The Secret of the Golden Flower
This eighth-century Chinese book, which Jung described as a Taoist-alchemical tract, had a major influence on his mature thinking. In 1928 he received a German translation from Richard Wilhelm (1873�1930), a distinguished German sinologist. In Memories, Dreams, Reflections Jung states that �light on the nature of alchemy began to come to me only after I had read the text of the Golden Flower.� Jung�s intense study of alchemy subsequently occupied him to such an extent that he discontinued work on the Red Book. At Wilhelm�s request, Jung wrote a commentary on the Secret of the Golden Flower, which forms the preface of the book.
This eighth-century Chinese book, which Jung described as a Taoist-alchemical tract, had a major influence on his mature thinking. In 1928 he received a German translation from Richard Wilhelm (1873�1930), a distinguished German sinologist. In <em>Memories, Dreams, Reflections</em> Jung states that �light on the nature of alchemy began to come to me only after I had read the text of the <em>Golden Flower</em>.� Jung�s intense study of alchemy subsequently occupied him to such an extent that he discontinued work on the <em>Red Book</em>. At Wilhelm�s request, Jung wrote a commentary on the <em>Secret of the Golden Flower</em>, which forms the preface of the book.