The-Tibetan-Book-of-Living-and-Dying

252 THE TIBETAN BOOK OF LIVING AND DYING
The following explains how our physical body is formed.
An ancient Tibetan medical text states:
The sense consciousnesses arise from one's mind. The flesh, bones,
organ of smelling and odors are formed from the earth element.
The blood, organ of taste, tastes and liquids in the body arise from
the water element. The warmth, clear coloration, the organ of sight
and form are formed from the fire element The breath, organ of
touch and physical sensations are formed from the air element. The
cavities in the body, the organ of hearing and sounds are formed
from the space element 1
"In short," writes Kalu Rinpoche, "it is from mind, which
embodies the five elemental qualities, that the physical body
develops. The physical body itself is imbued with these qualities,
and it is because of this mind/body complex that we perceive
the outside world—which in turn is composed of the
five elemental qualities of earth, water, fire, wind and space." 3
The Tantric Buddhist tradition of Tibet offers an explanation
of the body that is quite different from the one most of
us are used to. This is of a psycho-physical system, which
consists of a dynamic network of subtle channels, "winds" or
inner air, and essences. These are called, respectively: nadi,
prana, and bindu in Sanskrit; and tsa, lung, and tiklé in Tibetan.
We are familiar with something similar in the meridians and
ch'i energy of Chinese medicine and acupuncture.
The human body is compared by the masters to a city, the
channels to its roads, the winds to a horse, and the mind to a
rider. There are 72,000 subtle channels in the body, but three
principal ones: the central channel, running parallel to the
spine, and the right and left channels, which run either side of
it. The right and left channels coil around the central one at a
number of points to form a series of "knots." Along the central
channel are situated a number of "channel wheels," the chakras
or energy-centers, from which channels branch off like the ribs
of an umbrella.
Through these channels flow the winds, or inner air. There
are five root and five branch winds. Each of the root winds
supports an element and is responsible for a function of the
human body. The branch winds enable the senses to operate.
The winds that flow through all the channels except the central
one are said to be impure and activate negative, dualistic
thought patterns; the winds in the central channel are called
"wisdom winds." 4