TLS in German, signed “C. G. Jung,” one page, 8.25 x 11.5, personal letterhead, July 18, 1944. Letter to Dr. Georgette Boner in Zurich. In full (translated): “Accept my sincere thanks for your kind ‘flower greeting.’ It made me very happy that you have thought in statu miseria on me. It also interests me to hear about your sister in India. Although I must confess, that I am less interested in the proportions of the chapels of Ellora as in its style and its meaning. In the Buddhist chapels my main interest was the lovers. Religio-historically these monuments, however, are of great interest, because you can see most clear, as Hinduism has swallowed up its own Protestantism again.” In fine condition. Accompanied by an unsigned postcard photo of Jung.
Jung toured India extensively in 1937, where Hindu philosophy became an important element in his understanding of the role of symbolism and the life of the unconscious. The Ellora Caves he references in this letter were a series of rock-cut religious temples and monuments built in ancient India between the 5th and 10th centuries, with sanctuaries devoted to Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism, demonstrating the religious harmony prevalent during this period. Jung frequently discussed religion in his works and used different traditions as frameworks to decipher the inner workings of the mind. In his biography entitled Memories, Dreams, Reflection, Jung wrote: 'Christ—like Buddha—is an embodiment of the self, but in an altogether different sense. Both stood for an overcoming of the world: Buddha out of rational insight; Christ as a foredoomed sacrifice. In Christianity more is suffered, in Buddhism more is seen and done.' An intriguing letter with interesting content from the pioneering psychologist. Pre-certified John Reznikoff/PSA/DNA and RR Auction COA.
This item is Pre-Certified by PSA/DNA
Buy a third-party letter of authenticity for
$100.00
*This item has been pre-certified by a trusted third-party authentication service, and by placing a bid on this item, you agree to accept the opinion of this authentication service. If you wish to have an opinion rendered by a different authenticator of your choosing, you must do so prior to your placing of any bid. RR Auction is not responsible for differing opinions submitted 30 days after the date of the sale.
