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Daoist Cultivation, Book 12 - The Secret of the Golden Flower: Translation and Commentary
Paperback
Series: Daoist Cultivation, Book 12
General Eastern ReligionsI ChingTaoism
Publisher: Independently Published
Published: Jul 7 2023
Pages: 314
Weight: 0.93
Height: 0.66 Width: 6.00 Depth: 9.00
Language: English
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The Secret of the Golden Flower is one of the most widely known Daoist texts in the West. It offers a symbolic and meditative presentation of Daoist internal alchemy (Neidan), blending elements of Daoist cosmology, Buddhist meditation methods, and Confucian insight into a unified path of inner transformation.
This newly revised second edition presents a complete and faithful translation of the entire original text-including chapters 9 through 13, which were omitted in early Western versions. It also offers expanded and refined commentary throughout, designed to support readers who are sincerely pursuing the Way of cultivation.
Why This Edition Is NeededThe first English translation, completed in 1929 by Richard Wilhelm and accompanied by commentary from Carl Gustav Jung, played a major role in introducing the text to the Western world. However, Wilhelm's version contains numerous mistranslations, interpretive liberties, and doctrinal misunderstandings. Crucially, it omits the final five chapters of the original text entirely. Jung's psychological commentary, while influential in Western circles, is based on Wilhelm's flawed translation and thus misrepresents the actual teaching of Daoist inner alchemy.
A later version by Thomas Cleary improved the clarity and readability, but replaced many traditional Daoist technical terms with modern abstractions. For instance, Yin 陰 and Yang 陽 are translated as negative energy and positive energy, stripping away the rich cosmological and alchemical significance those terms carry. Cleary's version also paraphrases or omits important phrases, diminishing the text's precision.
What This Version OffersA complete and accurate translation, including chapters 9-13, missing from previous editions
Preservation of classical Daoist terminology, such as Qi 氣, Shen 神, Dantian 丹田, Yin 陰, Yang 陽, and Zhen Qi 真氣
Extensive commentary that explains symbolic language, cultivation practices, textual origins, and translation choices
Clear indication of Buddhist and Confucian references within the text, including Tiantai methods like Zhǐ Guān 止觀
This edition is written for serious students and practitioners-those who wish to go beyond metaphor and psychological interpretation, and instead enter the living stream of authentic Daoist cultivation. Whether you are encountering the Golden Flower for the first time or seeking a more complete and traditional understanding, this edition offers clarity, depth, and integrity rooted in the internal alchemical tradition.
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