Oriental Studies (Dec 2023)
The Making of the Body in rGyud-bZhi
Abstract
Introduction. The fundamental Buddhist treatise rGyud-bZhi is compiled mainly from Indian and Chinese sources, as well as elements of the oral healing tradition. The extensive range of commentary texts rGyud-bZhi gave rise to is dominated by the treatise Vaidurya-Onbo containing a series of unique illustrations — the ‘Atlas of Tibetan Medicine’. Tibetan healers considered embryology a most important part of medical practice and described it as the ‘making of the body’. Goals. The study seeks to consider the phenomenon of the making of the body — covering the pre-conception period, process of conception, fetal development, birth, postnatal growth, and infancy — in the context of the Buddhist healing treatise rGyud-bZhi and related commentaries. The paper examines conditions and causes of conception, processes of embryonic development, sex determination, karma-based birth to a certain family. Materials and methods. The work analyzes the embryology on the basis of rGyud-bZhi and Vaidurya-Onbo with the illustrations referred to as ‘Atlas of Tibetan Medicine’. One of the most impressive illustrations of the Atlas is titled ‘The Making of the Body’, and explains how under the influence of the vijñāna (‘consciousness’), the five primary elements and attachment to samsara, conception occurs and the fetus gets formed. Results. The making of the body is determined by karma and begins long before the embryo’s conception, since Buddhist texts pay much attention to the moral behavior of would-be parents. In Tibetan society, the influence of traditions manifested itself already at the stage of embryonic development, and women would often turn to mystical rites and rituals in the hope of giving birth to a male child. It was believed that prayers and certain rituals could influence the formation of the unborn child’s sex. Childbirth is basically viewed as a positive event for woman, since it is biologically and culturally natural. According to Tibetan sources, human health is rooted in harmony with environments and moral principles. Parents understand that it is necessary to follow internal and external prescriptions for procreation, to increase physical and spiritual strength in order to successfully conceive, maintain pregnancy, give birth to a healthy child, and provide him/her with proper care.
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