Introduction
Chapter 8
Research on the text
Chapter 9
Chapter 1
Chapter 10
Chapter 2
Chapter 11
Chapter 3
Chapter 12
Chapter 4
Chapter 13
Chapter 5
Summary
Chapter 6
About & Contact
Chapter 7
links
Mahavairocana Buddha seated on a golden lotus flower , by Unkei, 13th C, Japan
The Secret of the Golden Flower and the
Establishment of the Longmen Tradition at Mt. Jingai
during the Qing Dynasty
by Monica Esposito (Kyoto University)
The Secret of the Golden Flower is a famous alchemical text which the Western
world came to know through Richard Wilhelms 1929 translation. It was
published, together with Carl Jungs commentary, under the title Das Geheimnis
der Goldenen Blte: ein chinesisches Lebensbuch. The Chinese text used by
Wilhelm is Zhanran Huizhenzis edition, published between 1921 and 1927 and
found, as its preface explains, in Beijing's Liuli chang , the old street of books
and antiques dealers. In reality, many other versions of the Golden Flower text
exist, all traditionally attributed to the immortal L Dongbin. They date back to the
Qing dynasty (1644-1911) and belong to various Daoist lineages and traditions.
Iranian miniature of a warrior smelling a
flower,1651, Hermitage museum,
St. Petersburg
So far I discovered at least seven editions of this text, among them a rare one at
the Otani University Library in Kyoto. The text is a product of spirit-writing
St. Clare of Assisi with the Christ child
who is holding a flower, by Andrei
Rublov
seances. Each Daoist lineage and tradition which engaged in its compilation left
its marks. Through comparison of prefaces, notes, and the thirteen chapters of
the Golden Flower in its different editions, relevant variants as well as omissions
become apparent. The Longmen, an important Daoist tradition which during the
Qing dynasty was charged with transmitting public ordinations, used this text not
only as basis for its alchemical doctrine but also for establishing its spiritual
power of transmitting ordinations among its followers. In order to assert
themselves as the holders of the original version and by virtue of being the
unique recipients of the true transmission, the Longmen masters from Mount
Jingai (Zhejiang) modified and edited the Golden Flower according to their own
criteria.
Through analysis of its various versions and study of the textual inconsistencies
in the Longmens claim to legitimacy, we can shed light on Qing Daoism and on
the struggles among the Daoist traditions which claimed to have the orthodox
The Christ child looking at flower petals,
by Leonardo da Vinci,
Hermitage MuseumSt Petersburg
transmission of such text.
Abydos King offering six flowers to a
Goddess
The Fourth Way and Esoteric Traditions
Journey to the West
The taoist I Ching
Being Presence First Living Presence
Japanese symbols of Presence Gurdjieff - Becoming Conscious
Copyright 2012-2015 Walther Sell
