Tan-t’ien Chin., lit. “cinnabar fields,” elixir field; three regions of the human body through which the vital energy (ch’i) flows: the upper cinnabar field is situated in the brain, the middle one near the heart, and the lower in the region of the navel.
Some Taoist schools believe that these three vital centers of the human body are inhabited by deities (Inner Deity Hygiene School, shen) and harmful beings (san-ch’ung).
The lower cinnabar field sometimes equated with the “ocean of breath” (ch’i-hai) is of particular significance in connection with various practices aimed at the prolongation of life, because it is the place where not only the ch’i but also a man’s semen (ching) and a woman’s menstrual flow are accumulated (see also huan-ching, nei-tan, t’ai-hsi, wai-tan).
Each of the three cinnabar fields consists of nine compartments arranged in two rows (one of five and one of four). The only descriptions in existence refer to the various compartments of the upper cinnabar field. Among the most important of these is one referred to as government palace (ming-t’ang-kung), which, according to the teachings of the Inner Deity Hygiene School, is the dwelling place of Huang-lao chün and his retinue. In the central compartment known as the palace of ni-huan (or ni-wan after the Sanskrit Buddhist term nirvana) resides the highest body deity, the T’ai-i, or Supreme One.
Source: The Encyclopedia of Eastern Philosophy and Religion: Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, Zen. Shambhala Publications, Inc.
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