Vulnerable Parts

Abstract

In Tibetan medicine, ‘vulnerable parts’ (gnyan pa gnad) are bodily structures which should not be damaged. Most of these anatomical locations are important in terms of surgical care and the management of wounds. They are described in the primary classical text of the Tibetan medical tradition, the Four Treatises (Rgyud bzhi), and in far more detail in its respective commentaries. A list of these more than three hundred delicate spots is included in at least two sixteenth-century commentaries, but its origin remains unclear. With the help of the medical ‘scroll paintings’ (thang ka) accompanying the seventeenth-century Blue Beryl (Vaiḍūrya sngon po) commentary to the Four Treatises, we can identify the locations of many of these vulnerable anatomical structures. However, it is uncertain if these identifications have remained consistent over time. With increasing integration of Tibetan medical practices into the Chinese health care system, it became necessary to find and define new terms. A veritable revolution in Tibetan medical terminology has taken place over the past several decades. Through a careful examination of these ‘vulnerable parts’ of the body, including an exploration of three examples, this article examines the shift of anatomical designations and the coining of new terms for anatomical details in classical and modern publications. Correctly identifying the vulnerable parts matters a great deal, especially with regard to patient safety.

Metaphors in the Tibetan Explanatory Tantra

“…Tibetan biomedical terminology has been shaped and coined rapidly in recent years (cf. : Sabernig 2017b: Sabernig , 2019b: Sabernig , 2019c. Both classical and modern Tibetan medical language makes use of various kinds of metaphorical name, as well as structural and conceptual metaphor.…”

“…The fourth chapter of the Explanatory Tantra is on anatomy or the condition of the body (lus kyi gnas lugs). The chapter itself is divided into four subchapters, which provide the count of body parts connected to certain tissues without listing the concrete names of these parts, however all major commentaries comprise extensive lists of specific body parts (for more details see Sabernig 2017aSabernig , 2017b the Tibetan commentaries such as Sangs-rgyas-rgya-mtsho 1973, pp. 142/6-184/5;Blo-gros-rgyal-po 2005, pp.…”

“…: Salguero 2010, p. 70). The use of metaphor in medical traditions, 6 For more details on vulnerable part see Sabernig (2017aSabernig ( , 2017b. their literal definition and translation depends on the context.…”