would seem absurd in the context of Buddhism and Taoism. A more
accurate reading of the text would have clarified Wilhelm's confusion on
this point; it is a matter not of "the Chinese psyche" in general, but of the
faculties and capacities of the individual. Jung would also have done well to
observe the warning of the text that "you cannot handle attainment with a
careless or arrogant attitude," for the careless arrogance of his essays on the
Golden Flower hindered him from a more serious and sober investigation of
Taoism as much as did lack of resources.
2. Zhang Boduan (Chang Po-tuan), founder of the Southern School of
Completely Real Taoism, wrote of a similar experience in his Introduction
to Alchemy: “The pores are like after a bath, the bones and circulatory
system are like when fast asleep, the vitality and spirit are like husband and
wife in blissful embrace, the earthly and heavenly souls are like child and
mother remembering their love."
3. "Myriad pipes are all silent" refers to a mental state of profound quietude;
"the bright moon is in mid sky" refers to clear awareness within stillness.
Both are common metaphors in Taoism and Chan Buddhism.
4. This passage refers to the refinement of sensory experience realized
through the golden flower practice. The "filling of the body" with stored
energy is said to be sufficient in itself to preserve health and well-being,
even without physical exercise. "Red blood becoming milk" is a common
Taoist symbol of the sublimation of passion.
