The Gold Pavilion: Taoist Ways to Peace, Healing, and Long Life [Paperback]

Michael R. Saso (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1995

The writings of the ancient Chinese masters tell us that when the mind, heart, and body are in tune with the harmonies of nature, a new inner peace emerges. This peace can be achieved through Taoist meditation, which is revealed in this fascinating book. Author Michael Saso provides a concise introduction to the history of and many sources from which Taoism is drawn. He outlines the essential Taoist texts, the I Ching, the Tao-te Ching and the Chuang-tzu, as well as different forms of Taoist and Tibetan Tantric meditation. He then offers as engaging translation of the Gold Pavilion classic, a Taoist meditation first practiced by a great fourth-century mystic, Lady Wei Huacun, founder of a special kind of Taoism called the Highest Pure School. This important text teaches how to find Tao, "The Way," within by emptying the mind and heart of all desires and concepts. Combining discussions of Asian philosophy, history, and healing arts, The Gold Pavilion reveals a way to find inner peace and harmony in a world with little time for quiet contemplation. --- from book's back cover

Product Details

• Paperback: 204 pages
• Publisher: Charles E. Tuttle Company, Inc.; 1st edition (October 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0804830606
• ISBN-13: 978-0804830607
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,295,247 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Now I know what Taosim is..., October 20, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Windischenhaig) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Gold Pavilion: Taoist Ways to Peace, Healing, and Long Life (Paperback)

I've been studying Taoism and Taoist methods for a while now, but have always sensed that I was missing "something". Somehow, I knew I just wasn't getting the whole picture. Prof. Saso's book has taken me closer to seeing what Taoism really is than I'd ever expected to be taken. As a companion book to the Laozi(Tao Te Ching) and Zhuangzi(Chuang-Tzu), I'd say "The Gold Pavilion" is indispensible. I've learned that those beautiful, yet frustrating ancient texts are speaking as much to the internal self as to the external world. This is Taoism the way the Asian practitioners see it, and they've been following the Way for a couple thousand years. Need I say, "Highly Recommended"?

22 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding! In a class by itself., October 15, 1998

By 

"bhadrakara" - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Gold Pavilion: Taoist Ways to Peace, Healing, and Long Life (Paperback)

Evidence abounds that Taoism, at long last, is attracting the serious attention that it deserves, and that it is only a matter of time before it takes its place among the major Eastern religions which, in the last century, have put down roots in the West. If ever there was a need for a sober, disciplined approach to the subject, it is now. And Professor Saso's has admirably risen to the occasion in this work. There is little here to appeal to the dilettante, or to the commercial purveyor of New-Age erotic fantasy. What the reader will come away with is a new appreciation for and deeper understanding of a religion which antedates Christianity and is at least as old as Buddhism --- a religion which speaks to aspirations and concerns of a humanity which has seemingly lost its way. Readers who are shopping for yet another source of distraction or amusement are well advised not to be detained by this book. But for the reader who is looking for a single, level-headed introduction to Taoism, "The Gold Pavilion" will be an indispensable addition to his/her library.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great pioneering work, but with some over-simplifications, January 17, 2012

By 

Aquarius Spirit (West Coast, USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Gold Pavilion: Taoist Ways to Peace, Healing, and Long Life (Paperback)

"Gold Pavilion" is an early work from the important Taoist scholar, which creatively transmits some important pearls of the Eastern wisdom to the Western mindset. I found the work to be primarily a very good introduction to Taoism for the beginners, but the extensive introduction and commentary provide some unique information and insights that could also benefit more advanced students.

I wouldn't recommend this work for the actual serious practice (without expert adaptations) though, as it contains some imprecise translation choices and explanations. As Saso is a reputable Taoist priest, I would suspect that such imprecisions are intentional, to preserve parts of the secret knowledge within the inner circle. Such approach was fairly common in the early transmissions of the sacred Taoist texts and martial art forms to the West (in the eighties and nineties).

At the very beginning of the translation of the "External Scripture of the Yellow Court" that is provided in the "Gold Pavilion" (in the Chapter four), for instance, I found the following issues:
- Lao Zi (Dao De Tian Zun) is presented as an Emperor of the Highest Purity Realm (he is traditionally associated with the Greatest Purity), instead of Ling Bao Tian Zun.
- Qi is associated to the "intellect" (instead of Vital Energy) and head (instead to Middle Dan Tian), while Jing is associated to the "intuition" (instead of Generative, Sexual Energy).
- Commentary suggests the need to "cast off all the forms and spirits that dwell in the microcosm", but this is accurate only in regards to the corruptive "Three Corpses" or "Worms" that lead to sickness and ageing. The "Heavenly Spirits:" (or Body Gods) that are mostly referenced in the original text should be instead respected and integrated into harmonious body functions.

The above differences from the authentic interpretations can be easily verified by checking the works of Wong, Kohn, Robinet, Wikipedia articles etc.

Somewhat rougher and less academic, but more literal and accurate translation of the "Scripture of the Yellow Court" (that also covers the Internal Scripture) can be found in the work: "Jade Writing - Yellow Court Classic".

In spite of the imprecisions, I think that "Gold Pavilion" is a great pioneering work and I would recommend it as a good read or for a study under supervision of the authentic teacher.