Tripura-Rahasya (Jnanakhanda English Translation and A Comparative Study of the Process of Individuation)

There are several reasons for which I am happy to write a preface to this enlightening work of my friend Vasavada.

1. The book, apart from having many other merits, is the crowning of the author's toil, work and studies in Zurich-Switzerland, which I had the pleasure of being an eyewitness of. While Dr. Vasavada has his unwavering faith, I admired him for, I had myself to go through more than one phase of doubt and discouragement, as the task of bringing the two worlds into line seemed enormous, if not presumptuous. All the more happy we were when it reached its what we thought satisfactory and convincing end where gratefulness of the gods united us.

2. The start to the almost superhuman task seemed to be made relatively easy by the existence of two of the fundamental Jungian concepts, i. e. extraversion and introversion. It is hardly any question that extraversion is the predominant attitude of the Westerner, whereas the East owes the depths of its philosophy and practice (Yoga) to an almost exclusively introverted approach. One could therefore, by the law of identity of the soul, expect that with Jung having been a born introvert his approach would of necessity show a lot of congruencies with the Eastern way to individuation (sit venia verbo).

3. The phenomenology of Analytical Psychology has in fact borne out that there are most striking similarities, so much so that the meaning of many of the products of analysis could only be understood after Jung had discovered the parallel phenomena in the Indian realm cf. technical terms like ('Self' or 'Mendala'). But he always maintained that his standpoint was strictly empirical, phenomenological and psychological, and that for these reasons he would never make any metaphysical statements about his findings. In 1930 he for the first time, demonstrated and discussed in a private seminar drawings and paintings of a Western patient who knew nothing of Eastern tradition, which showed most striking analogies to the cakras of the Kundalini Yoga. Some years later he made the statement that the average level of western consciouness lay about the height of anahat cakra and that what comes above it in the Tantric system (Visuddha, Ajna and Sahasrara) remained unthinkable and unattainable to the Western mind. It could at best be a matter of useless speculation.

4. The complexio Oppositorum, viz., of all the opposites however, remains the core of interest in all later works of Jung (cf. Mysterium conjunctions) and must be the meaning of all Western mandalas. The ultimate goal of analytical work therefore is the subordination of the ego under the 'Self,' which comprises all the opposites. Inasmuch as the Eastern point of view is introverted and Western extraverted, the two also would have to become reconciled in order to attain individuation, no matter hw deep the gulf between the Eastern and Western mind might be. The result, however, must be a paradox: to be individuated means to have become what one really is, i. e. the Easterner an Easterner and the Westerner a Westerner. Don't we really need each other badly, more than ever before? I think the author has shown this in a convincing way, and what is more is more, has done so in a deeply humble and religious spirit, for which we Westerners can only be grateful.

5. Apart from all this one has to congratulate Dr. Vasavada for his choice of the text of the "Tripura Rahasya" and his most beautiful clear and comprehensive translation. This dialogue is particularly helpful to the Westerner since "Parasuram's difficulties" so aptly reflect the extravert's preoccupation, a fact which even adds a note of fun for the reader.