Introduction

Chapter 8

Research on the text

Chapter 9

Chapter 1

Chapter 10

Chapter 2

Chapter 11

Chapter 3

Chapter 12

Chapter 4

Chapter 13

Chapter 5

Summary

Chapter 6

About & Contact

Chapter 7

links

Mahavairocana Buddha seated on a golden lotus flower , by Unkei, 13th C, Japan

The Secret of the Golden Flower and the

Establishment of the Longmen Tradition at Mt. Jingai
during the Qing Dynasty
by Monica Esposito (Kyoto University)
The Secret of the Golden Flower is a famous alchemical text which the Western
world came to know through Richard Wilhelms 1929 translation. It was
published, together with Carl Jungs commentary, under the title Das Geheimnis
der Goldenen Blte: ein chinesisches Lebensbuch. The Chinese text used by
Wilhelm is Zhanran Huizhenzis edition, published between 1921 and 1927 and
found, as its preface explains, in Beijing's Liuli chang , the old street of books
and antiques dealers. In reality, many other versions of the Golden Flower text
exist, all traditionally attributed to the immortal L Dongbin. They date back to the
Qing dynasty (1644-1911) and belong to various Daoist lineages and traditions.
Iranian miniature of a warrior smelling a
flower,1651, Hermitage museum,
St. Petersburg

So far I discovered at least seven editions of this text, among them a rare one at
the Otani University Library in Kyoto. The text is a product of spirit-writing

St. Clare of Assisi with the Christ child

who is holding a flower, by Andrei
Rublov

seances. Each Daoist lineage and tradition which engaged in its compilation left
its marks. Through comparison of prefaces, notes, and the thirteen chapters of
the Golden Flower in its different editions, relevant variants as well as omissions
become apparent. The Longmen, an important Daoist tradition which during the
Qing dynasty was charged with transmitting public ordinations, used this text not
only as basis for its alchemical doctrine but also for establishing its spiritual
power of transmitting ordinations among its followers. In order to assert
themselves as the holders of the original version and by virtue of being the
unique recipients of the true transmission, the Longmen masters from Mount
Jingai (Zhejiang) modified and edited the Golden Flower according to their own
criteria.
Through analysis of its various versions and study of the textual inconsistencies
in the Longmens claim to legitimacy, we can shed light on Qing Daoism and on
the struggles among the Daoist traditions which claimed to have the orthodox
The Christ child looking at flower petals,
by Leonardo da Vinci,
Hermitage MuseumSt Petersburg

transmission of such text.

Abydos King offering six flowers to a
Goddess

The Fourth Way and Esoteric Traditions

Journey to the West

The taoist I Ching

Being Presence First Living Presence

Japanese symbols of Presence Gurdjieff - Becoming Conscious

 Copyright 2012-2015 Walther Sell