In Jung and Eastern Thouht John Clarks seeks to uncover the seriousness and relevance of Jung's dialogue with the philosophical ideas of the east, arising from the various forms of Buddhism, from Chinese Taoism, and from Indian Yoga. Through his commentaries on such books as the I Ching and The Tibetan Book of the Dead, and various essays on Zen, eastern meditation, and the symbolism of the mandala, Jung attempted to build a bridge of understanding between western psychology and the practices and beliefs of Asian religions, and thereby to relate traditional eastern thought to contemporary western concerns.
This book offers a critical examination of this remarkable piece of intellectual bridge building: first by assessing its role in the development of Jung's own thinking on the human psyche; second by discussing its relationship to the wider dialogue between east and west; and third by examining it in the light of urgent contemporary concerns and debates about intercultural understanding.