5. The Visualization Scripture is a popular Pure Land Buddhist text, the
Guan Wuliangshou jing (Scripture on visualization of infinite life). There
are many examples of Taoists borrowing and reinterpreting Buddhist
symbolism, some of them more plausible than others. The Hui Ming Ching,
a small fragment of which is included in the Wilhelm/Baynes version of the
Golden Flower, provides numerous instances of Chan Buddhist sayings
borrowed by Taoist yogis and given esoteric interpretations in terms of
Taoist energy work. "Higher good is like water" comes from the Tao Te
Ching.
6. The Buddha on the terrace of enlightenment is the essence of one's own
mind. The Visualization Scripture itself says, "When you see Buddha, you
are seeing your own mind; for mind is Buddha, mind makes Buddha."
7. Wilhelm translates "the spirit enters into a state of openness" as "the gods
are in the valley " giving the text a primitive polytheistic sound that is not
there at all in the original. It was evidently on the basis of this sort of
mistranslation that Jung came to the conclusion that the concepts of Chinese
philosophy are, as he said, "never taken psychologically." Nothing could be
further from the truth.
1.
As a result of his misconception about the nature of Taoist practical
philosophy, Jung thought that he himself was a pioneer in psychological
interpretation; but since he did not understand the original Taoist
