Thangka Fourteen.jpg [5/7] Title: The Three Vessels of the Lifespan Principle - Thangka Fourteen Source: Thangkas 028.jpg Caption: This thangka concerns the Tibetan principle of the foundation of life, the so-called lifespan principle (tshe-rtsa). Within this concept, there are three main traditions. In the first tradition, tshe permeates the entire body and is cycled around from the "supreme seminal point" which is located in the center of the heart. From a religious perspective, this point is seen as the seed for Buddha-nature. From a medical perspective, this point, thought to be the size of a pea, is the root of all health. Tibetan medicine holds that this life force is cycled throughout the body following a lunar calendar. This cyclical pattern gives rise to different optimal days for both males and females. In total there are 700 subtle channels, which further produce an unknown number of capillaries covering the entire body. The second tradition concerning the lifespan principles involves the "pulse of the life essence," which is a point on the wrist where the essence of life is believed to leave the body and wander externally. The third tradition concerns the practice of breath and exhalation as an aid to circulation. The bodies on the left and right illustrate the 77 blood-letting points proposed by the Southern school, from an anterior view and a posterior view (see tks 6 & 7). The posterior view includes detail on the blood-letting points at the back of the head. Finally, the mouth to the right of the central figure shows the blood-letting point on the underside of the tongue, mirroring the one depicted thangka six. Sources and Further Reading: Dorje & Meyer: pg 39-40, 195 & 196 Jingfeng: pg 115-117