essence and allowed to develop in their new environment. What is
necessary is the primal psychological seed, not the temporal cultural husk.
Taoist and Buddhist teachings explain that their structures and
terminologies are not sacred in themselves, but are means of arranging
attention to elicit extra potential in vision, being, and action. Independent
perception and autonomous conduct are not general ideals in the Confucian
and Hindu societies within which Taoism and Buddhism existed; they are
part of a transcendent interior culture that has no national boundaries.
The opening statement of The Secret of the Golden Flower includes the
provision that people should establish a firm foothold in the ordinary world
before they try to cultivate the blossoming of the golden flower. This means
that they should be able to function adequately in their own culture and
society, whatever that may be. The golden flower practice is not primarily a
therapeutic method for severely unbalanced people; it is a way of higher
development for ordinary people.
Yet it is also true that some forms of neurosis are built into civilized
society itself, and many ordinary people suffering slightly from mild
neuroses are well integrated with their everyday world. The reason why the
golden flower method is not particularly recommended for severely
neurotic people, or for people with schizoid or psychotic tendencies, is that
the enhanced receptivity and sensitivity fostered by the practice might
exacerbate feelings of illness and fear.
