By Stacey Shelby, Ph.D.

The Secret of the Golden Flower, translated and explained by Richard Wilhelm, commentary by C.G. Jung(1931), explores the esoteric Chinese text, which was first printed in the eighteenth century, but is thousands of years old originating in an oral tradition. Wilhelm invited Jung to write a commentary on this text as it relates to Western psychology. I want to weave through Jung’s commentary in depth as he expresses the process of psychological development in a way that resonates with this work. Jung carefully acknowledges the difference in the Eastern and Western psychologies, and cautions Westerners to not seek to imitate Eastern practices literally as “it is our task to build up our own Western culture,” (p. 80). We cannot imitate the practices of the East effectively as the roots that the two cultures grow out of are different. “The Chinese have never failed to recognize the paradoxes and polarity inherent in all life,” (p. 82); however, in the West we became one-sided favoring a highly differentiated intellect and along with that came “over-value[ing] conscious will,” (p.86). The problem with this imbalance is that consciousness and intellect get “so far out of touch with the primordial images as to make collapse inevitable. Long before the actual catastrophe, the signs of the mistake announce themselves as absence of instinct, nervousness, disorientation, and entanglement in impossible situations and problems, etc.,” (p. 86). In this state of a high degree of consciousness, the unconscious with its primordial images can be in direct rebellion to the conscious attitude and values and “cannot possibly be assimilated into the conscious,” (p. 86).

Jung goes on to say that at this point, the person and/or therapist is confronted with an apparently irreconcilable conflict with which human reason cannot deal – hence we arrive at a paradox and one is faced with the question as to what has become of the much needed unity of personality. This begins the path of seeking to be free of the opposites. This “Way” or Tao, as described by the Chinese wisdom text, is similar to the process of psychological development Jung witnessed in his patients. He cautions again:

There could be no greater mistake than for a Westerner to take up the direct practice of Chinese yoga, for then it would still be a matter of his will and consciousness, and would only strengthen the latter against the unconscious, bringing about the very effect which should have been avoided. (p. 87)

Jung goes on to express seeking the way or path of freedom from the opposites is only appropriate in individuals where consciousness has reached an abnormal degree of development, and has therefore diverged too far from the unconscious. Because it is essential for the individual to have a high degree of consciousness, according to Jung, this way of development has scarcely any meaning before the middle of life (normally between 35-40); he warns it can be injurious to follow this path too soon.

Jung describes that he has witnessed the resolution of what seemed to be insoluble problems by the patient simply “outgrowing” a problem. He elaborates on this by describing this outgrowing of a problem as a:

raising of the level of consciousness. Some higher or wider interest arose on the person’s horizon, and through this widening of his [her] view, the insoluble problem lost its urgency. It was not solved logically in its own terms, but faded out in contrast to a new and stronger life-tendency. (p. 88)

By this wisdom, if we just relax and let our problems be, rather than resist and struggle against them, then there is promise that life will just keep happening and unfolding and eventually, in due time, the problem will resolve itself. I can feel this as a horizon in my own life as I approach the completion of my dissertation and my previous problems, particularly around frustrated love, seem to be subsiding in favor of the necessity to focus on other areas of my life. Jung emphasizes this is not a repression or regression into a previous unconscious state, but describes it as though looking at a storm in the valley from a mountaintop, the perspective is different. He emphasizes, and this is important:

 This does not mean that the thunderstorm is robbed of its reality; it means that instead of being in it, one is now above it. But since, with respect to the psyche, we are both valley and mountain, it seems a vain illusion if one feels oneself above what is human,” (emphasis mine, p. 88).

We must not mistakenly strive to transcend the human condition of suffering, as that is to ignore our innate reality. Jung describes both realities are now present: one feels the affect and torment of the thunderstorm and simultaneously takes the affect objectively and can say, “I know that I suffer,” (p. 88). This is what we can call conscious suffering rather than blind suffering, which is much more endurable. Jung goes on to note his realization that the greatest and most important problems of life are all fundamentally insoluble “because they express the necessary polarity… they can never be solved, but only outgrown,” (p. 89).

On closer examination of persons who quietly, and as if unconsciously, grew beyond themselves, he observed the commonality that “in no case was it conjured into existence through purpose and conscious willing, but rather seemed to flow out of the stream of time.” A friend who is a Sun Dance Chief has said to me that “time is a great healer and will heal many problems.” This is the same line of thinking that Jung is expressing. The more I learn, the more I realize there is so much less effort required, it is not necessary to try so hard to “figure out” or resolve life’s problems, time will resolve a good many things for us. It is not so much that “I” will figure out anything, as much as “something will happen” that will eventually resolve it. Patience and acceptance are helpful, but time will pass even if we are impatient, frustrated, or despairing. There really is little to do or even that can be done, at least by will and conscious striving.

Thus we arrive at wu wei (inaction), a fundamental principle of the Tao. This is “the art of letting things happen, action in non-action, letting go of oneself… we must be able to let things happen in the psyche,” (p. 90). Jung goes on to describe the simple act of “watching objectively the development of any fragment of fantasy,” (p. 90). He prepares us that consciousness (and here I would interchange the word consciousness with ego) will resist by means of excuses, boredom, doubt, objections, and then criticism, interpretation, classification, impatience, and so on. He encourages persistence in actively working with the fantasy material through writing, drawing, clay modeling, visualizing etc., until eventually a new attitude is created, “which accepts the irrational and the unbelievable, simply because it is what is happening,” (p. 91). Jung notes that the changes may equally come from within or without and that both will inevitably be affected. He calls this integration an “enrichment of the personality” so long as the previous values are adhered to along with the change.

He further cautions, “The way is not without danger. Everything good is costly, and the development of the personality is one of the most costly of all things,” (p. 92). As to whether or not we can choose this path, Jung says we can:

Choosing something less easy, he can seek again the way back to the medievalism of the Christian Church… The aesthetic, or intellectual flirtation with life and fate comes to an abrupt end here. The step toward higher consciousness leads away from all shelter and safety. The person must give himself to the new way completely. (p. 93)

Jung has a Christian background and we do not need to literally interpret this comment to be a return to the church, so much as a return to the cultural mass, where our ideals, morality, values, and modes of conduct are given to us. Indeed, Jung emphasizes that it is only by means of one’s personal integrity that one can go farther and ensure that the way does not turn into an “absurd adventure.” My therapist said to me early on that I could choose to not go this path, but I shook my head, by that point already, it was out of integrity for me to turn back. Again, I prefer to not use the image of “higher consciousness” as it lends itself to ascension and transcendence, which is already so damaging to our current condition. I instead prefer to use “expanded personality,” or I particularly like “enriched personality” that Jung also uses.