision of
the very clearly masterful sculpture beyond.
Cleary would have been better-served writing an introduction
emphasizing required reading prior to reading this. For
someone who claims to actually practice this technique, he
never talks about the symbolic in more real terms-- even in
speculation. "Midnight refers to stillness, and water to
hidden knowledge, and fire to creativity..." and commentary
like that led me to respond not "Of course! Brilliant!"
but rather "Thanks a lot, that really helped... not."
I will likely re-read this book in a few years, and hope my
second time around proves more rewarding. Again, I did gain
some small insights... I think.
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