¹ To one of Dr. Jung’s most successful disciples, Dr. James Kirsch, Analytical Psychologist, of Los Angeles, California, who has discussed this Psychological Commentary with Dr. Jung in Zurich and aided in its English translation, the Editor is indebted for the important prefatory admonition which follows, addressed to the Oriental reader:—

‘This book addresses itself, primarily, to the Occidental reader, and attempts to describe important Oriental experiences and conceptions in Occidental terms. Dr. Jung seeks to facilitate this difficult undertaking by his Psychological Commentary. It is, therefore, unavoidable that, in so doing, he employs terms which are familiar to the Occidental mind but which are, in some instances, objectionable to the Oriental mind.

‘One such objectionable term is "soul". According to Buddhistic belief, the " soul" is ephemeral, is an illusion, and, therefore, has no real existence. The Germanic word " Seele ", as employed in the original German version of this Psychological Commentary, is not synonymous with the English word " Soul ", although commonly so translated. " Seele " is an ancient word, sanctioned by Germanic tradition and used, by outstanding German mystics like Eckhart and great German poets like Goethe, to signify the Ultimate Reality, symbolized in feminine, or shakti, aspect. Herein, Dr. Jung uses it poetically with reference to the " Psyche ", as the Collective Psyche. In psychological language it represents the Collective Unconscious, as being the matrix of everything. It is the womb of everything, even of the Dharma—Kaya ; it is the Dharma—Käya itself.

‘Accordingly, Oriental readers are invited to put aside, for the time being, their understanding of " soul " and to accept Dr. Jung’s use of the word, in order to be able to follow him with an open mind into the depths where he seeks to build a bridge from the Shore of the Orient to the Shore of the Occident, and to tell of the various paths leading to the Great Liberation, the Una Salus.’