A Research Study On The Textual Criticism And Hermeneutics Of The Daoist Inner Landscape Map(Nei Jing Tu)

Purpose:The Daoist "Yang Sheng"(nourishing the life)has great benefits for the human body.It is at the origin and the center of life energy.Unfortunately,certain classical Daoist or technical terms are somewhat vague,obscure or difficult to understand.This gives people the impression of something mysterious or unknowable.The "Nei Jing Tu"(inner landscape map)is the most representative Daoist health map.It explains in a very detailed manner the method,the process and the purpose of the Daoist "Yang Sheng".The "Nei Jing Tu" not only holds a certain value and meaning in China but foreigners also have a deep interest in it.Visual maps are spread more easily than words or texts-especially for foreigners do not understand Chinese.Yet they are able,through the "Nei Jing Tu" to take a first step in the understanding of the Daoist“Yang Sheng”.In addition to the "Yang Sheng"’s purpose,the "Jing Tu" is also admired internationally for its artistic aspect.Many Chinese medical and "Yang Sheng" centers abroad display the "Nei Jing Tu" on their walls.Nevertheless,the "Nei Jing Tu"contains thinking of the same structure between the Sky and Man,along with all kinds of metaphors,which many people can find puzzling.For example,why are images of mountains and water present?These are precisely the limits of the "Nei Jing Tu",people cannot easily understand its secrets and the meaning contained in it,especially taking into account cultural differences for foreigners.This is precisely why doing research on the "Nei Jing Tu" in China and abroad is so important.It gives people who share the same profession both inspiration and references.Furthermore,it makes common knowledge available to large numbers of people fascinated by this by giving them a document which is easy to read and understand.The purpose of this thesis is to locate the origins of the thought behind the "Nei Jing Tu" and make a comparative analysis with other Daoist maps.It is a collection and compilation of different versions of the "Nei Jing Tu" and brings same structure thinking between the Sky and Man up to date.It also makes an attempt to analyse and use the origins of this methodology.Method:This research is a compilation of all the current versions of the "Nei Jing Tu".It is a thorough and pain-staking comparison of all the images and all the different versions of the text of the "Nei Jing Tu".Furthermore,it explores their differences and the meaning behind them.The author searched for and consulted maps which pre-date the"Nei Jing Tu" along with works related to the fields of Daoism and Chinese medicine.He also included research of the "Nei Jing Tu" conducted by foreign sinologists.In addition,by using the CNKI index,he did research on Chinese documents which explored the origins of the thinking of the "Nei Jing Tu".At the same time,the author brought together original documents,the authenticity of which is certain.He went to the Museum of Chinese Medicine and the Institute for the Science of Chinese Medicine,at National Museum of China,at Bai Yun Guan in Beijing,at Wu Dang Shan in Hubei province,at Rui Cheng in Shan Xi province and other places for his research.It was through extensive reorganizing,reading,investigating and verifying documents that the author discovered new versions of the "Nei Jing Tu".He also discovered new problems and new points of view in particular with regard to the most accurate current version along with how other versions spread and their relationships to it.Content:This thesis is mainly divided into four parts of research:The first part deals with the organisation and comparison of different versions of the"Nei Jing Tu"(Inner Landscape Map)and how they became known over time.It begins with a collection of anatomical and Daoist alchemical maps in existence before the "Nei Jing Tu’ along with a complete collection of different versions of the "Nei Jing Tu",including some newly discovered ones.This is followed by a reorganization and comparison of the images and texts which suggest which of the many versions of the"Nei Jing Tu"is the most accurate.This reordering and comparison is quite significant as it creates new arguments for the verification of how this work became known over time.This in turn provides a new perspective on the most current view.The second part of the research consists of a verification of the original ideas of the"Nei Jing Tu".Research into the original concepts as based on texts starting with a complete list of the existing opinions as to the origins of the "Nei Jing Tu",followed by commentaries for each.Lastly,the author proposes his verification of the origins of the "Nei Jing Tu",based on the compiled documents.The third part of the research is research on thinking on the same structure between the Sky and Man as well as the interactions between the Sky and Man.By means of ancient Chinese astronomy,the founder of Chinese medicine "Huang Di Nei Jing" as well as traditional texts from Daoism,Confucianism and Buddhism-all of which mention "the union between Sky and Man" and give order to the thought of similar structures between the Sky and Man "Nei Jing Tu".The fourth part of the research discusses the meaning of Nei Dan(internal alchemy)in the "Nei Jing Tu".This part consists of research into the origins of Daoist Nei Dan thoughts in the "Nei Jing Tu".This is mainly an exploration of the relationships between the "Nei Jing Tu" with the ancestor of the Nei Dan classics:"the Zhou Yi Can Tong Qi" as well as two maps:"Shui huo kuang guo tu" and the "San wu zhi jing tu"…without forgetting the "Tai Ji Yin Yang map" and the "5-level Tai Ji map" by Zhou DunYi.Lastly,there is research into the thinking of the two extraordinary vessels Ren and Du,the three frontal Dan Tian and the three back barriers in the "Nei Jing Tu".Conclusion:Through the above research,the author believes that the version of the "Nei Jing Tu"which is kept at the Museum of Chinese Medicine at the Institute of the Science of Chinese Medicine is the most accurate version.Moreover,he discovered new versions of the "Nei Jing Tu" in the collections of the Jiu Feng Shan and the National Museum of China.The discovery of theses new versions breaks with commonly held views as to how it spread.As far as the author of the "Nei Jing Tu" is concerned,although it is currently impossible to verify his identity,it is highly probably that he has a connection to two characters,Lu DongBin and Qiu ChuJi.It is through Qiu ChuJi that we can deduce that the "Nei Jing Tu" was completed during the Yuan dynasty,at the latest.The "Nei Jing Tu" contains the essence of the "Huang Ting Jing”and largely absorbed the ideas,the images and the texts of the Daoist "Yang Sheng" before the Song dynasty.This is true especially with regard to the same structure of the thinking between Man and Nature.It fully shows the holistic and naturalistic vision of the Daoist "Yang Sheng" and Chinese medicine and constitutes a miniature or crystallized form which captures the essence of the Daoist "Yang Sheng".It is a summary,a transmission of the "Nei Jing Tu" and the traditional Chinese culture which it contains.It will be of benefit to the population at large and will deepen the culture exchanges between China and the West.