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kapt_pr0ton's review against another edition
2.0
I wanted to like this more. I had an incredibly difficult time trying to understand the first part of the text, (Taoist philosophy translated from old Chinese to German, to English would probably do that). Coming from a psychology background, I thought I would enjoy the psychological interpretation of the Taoist text by Wilhelm and Jung but it came off incredibly dated. I might re-read it at some point in the future....
ellegitimate's review against another edition
2.0
What? That was mostly my thoughts on this. There may be a lot in here of use, but it wasn't necessarily written for anyone's use.
strategineer's review against another edition
1.0
1. Conserve your semen.
2. Achieve immortality.
3. Rejoice.
2. Achieve immortality.
3. Rejoice.
sofcalvo's review against another edition
challenging
informative
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
5.0
cotaluck's review against another edition
4.0
Very nice book, I probably shouldn't have read it before reading any Jung and familiarizing myself with his language, however. I learnt some things about Taoism, and more about the light (yang) and the dark (yin). It states that the ego partakes of the 'fruits of its good or bad deeds in heaven or hells, which, however, are not external, but purely inner states. The Tao was described as the unity of life and consciousness.
"All holy men have bequeathed this to one another: nothing is possible without contemplation. When Confucius says 'perceiving brings one to the goal', or when the Buddha calls it: 'The vision of the heart'; or Lae-tse says: 'inner vision', it is all the same."
- On the importance of self-reflection and contemplation.
There are instructions here on meditation: "Look with both eyes at the tip of the nose, to lower the lids, to look within, sit quietly with upright body, and fix the heart on the centre in the midst of conditions." I also liked the way the ideal state while meditating is described as "body like dry wood, the heart like cooled ashes."
I also found out about the concept of mandalas for the first time, images that I would have recognized but wouldn't have been able to put a name on, or explain what they are. They are circular figures representing the universe in Hindu and Buddhist symbolism. The oldest known to Jung seems to be the sun wheel in Rhodesia.
"All holy men have bequeathed this to one another: nothing is possible without contemplation. When Confucius says 'perceiving brings one to the goal', or when the Buddha calls it: 'The vision of the heart'; or Lae-tse says: 'inner vision', it is all the same."
- On the importance of self-reflection and contemplation.
There are instructions here on meditation: "Look with both eyes at the tip of the nose, to lower the lids, to look within, sit quietly with upright body, and fix the heart on the centre in the midst of conditions." I also liked the way the ideal state while meditating is described as "body like dry wood, the heart like cooled ashes."
I also found out about the concept of mandalas for the first time, images that I would have recognized but wouldn't have been able to put a name on, or explain what they are. They are circular figures representing the universe in Hindu and Buddhist symbolism. The oldest known to Jung seems to be the sun wheel in Rhodesia.
2000ace's review against another edition
4.0
This lovely book is a description of an ancient Chinese meditation technique, and the underlying philosophy. Cleary also translated this work, but I find his rendition more pedantic than Wilhelm's. By practicing this straightforward meditation, many people have found many benefits. Not only does it quiet the mind and focus inner being, it also works to bring the body into a harmonic state.