撒开两手,鱼跃鸢飞。打破桶底,中流自在。此是转身向上一路,还从法外护持。所以饥食
困眠,假借四大。行住坐卧,不离色身。但令二六时中,随方作课,使生气流行,身无奇病。只此着
衣吃饭,家风便是空、假,中观正局。
辰
夙兴,整衣襟,坐明窗中,调息受天气,进白汤一瓯,勿饮茶,栉发百余遍,使疏风、清火、
明目、去脑中热。盥漱毕,早餐宜粥,宜淡素。饱,徐行百步,以手摩腹,令速下食。天气者,亥子以来真
气也。静而清,喧而浊,故天气至巳午而微矣。
巳
读书,或《楞严》,或《南华》,或《易》一卦,循序勿泛滥。勿妄想,勿聚谈,了大义,知止,
勿积疑。倦即闭目,咽津数十口。见宾客,寡言以养气。
午
坐香一线,毕经行使,神气安顿。始饭,用素汤。当饥而食,未饱先止。茶涤口腻,漱去乃饮。
多行步,少坐,勿伛,胸中闷则默呵气二三口。凡饮食之节,减满受虚,故当饥,节其满;未饱,留其虚。
未
猎史,看古人大局。穷事理,流览时务。事来须应遇,物来须识破。勿昼卧,无事无物,不妨事
物之来。涉猎流览,都是妙门生趣,读书人日用不知。
申
朗诵古人得意文一二篇,引满数酌,勿多饮令昏志。或吟名人诗数首,弄笔仿古帖,倦即止。
吟诵浮白,以王真气,亦是张颠草书被酒入圣时也。
酉
坐香一线,动静如意。晚餐宜早,课儿子一日程,如法即止。小饮,勿沉醉陶然。热水濯足,
降火除湿。暮漱,涤一日饮食之毒。
戌
灯夜默坐,勿多思,勿多阅。多思伤心,多阅伤目。坐勿过二更,须安睡以培元气。卧必
侧身,屈上一足。先睡心,后睡眼。睡心是止法,睡眼是观法。
亥子
亥末子初,婴始孩也。一身元气,于焉发陈。当其机候,起坐拥衾。虚心静宁,无为而行。约
香一线,固其命门。精神日余,元气大盈。醒而行之,难老而长存也。
丑寅
丑寅间,精气发生时也。勿酣睡,静守,令精住其宅。或转侧,卧如弓,气亦周流不漏泄,
如句萌不折,迎生气也。
卯
醒见晨光,披衣坐床。叩齿三百,转动两肩。调其筋骨,以和阴阳。振衣下榻,俾勿滥觞。
Spread both hands, free as a fish leaping out of water or a kite flying in the sky. Break through the bottom of the bucket, moving freely in mid-stream. This is the path of turning around and ascending further, yet it still requires protection from beyond the methods. Therefore, eat when hungry, sleep when drowsy, borrowing from the "Four Great Elements" (Earth, Water, Fire, Wind) that constitute the body. Walking, standing, sitting, and lying down never depart from this form-body (physical body). As long as during the twelve two-hour periods of the day, one practices according to circumstances, allowing the vital energy to flow smoothly, the body will not suffer from strange diseases. Merely wearing clothes and eating meals, this family tradition aligns with the correct structure of Middle Way contemplation on "Emptiness" and "Provisional Existence."
Chen Hour (07:00–09:00)
Wake up early, adjust your clothes, sit by a bright window, regulate breathing to receive the heavenly qi, drink one cup of plain warm water, do not drink tea. Comb your hair more than a hundred times to disperse wind, clear fire, brighten the eyes, and remove heat from the brain. After washing and rinsing, breakfast should be congee, light and vegetarian. After eating fully, walk slowly for a hundred steps and massage the abdomen with your hands to facilitate rapid digestion of food. The so-called "heavenly qi" refers to the true qi generated since Hai and Zi hours. It is clear when quiet and turbid when noisy; thus, by Si and Wu hours, the heavenly qi becomes weak.
Si Hour (09:00–11:00)
Read books, such as the *Shurangama Sutra*, the *Nanhua Jing* (Zhuangzi), or a hexagram from the *I Ching*. Proceed step by step without being excessive. Do not indulge in wild thoughts, do not gather and chat excessively. Grasp the major principles, know where to stop, and do not accumulate doubts. When tired, close your eyes and swallow saliva dozens of times. When receiving guests, speak little to nourish qi.
Wu Hour (11:00–13:00)
Sit until a line of incense burns out, finish reading scriptures and attending to bodily functions, and settle your spirit and qi. Then begin to eat, consuming vegetable soup. Eat when hungry, but stop before feeling full. Tea cleanses the mouth of grease; rinse your mouth before drinking. Walk more, sit less, and do not hunch your back. If you feel stifled in the chest, silently exhale two or three times. Regarding dietary moderation: reduce when full and accept when empty. So, when hungry, moderate the excess; when not yet full, leave room for emptiness.
Wei Hour (13:00–15:00)
Study history to understand the grand perspectives of ancient sages. Exhaustively investigate principles of affairs and browse current events. When matters arise, respond appropriately; when objects appear, see through their nature. Do not lie down during the day. If there are no matters or objects, do not hinder the arrival of things. Extensive browsing and reading are all wonderful sources of interest, which scholars often fail to notice in daily life.
Shen Hour (15:00–17:00)
Recite one or two articles that pleased the ancients, pour a few cups of wine, but do not drink too much to cause mental confusion. Or recite several poems by famous poets, practice calligraphy imitating ancient models, and stop when tired. Reciting while raising the cup to drain it cultivates true qi; this is also the state when Zhang Xu's cursive script reached sainthood while intoxicated.
You Hour (17:00–19:00)
Sit until a line of incense burns out, moving and resting as desired. Dinner should be early. Review your son's daily lessons; if they follow the method, stop. Drink a small amount of alcohol, but do not become drunk and intoxicated. Wash your feet with hot water to descend fire and dispel dampness. Rinse your mouth at dusk to cleanse the toxins accumulated from a day's diet.
Xu Hour (19:00–21:00)
Sit silently under lamplight at night; do not think too much, do not read too much. Excessive thinking damages the heart, and excessive reading damages the eyes. Do not sit past the second watch; ensure sound sleep to cultivate primordial qi. When sleeping, lie on your side with one leg bent. First let the mind sleep, then let the eyes sleep. Letting the mind sleep is the method of "Stopping" (Zhi); letting the eyes sleep is the method of "Observing" (Guan).
Hai and Zi Hours (21:00–01:00)
At the end of Hai and beginning of Zi, akin to an infant starting childhood, the body's primordial qi undergoes renewal and elimination of the old. When this timing arrives, rise and sit wrapped in blankets. Keep the mind empty and tranquil, acting through non-action. For about the time it takes a line of incense to burn, consolidate the Mingmen Gate (Gate of Life). Spirit will increase daily, and primordial qi will become abundant. Practicing this upon waking leads to longevity and enduring vitality.
Chou and Yin Hours (01:00–05:00)
Between Chou and Yin hours is when essence and qi are generated. Do not sleep heavily; guard quietly to allow essence to remain in its dwelling. You may turn over or lie on your side like a bow, ensuring qi circulates thoroughly without leakage, just as a sprout is not broken, welcoming the vital energy.
Mao Hour (05:00–07:00)
Upon waking and seeing morning light, put on clothes and sit on the bed. Clench teeth three hundred times and rotate both shoulders. Harmonize muscles and bones to balance Yin and Yang. Shake off dust from clothes and get out of bed, ensuring behavior does not start improperly or become excessive.