The Neijing Tu
200 CE
The Body as Landscape
In Western anatomy, the body is a machine of pumps and levers. In the Neijing Tu, the body is a country. Look closely at the rubbing: the figure is sitting cross-legged, but inside, there are no intestines or bones. Instead, there are forests, rivers, and stars.
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In Western anatomy, the body is a machine of pumps and levers. In the Neijing Tu, the body is a country. Look closely at the rubbing: the figure is sitting cross-legged, but inside, there are no intestines or bones. Instead, there are forests, rivers, and stars.
The spine is depicted as the Yellow River, flowing upward against gravity. The top of the skull is the Kunlun Mountain, the dwelling place of immortals. To understand energy in this tradition, you must stop thinking like a mechanic and start thinking like a geographer. You do not fix the body; you cultivate the land.