Hm...something in me says that this is a Buddhist reference; wasn't there something about an ancient master who severed his left hand in order to make a point? The fact that she's so calm and not writhing in pain kinda hints at that, too.
I feel as if she's offering some poor starving Youkai some food I know this pic is from like 8,000 years ago but you know nobody seemed to have that line of thought.