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The books *Yonglei Qianfang* and *Tiren Huibian*, among others, all record treatises on accumulating hidden merit (accumulating virtue through secret good deeds). Why is this? Generally speaking, those who have inherited the medical arts since ancient times have always held cherishing life as their primary intention. They do not seek fame, do not calculate material profit, do not envy others' abilities, and disregard whether people are respectful or disrespectful; they only know how to save lives and cure diseases. Only with such a mindset can medical knowledge be clearly understood and practiced. In cases where illness persists for a long time without recovery, one should especially feel fear and engage in self-reflection to value one's own life. Conditions such as deficiency consumption (*Xusun*), tuberculosis-like wasting diseases (*Laozhai*), carbuncles and sores (*Yongju*), and loss of vision or hearing are considered punishments from Heaven. How can one fail to know what to strive for? Therefore, strictly adhering to the sage's teachings, I elaborate below.

It is commonly said that doctors understand the Dao of immortality, half of which comes from accumulating hidden merit. However, can hidden merit be accumulated by only half? Our dynasty compiled the *Weishan Yinzhi Lu* (Record of Good Deeds and Hidden Merit) to utilize the great power of hidden merit.

The wealthy may emulate burning debt bonds to forgive debts, burying friends from their wife's family, marrying off orphaned girls and protecting orphans, distributing medicine and coffins, organizing funerals and assisting with burials, relieving poverty and famine, paying taxes or debts on behalf of others, and returning gold or property. The noble may emulate clearing injustices and rectifying wrongs, saving those sentenced to death or reducing penalties, cleaning prisons to prevent drowning, rescuing disasters, and promoting benefits. Those of low status may emulate mending worn-out shoes and inspecting leaking roofs. The poor may emulate learning medicine to cure illnesses, marrying blind or mute persons, releasing cranes and fish, ferrying ants, treating magpies, emptying their pockets to save lives.

The *Xiaoshun Shishi Lu* (Record of Filial Piety Facts) is the root of hidden merit.

While parents are alive, emulate nourishing their bodies and fulfilling their wishes; after their death, emulate skillfully inheriting and continuing their legacy. In normal times, emulate asking about their health and inspecting their meals; in times of crisis, emulate correcting wickedness and instructing in the Way. When young, emulate Lu Ji holding oranges (filial piety); when old, emulate Lao Laizi performing in colorful clothes (entertaining parents). Keeping a stepmother like Min Sun wearing thin clothes (enduring cold without complaint); serving a grandmother like Li Mi submitting his memorial (resigning office to care for elders). Being poor like Zilu carrying rice (traveling miles to feed parents); being humble like Yu Yan farming personally; preserving one's body like Zichun injuring his foot (worrying excessively over a minor injury); accepting reprimand like Boyu weeping at the rod (weeping because his mother was too weak to strike hard). Others include taking someone else's place to die, seeking mothers, carving wood to guard graves, moving thieves and beasts, extinguishing fires and retreating floods, summoning auspicious omens, finding medicines in dreams, sucking abscesses, and tasting feces. These cannot be listed exhaustively but are verifiable. One should keep a copy beside the desk.

These two books complement each other; once the root is established, application follows, revealing the significant through the subtle. Even small matters can move Heaven and Earth, reach spirits and gods, and bring corresponding blessings. Their intent to teach the world and future generations is extremely profound and benevolent, consistent with the *Book of Zhou* and *Hongfan*. Specifically, filial piety facts correspond to "Heaven secretly protects" and the ordering of ethical relations in the *Book of Documents*; doing good corresponds to food and goods benefiting life; rapid response leading to personal glory and descendants' blessings corresponds to longevity, wealth, health, and peace, utilizing the Five Blessings. Governance and education are thus clear and beautiful; it is fitting that every household understands them. Alas, ignorant people stick to retribution, intentionally doing good, often spending hard-earned money on useless expenses, even exhausting body and mind and damaging reputation. Wise men focus on major ethics but neglect trivial matters, acting on partiality for convenience, even harming others and inviting curses. Neither approach truly embodies the sage's system.

The sage's decree explicitly states that from high ministers to beggars, everyone can practice this. As long as one keeps benefiting others in mind, daily life will be full of beneficial acts: giving a cup of water to the thirsty, straightening an object obstructing the path—these are all acts of convenience. It also says: encouraging and supporting others to do good is the greatest form of hidden merit; why must one specifically distribute wealth to give favors? Regarding the response of fortune and misfortune, one should not harbor any preconceived expectations in the heart; this is the wonderful natural operation of Qi mechanism. Before receiving the central Qi to form the body, the heart resides in Heaven, governing the operations of the Five Elements; after receiving the central Qi to form the body, Heaven resides in the heart, governing the Five Affairs (appearance, speech, sight, hearing, thought). A single good thought need not wait for the outcome to be auspicious; simply resembling Heaven is the greatest auspiciousness. How much more so if accumulated over time, bringing corresponding good omens? A single evil thought need not wait for visible actions to be inauspicious; simply separating from Heaven is the greatest inauspiciousness. How much more so if accumulated over time, bringing corresponding bad omens? Some say: today, good people do not necessarily receive blessings, and evil people do not necessarily suffer disaster. Is this due to destiny? Little do they know that destiny begins with "one," which is the single thought of the heart. What ought to be done according to righteousness but is not done is not known by destiny; what ought not to be done but is done is also not known by destiny. Thus it is said: *Huangji Jing Shi* does not discuss destiny, because destiny cannot fully encompass it. If a good person does not receive blessings, it is merely accidental alignment with goodness, insufficient to influence Heaven; if an evil person does not suffer disaster, it is merely accidental entanglement in evil, not yet penetrating Heaven. Otherwise, rewarding goodness and punishing wickedness has remained constant since antiquity; this is the Way of Heaven. Why doubt it now? Precisely because it is not overtly displayed, some play with Heavenly principles and lack courage to do good; precisely because it is vast and unyielding, some fear Heavenly majesty and do not persist in evil; precisely because it is cyclical and infinite, changing unpredictably, there are gentlemen who love goodness, remaining free of resentment even in adversity, deeply believing in Heavenly will and the necessity of human cultivation. Ah! Goodness unknown to others is supreme goodness; evil unknown to others is supreme evil. Unknown to others but known only to oneself—is it Heaven? Is it humanity? Thus it is said: Fortune and misfortune are sought by oneself. Medicine carries heavy responsibility; only when one entrusts wife and children, and delegates life and death, can one discuss this. Those who cultivate life must also possess such moral resolve. Therefore, I dare to recount what I have heard to consult my peers, jointly observing the sage's system, not daring to merely indulge in discourse.