Looking for Nei Jing Tu: Qing Period Illustration of Inner Circulation

[luke643]

No, they are not the same.

 

Ming Men is a cavity in chinese acupuncture and an 'area' in Daoist Cultivation.

They are not 'the same thing', at all

 

YM

 

I think we are dealing in shadows of meaning here.

 

Let's take ming men - as an "acupuncture" point it is located below the spinous process of the second lumbar vertebra. But working with this point is not about stimulating wei qi at the area of the spinous process of the second lumbar vertebra. It is, literally translated, the Life Gate. This implies that the point is a gateway, not a closed one, the character for men suggests an open passage. Deep to this gateway is the dan tian. Deep to this gateway is also the essential fire that first ignited upon birth, giving rise to the internal tree of life, whose branches represent each of the elements and inner organs, and whose furthest branches are the acupuncture "yuan" (source) points. The ming men is the gateway to the dan and to the essential fire. It is a point, it is the dan and it is the essential fire.

 

Therefore, using the Ming Men acupuncture point is always about these internal aspects. The intention of the physician is vital to the effective usage of the point. My friends, to separate meanings in daoist practice with meanings in acupuncture is anathema to effective practice in either modality. They are cut of the same cloth, and (to continue the metaphor) they are woven back together inextricably.

 

Certainly it is true that many TCM practitioners either willingly disregard, or were never properly educated about these aspects of Daoism and Medicine, but that does not mean that acupuncture points are not equivalent to so called daoist areas of the body.

[exorcist_1699]

Of course they are related ; in fact , the hidden behind pre-heavenly qi is basis of the post-heavenly qi flowing in the meridians, which, enables the acupuncture doctors manipulate it to cure diseases. But in most cases, acupuncture doctors do not know pre-heavenly qi , some even do not practice qigong and experience post-heavenly qi themselves.

 

The difference of qi on these two levels is so great, in most cases, the abyss between them is nearly impassable ;

One of the reasons is that people do have recognition problem and mix them up . If they are so close and nearly the same , we can just rely on the acupuncture doctors to open all those critical gates in our body by using needles , why bother practicing qigong ourselves so laboriously?

 

Here, sensitive readers already sense one critical factor is missing ,i.e., the mind factor in the whole process...

 

In fact , there is no dantian without the intervention of our mind.

Edited March 28, 2009 by exorcist_1699

[YMWong]

My friends, to separate meanings in daoist practice with meanings in acupuncture is anathema to effective practice in either modality. They are cut of the same cloth, and (to continue the metaphor) they are woven back together inextricably.

 

I did not say there is no relationship, I said Ming Men Xue and Ming Men are 'not the same thing'.

Ask somebody who can feel and see both and you will know.

Better yet, practice until you can feel and see them for yourself

 

YM

[YMWong]

The Gate of Destiny

The Gate of Destiny is a major energy center in the lower abdomen, generally associated with the sexual organs. Opening it is often the first step of alchemical initiation, so that its location and identification are crucial for the pratictioner. Unfortunately, texts are rarely consistent with identification. As shown in fig. 4a (from the Xingming Guizhi), the Gate of Destiny is located just below the navel, with the Gate of Mystery just below the kidneys. The heartm seat of the spirit, lets qi pour out like a spout; it feeds and receives energies from the liver, throat, and kidnwys - connected to the generation and distribution of essence. Fig. 4b, on the other hands, locates it twice: along the spine, in the fourth vertebra above kidneys, and also in the right kidney.

An earlier source, the Daoshu (Pivot of Dao, DZ 1017, dat. 1151) places it below the navel and identifies it with the genitals (ch. 8); in another section, consistent with the Xingming Guizhi, the text agrees with the vision of chinese medicine and locates it in the right kidney (ch. 3). The Jinxian zhenglun tushuo (Illustrated Discussion of Evidentiary Discourses of the Golden Immortals, ZW 132; dat. 1799, sect. 10), identifies this Gate with the Yang Pass: "Below the Dark Prime is the Yang Pass. It is also called the Gate of Destiny. This is the point in men and women where they secrete essence."***

Regardless of the exact placement of the Gate of Destiny, its function is always related to the secretion of essence. Within the Macrocosmic Orbit, it lies at a point where essence passes into a self-refining circuit that eventually leads to immortal life; alternatively it may be where essence leaves the body entirely, leading to the gradual degradation of life and eventual death. It is therefore a gate leading to potentialities; the trajectory qi takes from here determines life and death.

 

*** In Chinese Medicine, the Gate of Destiny is also a pressure point along the Governing Vessel. Some texts link it with the lower elixir field in men; others, with the spleen. In a completely different vision, the Huangting Jing identifies it with the nose, the navel, or a point behind the Yel;low Court, i.e., between the kidneys.

 

Internal Landascapes by Sara Elaine Neswald

in Internal Alchemy ed. L. Kohn and R. Wang

[luke643]

Of course they are related ; in fact , the hidden behind pre-heavenly qi is basis of the post-heavenly qi flowing in the meridians, which, enables the acupuncture doctors manipulate it to cure diseases. But in most cases, acupuncture doctors do not know pre-heavenly qi , some even do not practice qigong and experience post-heavenly qi themselves.

 

The difference of qi on these two levels is so great, in most cases, the abyss between them is nearly impassable ;

One of the reasons is that people do have recognition problem and mix them up . If they are so close and nearly the same , we can just rely on the acupuncture doctors to open all those critical gates in our body by using needles , why bother practicing qigong ourselves so laboriously?

 

Here, sensitive readers already sense one critical factor is missing ,i.e., the mind factor in the whole process...

 

In fact , there is no dantian without the intervention of our mind.

 

 

it sounds as if we are agreeing on this issue somewhat. I would like to point out that I never suggested acupuncture was a substitute for self-cultivation. It is one of the pillars of daoist health practice along with Daoyin, wuwei and taiji practices, dietary therapy, herbal medicine, and more recently Qigong and Tai Chi Chuan. To suggest that a casual visit to the acpuncturist is a substitute for personal cultivation is absurd, and I have not done that.

 

What I have said is that the practice of acupuncture and the practice of daoist self cultivation are inextricably linked.

[luke643]

I did not say there is no relationship, I said Ming Men Xue and Ming Men are 'not the same thing'.

Ask somebody who can feel and see both and you will know.

Better yet, practice until you can feel and see them for yourself

 

YM

 

With all due respect, this was a pedantic reply, wrapped carefully around an admission that you agree with me somewhat.

 

I prefer not to talk about my own practice any further then saying I am an acupuncturist and a practitioner of daoist cultivation techniques for some years now. your suggestion to ask others or practice on my own are a bit confusing, for I do not know when it was that I suggested I did or did not have experience in these areas. I actually assumed that writing about it meant to others on the forum that I did have requisite experience enough to converse on the subject.

 

I don't mind having this other conversation, but I was actually looking for a translation of the Xiuzhen Tu, so...if anybody has a lead on that I would appreciate it!

 

all the best,

 

luke

[YMWong]

With all due respect, this was a pedantic reply, wrapped carefully around an admission that you agree with me somewhat.

 

If you feel so, best luck to you

 

YM

[stekel]

Here's what I believe to be the "rubbing version" of the image requested. Black and white, scanned from a huge A-3 version.

 

*** I can't upload the image. Don't know why. It's big --1.42MB-- but well under the 6MB limit.

 

******* Gee, I've tried and tried and tried and there's no way to upload the image.

Anyone that wants it, drop me a line at [email protected] ...

Edited February 24, 2010 by stekel

[gendao]

p.s.

Good post below from, Max. Yin aspect of jing is the reproductive and sexual fluids. Saliva is considered a yang aspect of jing though still energetically linked to sexuality. In the Nei Jing Tu, this is represented by the boy and girl on the water treadmill. They represent the yin and yang energies and the right and left Kidneys which are reservoirs of Yuan Jing. The script reads, "Kidney water reverses its course." Through meditation and qigong one can conserve and reverse the flow up the spine and increase vitality.

 

NOTE: "Jing" as used in the title "Nei Jing" is a different script. It refers to the inner weaving of fabric within the body, as in Jing Luo which means underground river or channel (often called meridians.)

Yes, there seems to be a lot of confusion about various "jing" here...since the actual distinguishing characters and tones get omitted in the translation..

 

Power

The jin in "fajin" is 勁, which means power. Fa means to emit. So, fajin means to emit or discharge power. This term is used primarily in IMA, not neidan.

 

Lifeforce

The jing from the alchemical "jing-qi-shen" context is 精. In my interpretation, it is our personal lifeforce. IOW, it carries our energetic identity, just like sperm carries our unique DNA. And whereas qi or blood is more interchangeable and can be "transfused," I don't think jing can be (and certainly not sperm, lol). Prenatal jing is bestowed upon us by our parents and that amount is fixed (perhaps like a piggybank), I believe. At this stage, it is not really "sexual" per se yet - but simply lifeforce. Now if we get turned on, then this prenatal jing can convert to postnatal jing and seek sexual release. But if we cultivate it instead, we can convert it into yang qi. In short, we have the option of passing it on down to our hypothetical kids through sex...or using it for our own rejuvenation and growth. Simply retaining without cultivating accomplishes neither, though (but might even foster stagnation). Jing is normally stored in the shèn (肾), which is a functional TCM term that often includes the testicles along with the kidneys...

 

Channels

"Jingluo" (经络) means meridians. "Jing" means channels and "luo" implies communication. So, meridians can be interpreted as "communication channels." This "jing" is also the same "jing" as in Neijing Tu (內经图). "Nei" meaning internal and "tu" meaning drawing. Hence, Neijing Tu means "Internal Channels Drawing."

 

Classic

In addition, this 经 also has another meaning, too - "classic" (text). Hence, this is also the same "jing" as in the Dao De Jing or Yi Jing.

 

 

Ok, I think that's about it. Everybody thoroughly confused, yet?

Edited February 2, 2010 by vortex

[cheya]

Illustrations, translation, and bilingual text of Nei Jing Tu:

 

 

http://wangfengyi.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/neichingtu1.pdf

[cheya]

Here's another great article, with English commentary.
The author has redrawn the Nei Jing Tu to better illustrate the elements depicted!

http://www.duversity.org/PDF/Elixir.pdf

Edited March 27, 2016 by cheya

[MooNiNite]

I'm currently searching for high resolution color images of the Nei Jing Tu a Qing period Taoist Illustration of Inner Circulation. Here is one of the better representations I've found, but nothing worth writing home about.

 

 

I've found a number of low res images that are impossible to see any detail. Any help in locating high resolution color versions appreiciated. The line versions are OK, but simply not very attractive to study for any period of time.

 

Also looking for the Xiu Zhen Tu from the same period; an Illustration of Cultivation.

 

High Regards,

 

Spectrum

 

Legend:

 

Illustration of Inner Circulation

 

This is a rubbing of a wood tablet formerly kept in the White Cloud Monastery, Beijing, and dated to 1886. It shows the internal torso of the human body as it is visualized during the practice of Inner Alchemy. The images are based primarily on two poems attributed to L� Dongbin included on the left side of the rubbing.

 

This representation of the human body is outlined on the right by a stream that represents the spinal cord; this stream allows yin and yang energy to flow through the body. Although the head is dominated by a chain of mountains representing yang energy, a stream flows through the mountains, suggesting yin within yang. The monk with raised arms and the old man sitting in the skull also represent yin and yang. The two dots between them (where the eyes would be) represent the sun and moon.

 

Unlike the head, which is dominated by the yang image of mountains, the lower part of the torso is dominated by the yin image of water. This water is made to flow upward toward the head by a girl and boy on treadmills (yin and yang). The water turns into fire as it rises up the spinal column, representing its transformation into yang energy. An elixir is formed in the lower abdomen, where four interlocking Taiji ("yin-yang") symbols hover over purifying flames.

 

The remaining images in the central torso also represent the flow of yin and yang energies through the body. Of particular note are the Herd Boy and Weaving Girl, two stars that the Chinese believe to be separated lovers that meet once a year in the sky. The Herd Boy stands in the heart, grasping the Northern Dipper (Big Dipper), and the Weaving Girl sits below him at her loom near the kidneys. They are joined by streams of energy represented by the ribbons that flow from their images.

 

Clickable Details (poor res):

 

http://www.artic.edu/taoism/renaissance/k136/spinalcord.php

 

color versions:

 

Full Color Circulation Painting (Copy of Rousseuo's First Copy)

 

http://www.qigong-daoyuan-engl.net/images/neijingtu.jpg

 

http://www.qigong-daoyuan-engl.net/images/neijingtu.jpg

 

b&w versions:

 

http://www.taoarts.com/calligraphy.html

 

line Versions:

 

http://www.taichisage.com/images/neijing%20tu.jpg

 

http://www.damo-qigong.net/tu/neijing/neijing.htm

 

 

I am working on a book, i would like to use the nei ching tu diagram. do you know where i might be able to get permission?

[MooNiNite]

Here's another great article, with English commentary.

The author has redrawn the Nei Jing Tu to better illustrate the elements depicted!

 

http://duversity.org/elixir/

 

Hi, 

Do you know where I could find this Author?

[cheya]

Hi there,

 That old link wasn't working, but I fished around in the site and found the doc.

It gives you the  author's name, and maybe you can find him with that.

 

http://www.duversity.org/PDF/Elixir.pdf

 

Good luck!

Edited March 27, 2016 by cheya

[MooNiNite]

Hi there,

 That old link wasn't working, but I fished around in the site and found the doc.

It gives you the  author's name, and maybe you can find him with that.

 

http://www.duversity.org/PDF/Elixir.pdf

 

Good luck!

regardless of the art, that is actually a very informative read. thanks!

[MooNiNite]

Hi there,

 That old link wasn't working, but I fished around in the site and found the doc.

It gives you the  author's name, and maybe you can find him with that.

 

http://www.duversity.org/PDF/Elixir.pdf

 

Good luck!

 

Im trying to ask someone permission to use this diagram. Do you know where I could ask?

[cheya]

It was last published in 1982, so finding the author could be a challenge.

Don't know if there is a free use clause after 34 years.

Anybody know about that stuff?

 

Best to try contacting the publisher.

 

Good luck!

[exorcist_1699]

As mentioned, it appeared in books published at least dated back to the  Ching dynasty , i.e.  at lest 2 ~ 300 years ago , so I wonder whether there is any copyright issue to use the diagram...

[tantien]

So many broken links and scrolls for sale which are sold out... I'm trying to print one - does anyone know of the highest resolution images found so far? It would be nice if it didn't include a background color so it would blend in with the paper's color.

Thanks!

[Nintendao]

On 8/9/2023 at 9:44 PM, tantien said:

highest resolution images found so far

http://www.humaniverse.net/dao/内经图/

 

http://www.humaniverse.net/dao/修真图s-3/

 

https://damomitchell.com/2020/03/23/microcosmic-orbit/

Edited September 6 by Nintendao