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The Secret of the Golden Flower: A Chinese Book of Life
The Treasured Guide to Spiritual Growth and Enlightenment
The Secret of the Golden Flower is an ancient Chinese text, passed on for centuries, in which Taoist mystics reveal the path to true enlightenment. The first written version was believed to have originated with Lü Dongbin, a legendary scholar, poet, and spiritual master. Lü Dongbin was the founder of the School of the Golden Elixir of Life during the Tang dynasty. In the text, symbols for light represented awareness, which is normally directed outward toward externals. The method of redirecting one’s consciousness inward towards the self through a straightforward form of silent meditation and breathing was known as “turning the light around”. Through this process of channeling energy beyond the limits of the discriminating intellect, one’s psyche—indeed one’s very fundamental being—can gradually open and bloom. This leads to a pure awakening of the mind and spirit. The result can be metaphorically pictured as a bright “golden flower” mandala, representing the rewarding end goal of a personal alchemy of inner transformation.
This remarkable and important work, first published in the United States in 1931, is Cary F. Baynes’ elegant English translation of sinologist Richard Wilhelm’s 1929 German translation of the original Taoist texts. It is nothing less than a spiritual seeker’s road map to discovering the secret to peace of mind. The simple method described has been called “Zen with details”.
This edition includes insightful philosophical commentary by psychologist Carl Jung that helps explain the metaphysical aspects of the text, providing valuable insights for Westerners. For many generations, The Secret of the Golden Flower has been an invaluable tool and guide for personal and spiritual growth.
Like a practical workbook for achieving enlightenment, this clearly written meditation manual explores foundational techniques to help you experience elevated states of consciousness; repeated listening will serve as an incomparable source of insight and inspiration.
The Secret of the Golden Flower is an ancient Chinese text, passed on for centuries, in which Taoist mystics reveal the path to true enlightenment. The first written version was believed to have originated with Lü Dongbin, a legendary scholar, poet, and spiritual master. Lü Dongbin was the founder of the School of the Golden Elixir of Life during the Tang dynasty. In the text, symbols for light represented awareness, which is normally directed outward toward externals. The method of redirecting one’s consciousness inward towards the self through a straightforward form of silent meditation and breathing was known as “turning the light around”. Through this process of channeling energy beyond the limits of the discriminating intellect, one’s psyche—indeed one’s very fundamental being—can gradually open and bloom. This leads to a pure awakening of the mind and spirit. The result can be metaphorically pictured as a bright “golden flower” mandala, representing the rewarding end goal of a personal alchemy of inner transformation.
This remarkable and important work, first published in the United States in 1931, is Cary F. Baynes’ elegant English translation of sinologist Richard Wilhelm’s 1929 German translation of the original Taoist texts. It is nothing less than a spiritual seeker’s road map to discovering the secret to peace of mind. The simple method described has been called “Zen with details”.
This edition includes insightful philosophical commentary by psychologist Carl Jung that helps explain the metaphysical aspects of the text, providing valuable insights for Westerners. For many generations, The Secret of the Golden Flower has been an invaluable tool and guide for personal and spiritual growth.
Like a practical workbook for achieving enlightenment, this clearly written meditation manual explores foundational techniques to help you experience elevated states of consciousness; repeated listening will serve as an incomparable source of insight and inspiration.
Hardcover
Published January 1, 1931
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
August 23, 2025
Great book on meditation. I will definitely have to revisit this text, hopefully after some consistent practice.
I was not expecting the commentary by Carl Jung at the end to be so extensive, but I found it equally as fascinating. It’s was about half of the book.
Jung grappled with the concepts of Eastern Philosophy for the Western mind. He warned against simply abandoning one’s mode of thinking or imitating the other, and that one should try to recognize the values of both East and West and integrate the best of both into your mindset. This made me want to research Richard Wilhelm more, as Jung kept mentioning him and the deep impact that his translation work had on Jung’s philosophy. This text, translated by Wilhelm, and the I Ching (which I have not read) inspired Jung’s work on synchronicity and archetypes, commonalities amongst all humans that are a core part our collective unconscious.
I thought Jung’s explanation of Wu Wei was really interesting and I want to revisit that section. This book goes into the concept of action through non-action more than any other book I’ve read and it was one of the biggest takeaways from the source text.
My main takeaway was to consistently practice stillness. Eventually you will be able to “circle the light” and allow the golden flower to unfold. The golden flower is an inner conscious light fostered by non-judgmental observation.
4 stars. Probably five if all the wisdom landed.
I was not expecting the commentary by Carl Jung at the end to be so extensive, but I found it equally as fascinating. It’s was about half of the book.
Jung grappled with the concepts of Eastern Philosophy for the Western mind. He warned against simply abandoning one’s mode of thinking or imitating the other, and that one should try to recognize the values of both East and West and integrate the best of both into your mindset. This made me want to research Richard Wilhelm more, as Jung kept mentioning him and the deep impact that his translation work had on Jung’s philosophy. This text, translated by Wilhelm, and the I Ching (which I have not read) inspired Jung’s work on synchronicity and archetypes, commonalities amongst all humans that are a core part our collective unconscious.
I thought Jung’s explanation of Wu Wei was really interesting and I want to revisit that section. This book goes into the concept of action through non-action more than any other book I’ve read and it was one of the biggest takeaways from the source text.
My main takeaway was to consistently practice stillness. Eventually you will be able to “circle the light” and allow the golden flower to unfold. The golden flower is an inner conscious light fostered by non-judgmental observation.
4 stars. Probably five if all the wisdom landed.
November 20, 2025
Not my favorite. Basic Taoist philosophy that has not been explained particularly well, then there’s Jungs pontificating.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews