04/06/2026
I often read that there doesn’t exist a good translation of the 太乙金華宗旨/Tàiyǐ Jīnhuá Zōngzhǐ, often translated as the Secret of the Golden Flower. Yes I would agree there is not a good English translation available, Wilhelm’s translation is incomplete and lacks proper understanding and Cleary’s translation has also many issues. By now 2 chapters have been properly translated by Pregadio (Min Yide’s version). There exists also an English translation by a disciple of Wang Li Ping (also Min Yide’s version) but this has also some issues. But there is a German translation which is actually quite correct, it uses the original version which Wilhelm used (mind you there are 6 different Chinese versions of the Tayi Jinhua Zhongzhi, Wilhelm and Cleary both used different versions, and Pregadio has used Min Yide’s version). It’s out of print, but I got hold of the German translation. The original English PHD from Mokusen Miyuki is unavailable as far as I know.
Indeed Mokusen Miyuki’s translation has also issues, he was a Buddhist priest and maybe couldn’t understand the Neidan subtiilties. But in terms of accurate translation, it’s actually a much more accurate translation than either Wilhelm or Cleary.
Monica Esposito who did quite some research on this texts concludes that the translation of the root text and the commentary is quite accurate. The only problematic aspect is his thesis on Jungian thought, but that part is separated from the actual translation. So in that sense this is actually a quite accurate translation. Personally I like the Min Yide version slightly more, we read it in a group a couple of years ago, but this is definitely a useful text. In general I find the Tayi Jinhua Zhongzhi not the most interesting Neidan texts, there is much more interesting stuff out there, but it remains a fascinating text, also because it was one of the earliest translated Neidan texts, my journey into Neidan started with the Dutch translation of the Wilhelm version in my dad’s library more than 55 years ago, so even for that reason it remains interesting for me personally.
It is also a clear late Qing dynasty Neidan text, with an attempt to simplify things and make it available to a wider audience, so it became popular not only in strict Daoist circles. It is also a very eclectic text, clearly incorporating Chan and Tiantai Buddhist notions.
There remains a lot of speculation about its origin. It is ascribed to Lu Dongbin and has been written down in spirit writing sessions.
It’s interesting that Min Yide, the great Qing Dynasty Neidan Longmen master considered it one of the main Neidan texts in relation to the cultivation of Xing.
About Mokusen Miyuki:
Rev. Dr. Mokusen Miyuki (1928–2016) was an 18th-generation Pure Land (Jodo Shinshu) Buddhist priest, scholar, and Jungian psychoanalyst. He uniquely bridged Eastern spirituality and Western psychology, serving as a priest at the Higashi Honganji Buddhist Temple in Los Angeles and a professor at California State University, Northridge.Background & EducationEarly Life: Born in Japan in 1928.Academic Degrees: B.A. in Indian Philosophy and Sanskrit Philology from the University of Tokyo, M.A. in Philosophy from UCLA, and Ph.D. in Asian Studies from the Claremont Graduate School.Jungian Training: Graduated with an Analyst Diploma from the C.G. Jung Institute in Zürich, Switzerland, in 1967 (quoted from Fukui Mortuary)
For more information read :
The Origin of The Secret of the Golden Flower
Sources and Translation - Massimo Izzo (see a partial excerpt below, available on the web, free access ) Journal of Daoist Studies Volume 16 - 2023
The Secret of Golden Flower (Jinhua Zongzhi 金華宗旨) and Zhu Yuanyu 朱元育’s Neidan Method: Centering on the Examination of the Content of Chapter Eight, “Instruction for Rambling Without Destination (Xiaoyao Jue 逍遥訣) - Yuria Mori (available on the web, free access )
Creative Daoism - Monica Esposito - Publisher : Universitymedia
Taoist Internal Alchemy: An Anthology of Neidan Texts - Fabrizio Pregadio- Golden Elixer Press (includes 2 translated chapters of the Jinhua Zongzhi, Min Yide version)
For more info on this translation of Mokusen Miyuki , I ll add a commentary of Massimo Izzo from Journal of Daoist Studies Volume 16 - 2023
The Origin of The Secret of the Golden Flower Sources and Translation (chapter on Mokusen Miyuki’s translation)
Another new translation appeared in a Ph.D. dissertation in analytical
psychology at the Carl Jung Institute in Zürich by Mokusen Miyuki
(1967). While not based on sinological research, it is interesting for its
annotations and psychological commentary. It is based on Wilhelm’s
1921 copy, which Miyuki obtained from his son, Hellmut Wilhelm
(Needham 1983, 244; Esposito 2016, 311), complete with the commentary
by Zhan Ranhui. The original 1967 dissertation in English remains un-
published (Julia Budai 2022, personal communication), but a book based
on it has appeared in German (Miyuki 1972). Since then, reprinted sever-
al times, it is rarely cited or discussed in psychological studies (e.g.,
Beebe 2008, 74).
The same also holds true for Daoist studies, whose representatives
have largely ignored the work (Mori 2002, 171). Although listed in sino-
logical bibliographies, it is never used (Needham 1974, 435; 1983, 472;
Mori 2002, 184; Pregadio 2009, 31). Thomas Cleary, in his 1991 translation,
does not mention it at all, nor does Caifang J. Zhu (2009). Although ref-
erenced in an annotated anthology (Pregadio 2009), it plays no role in the
Komjathy’s recent list of texts (2022, 71). He only added it after I suggest-
ed it to him (Izzo, January 2022, personal communication).
Esposito received a copy of the thesis directly from Miyuki; she
notes that it is more precise and complete than Wilhelm’s (2016, 311). The
translation covers all thirteen chapters (Miyuki 1972, 103-70) and pro-
vides a transliteration of all key Chinese terms right after their transla-
tions, greatly improving on Cleary's work. It also has a list of notations, a
commentary, a glossary, and an index of names, titles, and more. How-
ever, it does not discuss the text’s original provenance.
Needham, in a chapter on the Zongzhi, criticizes both Wilhelm’s and
Jung’s translations as well as their understanding of Chinese terms and
concepts of alchemy (1983, 243-257). He does not discuss Miyuki’s disser-
taion, although he lists it in the bibliography, only passing judgment on
his knowledge of Chinese alchemy with regard to the Huiming jing. That
is, Needham refers to Miyuki’s presentation at the Conference on Taoism
in Bellagio in 1968. This paper, “Taoist Zen Presented in the Huiming
jing” was never published (Nicholson 2000, 9-10), but has received some
comments in the conference proceedings (Welch 1969, 120-21).
Both Kristofer Shipper and Nathan Sivin criticize Miyuki’s interpre-
tations of standard terms of Daoist physiology as archetypal metaphors,
emphasizing the physiological nature of the practices (Welch 1969, 121).
Along the same lines, Needham notes, “Miyuki Mokusen has attempted
a reading in this interesting contribution, but unfortunately again with-
out much knowledge of the prior Daoist neidan traditions” (1983, 252).
While this criticism may be valid, it is important to separate the quality
of the translation from issues regarding interpretation and psychological
commentary.
The translation, recognized by Esposito as precise, complete, and
annotated, complete with transliterations of key terms, seems a good
choice when studying Wilhelm’s version, more so than Cleary's work.
Since an exhaustive review of Miyuki’s work is still outstanding, it must
be reexamined in the light of today's knowledge while applying proper
caution when looking at the psychological commentary.
To me, Miyuki’s translation provides a good basis for studying the
text both in a sinological and psychological context. It will produce more
accurate results than Zhu's translation of choice, that is the combination
of Wilhelm's much criticized translation of the first eight chapters and
Cleary's improperly annotated translation of the final five chapters (2009,
497-500), mixing two different versions rather than using the complete
and coherent translation of all thirteen chapters in Miyuki.
