Preliminary Reading of Jung
Hare Krishna, Guru Maharaja!
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. All glories to your wonderful service to him.
Whenever I finish school work early on any given day, I have been reading Memories, Dreams, and Reflections. So far, it is a very interesting and smooth read. Carl Jung analyzes his childhood with a level of depth that I never used to think about my own childhood experiences. I thought I would write to you on a few points that seemed intriguing to me from the first 50 or so pages.
1) Jung felt more comfortable with God, than with Jesus Christ, because he heard that no correct conception or image can be formed regarding God (27). Based on this page, my preliminary impression was that Jung was attracted by mystery as opposed to certainty, more of an impersonalist approach as opposed to personalism. Is this correct, Guru Maharaja?
HpS/ASA - AgtSP!! I think this can be a very useful endeavor. Please keep your notes.
Next, I have heard criticism (Prof. Shyamdasani?) that it is not exactly an auto-biography that lady who co-wrote it put her biographical notes in as Jung's own comments without complete authorization, so some things may be a little off.
I would say that it might be as you say. I and most of us are contaminated with impersonalism to some extent, and so to some degree negating material personalism for mysticism is a better way to approach God unless you get a 'bija' by the mercy of Guru and Krsna.
In perspective, and maybe not true, but my impression is that Prof. Jung was on the level of Hiranya garbha realization ie. above Virata rupa but not up to Paramatma. All three of these have some impersonalism, but a lot less than a gross Karmi.
2) Just when Jung was six years old, he found an "inexhaustible source of interest" the illustrations of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva in a children's book he had, and secretly believed that they resembled his "original revelation" (17). While it is unclear what exactly the nature of this resemblance is, I think it would be interesting to hold on to the idea and attempt to dissect it further as I read the book.
HpS - Yes! I don't remember that!
3) I was also struck by the deep and negative impression his mother's absence made on Carl Jung. He speaks of his mother repeatedly throughout the pages I've read thus far. He mentioned that his feeling associated with the word "woman" was that of "innate unreliability," due to his mother being away from him for a few months on account of illness (8). I couldn't help but think about the modern practice of sending children to India for a few months or dropping them off at daycare centers for 8 hrs/day so that their mothers can work, and how drastic of an effect it may have on children's psychological and emotional health as they grow. In relation to modern methods of child-rearing, I remembered BG 3.35, where Krishna instructs us that it is better to perform one's one duty, even faultily, than performing another's duty perfectly.
HpS - Haw! Haw! Haw! This is exactly how I was raised. My parents were very nice people for the time and circumstance, but I grew up speaking English and had to go through the Hippy culture.
Seems like you have a good start.
.Srila Prabhupada ----- Jung.
Thank you very much for tolerating me and engaging me in service, Guru Maharaja. I will continue to read the book, and hopefully, I can come up with more substantial notes. I am trying to consciously improve in my devotional service every day, as you instruct. We had a nice Nityananda Trayodasi festival (pictures attached) for Gaura-Nitai, at home.
Your fallen servant,
Sugopi Radha Devi dasi
