The Diamond And The Star: An Exploration Of Their Symbolic Meaning In An Insecure Age Diamond & The Star

Describing the use of symbols in philosophy and religion, this book connects the Taoist symbol of the self--the diamond body--to the tetrahedron, as well as to the four valences of the carbon molecule, the basis of all life. Following these ideas further, the discussion details the close correspondence between the ancient wisdom of Lao Tsu and the symbolism of Jungian psychology--and also conjectures about the possibility of a more image-oriented view of science Annotation With the world and the human race facing serious problems ranging from global warming, environmental despoliation, terrorism, war and a major economic downturn, many writers are trying to goad mankind into action. The author argues they 'are written in an evangelical or rhetorical way, as though society can somehow be swayed into adopting some new or improved consciousness'. His aim is to 'open some eyes' so that responsible action may follow. To do this, he draws on his own experience, both as a chemist working as a patent agent, and as having undergone two years of analysis at the Jung Institute in Zurich. From this came the realization that, as Jung put it, for 'the whole to change, the individual must change himself'. It is too easy to make politicians, scientists and big business the scapegoats for the failings of the world. As Schumacher, author of "Small is Beautiful", wrote, the problems 'lie too deep in the heart and soul of every one of us. It is there that the main work of reform has to be done'. In a quest for understanding, the author, like Jung, turned to the ancient Chinese philosophy of Taoism and began to appreciate the significance of symbols as a subtle way of conveying understanding. Contemplating 'The Diamond Body', a Self symbol described in Richard Wilhelm's "The Secret of the Golden Flower", led him, as a chemist, to recognize the important nature of the tetrahedron, both as the simplest form of solid with four corners and faces and its crystalline expression in the Chinese Self symbol of the Diamond Body. He also realized the huge symbolic importance of the quaternity represented by the four valences of carbon in the structure of all living matter. 'The diamond and the star', writes the author, 'are such wonderful symbols that I have tried to observe them in a variety of contexts, so that their magic may stimulate the imagination' Copyright Page......Page 5 Contents......Page 7 List of Plates......Page 9 Foreword by Chungliang Al Huang......Page 11 Preface by Prof. John Clarke......Page 13 Author’s Preface......Page 15 Introduction......Page 17 1 The Quality of Mystery......Page 29 2 The Mystery of Being......Page 34 3 The Mystery of Consciousness......Page 50 Heaven and Earth......Page 57 Male and Female......Page 58 Fire and Water......Page 59 Good and Evil......Page 60 The Symbol in Psychology......Page 63 The Symbol in Western Experience......Page 66 The Symbol in Eastern Thought......Page 77 6 The Nature of the Unconscious......Page 87 7 Dreams and Myths......Page 98 8 Human Differences......Page 129 9 Two-Dimensional Symbolism: The Star......Page 140 10 Three-Dimensional Symbolism: The Diamond 1 Psychology......Page 150 11 Three-Dimensional Symbolism: The Diamond 2 Chemistry......Page 163 12 Twilight......Page 171 13 In Search of the Soul......Page 179 14 The Final Sin......Page 184 Appendix I ‘Participation Mystique’ and Mysticism......Page 195 Drawing the Mandalas......Page 204 The Diamond Mandala......Page 205 The Star Mandala......Page 209 The Creation of the Text......Page 210 Bibliography of Sources......Page 215 Index......Page 217 Copyright Page 5 Contents 7 List of Plates 9 Foreword by Chungliang Al Huang 11 Preface by Prof. John Clarke 13 Author’s Preface 15 Introduction 17 1 The Quality of Mystery 29 2 The Mystery of Being 34 3 The Mystery of Consciousness 50 4 The Diamond and the Star in Poetry 57 Heaven and Earth 57 Male and Female 58 Fire and Water 59 Good and Evil 60 5 Towards a Symbolic Attitude 63 The Symbol in Psychology 63 The Symbol in Western Experience 66 The Symbol in Eastern Thought 77 6 The Nature of the Unconscious 87 7 Dreams and Myths 98 8 Human Differences 129 9 Two-Dimensional Symbolism: The Star 140 10 Three-Dimensional Symbolism: The Diamond 1 Psychology 150 11 Three-Dimensional Symbolism: The Diamond 2 Chemistry 163 12 Twilight 171 13 In Search of the Soul 179 14 The Final Sin 184 Appendix I ‘Participation Mystique’ and Mysticism 195 Appendix II Excerpts from the original essay 204 Foreword 204 Drawing the Mandalas 204 The Diamond Mandala 205 The Star Mandala 209 The Creation of the Text 210 Bibliography of Sources 215 Index 217 John Warden. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 183-184) And Index.