Jung’s Reception of Wilhelm’s Translation of The Secret of the Golden Flower

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to provide a historical background of the collaboration between Richard Wilhelm and Carl Gustav Jung on The Secret of the Golden Flower (SGF). Wilhelm’s translation of SGF had played a crucial role in Carl Gustav Jung’s exploration of unconscious. As a psychologist, Jung tried to investigate the deeper layer of human psyche, namely collective unconscious, through his self-experiment, which culminated in the Red Book. Wilhelm, who worked as a missionary in China for 25 years, presented the spiritual root of China to the Europeans through his translation and interpretation of Chinese classics. Wilhelm’s translation helped Jung confirm the parallels between the symbols in the dreams and fantasies of his and his patients’ and those in Chinese culture. This article attempts first to demonstrate how Jung approached to this encounter. Secondly, it will illustrate process of Wilhelm’s translation and interpretation of Daoism. Finally, it will demonstrate the evolution of Chinese Daoism and the process by which the SGF turned into the point of intersection of Daoism and analytical psychology.