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(Pan Ji wrote)

Avoid Sexual Intercourse
The *Jingmai Pian* (Chapter on Meridians) states: When humans are first born, essence (*Jing*) is formed first. Furthermore, the *Shanggu Tianzhen Lun* (Discourse on the Heavenly Truth of Antiquity), which is the first chapter of the *Suwen* (Basic Questions), also exclusively discusses the character "essence."
Essence is generally considered the embryo of the innate constitution and the seed of life generation. Therefore, to cultivate longevity, one must first avoid sexual indulgence, especially for those who are ill. Since illness arises from deficiency allowing pathogenic factors to invade, it is essential to strengthen the body's defenses ("fortify the city") to repel pathogens ("repel the enemy").

Minimize Desires
If desires are not satisfied, the mind has no peace. The depletion of spirit (*Shen*) and vital energy (*Qi*) is most severe in this regard. Humans are not wood or stone; how can they be completely devoid of desires? It is best to simplify and reduce them.

Cut Off Excessive Thought
Endless thinking causes the spirit to knot internally. Tossing and turning without rest generates vexation. Time passes unnoticed, and over time, blood and qi are secretly depleted. One must urgently sever these thoughts.

Eliminate Violent Anger
The *Neijing* (Inner Canon) states: Anger causes Qi to ascend. If Qi ascends and does not descend, disease arises. In severe cases, vomiting blood or phlegm obstruction leading to fainting occurs, all due to Qi ascending instead of descending. By considering one's health when dealing with matters, anger will naturally subside.

Avoid Overexertion
Movement generates Yang; forcing movement creates Fire. Thus, the character for "labor" (*Lao*) consists of "Fire" above and "Strength" below. Movement also implies strength and weight; gravity is required to move things. Labor causes Qi and Fire to boil and烦躁, with various Fires rising, leading to endless pathological changes. For those with pre-existing Fire diseases, this is even more severe. Only tranquility and leisure are the countermeasures.

Conserve Speech
Speech originates from the heart. Once emitted from the heart, one fears errors, inevitably consuming mental energy for careful checking. Moreover, every word comes out through respiration. Consuming heart and damaging spirit, respiration depletes Qi. If both spirit and Qi are deficient, what benefit is there to the person?

Be Cautious in Daily Living
What is daily living? It refers to all walking, standing, sitting, lying down, waking early, and resting late. What is being cautious in daily living? It means being rigorous and careful in all these activities. One must prevent Wind, Cold, Summer-heat, and Dampness pathogens from invading due to deficiency. During illness, prevention is crucial to keep the body's defenses strong and prevent pathogens from gaining strength.

Do Not Engage in Welcoming and Seeing Off
Welcoming and seeing off guests tires the physical form. Being thorough in these interactions tires the spirit. As a patient, although etiquette is important, it may be waived.

Regulate Diet
Diet sustains life. However, within nourishment, there are factors that harm life. The *Shengqi Tongtian Lun* (Discourse on the Vital Energy Connecting to Heaven) states: The source of Yin lies in the Five Flavors. The five organs associated with Yin are damaged by the Five Flavors. Damage refers to excessive preference for specific flavors. Even the Five Flavors should not be preferred excessively, let alone preferences for cold/raw foods, roasted foods, rich/greasy foods, or alcohol. This gradually leads to Damp-Heat accumulation in the intestines and stomach. Eventually, sores, carbuncles, phlegm-fire, and abscesses may arise, which are unavoidable evils. Why seek momentary pleasure at the cost of future great suffering? How foolish!

Inspect Medicinal Substances
Medicines are administered by doctors; why should I inspect them? Follow the good ones and discard the bad. Good or bad is judged by reason. Worse still, some doctors experiment recklessly, misusing sovereign, minister, assistant, and courier herbs, causing mild conditions to worsen and severe conditions to become critical. Neglecting what enters the mouth leads to regretting too late; this is extreme folly.

Cultivate Virtue
Ancient sayings state: If a person has good thoughts, Heaven will follow. Thus, if a ruler cultivates virtue during disasters, calamities can be resolved. If a ruler's virtue can protect a nation, surely an individual's virtue can protect themselves. What is cultivating virtue? It is repentance and correcting faults. It involves clearing old habits, realizing past mistakes, behaving correctly, and being vigilant daily. Persisting in this lifelong constitutes true repentance and correction. Heaven's will will naturally favor such individuals, and misfortune will dissipate. Waiting until the last minute is futile; Heaven knows best.

Understand Expenditure
Proverbs say gold and silver are treasures of the world. Treasures should not be wasted, but life is not meant to be hoarded rigidly. Some wealthy people appear poor, speak of poverty, and pursue profit while ignoring dignity. They do not realize life is limited. Regardless of accumulated wealth, the end result is the same. Compared to those who are poor but content and happy, who truly gains and loses? Alas, how sad.

Case of Li Lianquan from Fujian
Li Lianquan from Fujian was doing business in Xi. In the first month of the Wuchen year, he suddenly suffered a stroke and became comatose. Doctors were consulted, but he did not recover by April. I was summoned to diagnose him. I prescribed medicine and earnestly warned him about dietary and lifestyle taboos. After a month, his condition had not improved. Upon inquiry, I learned he had forgotten my warnings. I therefore instructed him to write down twelve guidelines for care and place them by his bedside. Within a month, his illness suddenly resolved. This shows that proper care is a hundred times more effective than the medicines in our hands. I dare to publish this to assist patients.

Kou Zongshi said: Those who have not heard the Dao indulge their minds, going against the joy of life. They use their spirit to chase cleverness, worry and fear to chase gains and losses, labor and hardship to chase etiquette, and their lives to chase wealth and profit. If these four pursuits are not ceased, the Heart becomes diseased. Exhausting the body, becoming irritable with rebellious Qi, drinking in the wind, and preferring spicy and salty foods cause Liver disease. Eating raw and cold foods, losing balance in warmth and coolness, sitting and lying for long periods, and extreme fullness or hunger cause Spleen disease. Shouting excessively, arguing, exposing oneself to temperature changes, and eating salty and bitter foods cause Lung disease. Sitting on damp ground, forcing entry into water, indulging in sex and labor, and leaking essence from the Lower Jiao cause Kidney disease. Once these five diseases arise, one becomes emaciated before aging and sick before becoming weak. When disease strikes heavily, death is inevitable. Alas! These are self-inflicted through lack of reflection. Those who practice health preservation should guard against these five points and suffer no pain in their lifetime. The Classic says: "Treat disease before it occurs," which refers to this.

Kou Zongshi said: The path to comfort and happiness is obtained by those who can preserve and nourish. Moreover, there are few medicines that attract harmonious Qi and many that attack and resolve. This must be examined. Human life requires preservation; one must not violate harmonious Qi to sustain life. A lapse in care leads to disease. If treatment is improper, collapse may follow. Prevention must happen in peaceful times. Hence, "In safety, do not forget danger; in existence, do not forget extinction." This is the sage's preemptive warning.

Zhu Danxi said: It is better to nurture health before illness than to treat after illness. Therefore, treating existing illness is the method of physicians; treating before illness occurs clarifies the principles of health preservation. With such foresight and prevention, what worries could there be? This is the meaning behind the sage's statement: "Treat disease before it occurs."

*Shizhi Tongshuo* (General Discussion on Food Therapy) says: In leisure time, how should one apply their mind? To nourish form and spirit well and prevent disease comprehensively. Always maintain caution and reverence, ensuring proper regulation. Diet and drink are the most urgent tasks, determining safety and danger. Wisdom can distinguish between them. Rather than fearing disease and seeking a doctor, it is better to understand principles and seek self-care. Rather than treating disease with medicine, it is better to restrain emotions and treat proactively. Emotions can be restrained, and principles clarified. Relying on principle rather than emotion constitutes good nourishment. The key to preventing disaster and warding off disease lies here.

Kou Zongshi said: Using medicine is like administering punishment. Punishment must not be erroneous, as error affects human life; medicine is the same. One error separates life from death. However, punishment has judges who deliberate and record crimes because life cannot be restored once lost, requiring such diligence. Now, doctors often prescribe immediately upon arriving at a patient's home. If a skilled physician identifies the disease and pulse accurately and prescribes appropriate medicine, effect is immediate. But mediocre practitioners rashly administer decoctions, leading quickly to crisis. Killing people so easily is common because families fail to select doctors and neglect medical knowledge. Is this not fearful?

*Wulun* says: A physician cannot be entrusted unless they are benevolent and loving. They cannot be employed unless they are intelligent and understand principles. They cannot be trusted unless they are honest and pure. Therefore, ancient selection of physicians chose descendants of renowned families. Their virtue allows for benevolence and broad love; their wisdom allows for flexible understanding. They know the order of Heaven, Earth, and spirits, and understand fate and fortune. They distinguish deficiency and excess, determine reversal and smoothness, assess disease severity, and measure dosage. Penetrating the subtle and profound without missing details defines a good physician, which ordinary scholars cannot achieve.

Tao Hongjing said: Medicine values consistency; one should not resort to superficial modifications or fabrication. Hence, "One does not take medicine from a physician whose family has not practiced for three generations." An arm broken nine times becomes a good physician due to deep accumulation of experience. Today's inheritors rely on fame and price, lacking dedicated study, spreading false reputations. People in the capital value reputation over practical learning, flocking to trends. New scholars with comprehensive knowledge but unknown names are ignored as beginners. Entrusting life to empty fame is pitiable.

Wu Qiu said: A man from Xixiang was ill and admired a famous city doctor, inviting him by cart. Due to obligations, he sent his brother instead. The patient was unhappy, the medicine failed, and he was sent home. The original doctor was re-invited. On the way, the brother met the doctor, who explained the diagnosis, pulse, and prescription, keeping the medicine in a bag. At the patient's home, hearing the doctor arrived, the patient showed joy. After pulse diagnosis, the previous medicine was brewed and taken. The patient said the taste was very different. Shortly after, he asked how he felt; the answer was slightly better. The next day, taking it again, the illness healed. Alas! The medicine was the same, but the taste differed due to the patient's doubt.

Song Lian, in his Preface to Vice Director Zheng, said: Having skills but no opportunity to use them, or having opportunities but people failing to trust, makes success difficult for any profession, especially medicine. Bian Que and Hua Tuo are rare. Even if present, facing simple diseases or difficult-to-communicate patients limits effectiveness. If acupuncture is indicated but scarification is demanded, or tonification is needed but purgation is ordered, such obstinacy makes the physician no different from average ones. Is this the physician's fault? No, it is the situation. Truly capable employers use physicians freely, expect results without personal bias, encouraging everyone. Thus, disease can kill through excessive love (refusing to delegate) or save through rationality (trusting others). Director Chen Yanming of Fujian was rational. His wife had a cold disease and was very weak. He hired Vice Director Zheng of the Imperial Medical Bureau. Zheng requested autonomy, which Chen granted. Despite rumors that the medicine clashed with the disease, Chen persisted. The wife recovered. Chen offered rewards, but Zheng declined, saying, "You succeeded because you trusted me. If you had been self-willed, recovery would have been impossible."

Sun Simiao said: When friends and relatives ask about a patient's illness, unqualified people often boast, claiming expertise without reading prescriptions. They speculate on deficiency, excess, wind, worms, water, or phlegm, creating confusion and delaying treatment. Time waits for no one; sudden crises occur, and people scatter. Such illnesses require good people and excellent doctors who understand disease depth, explore classics, and explain clearly. Otherwise, serious mistakes occur.

*Jianwen Souyu* says: Food and sex are great human desires. Controlling them makes one a Sage. Moderating them makes one a Worthies. Indulging without moderation makes one a Fool. Killing life for food and lust for desire mutually reinforce each other. Good diet increases blood and Qi; increased blood and Qi increase lust; increased lust damages blood and Qi; damaged blood and Qi require more diet to replenish. This cycle creates sin. To reduce dietary indulgence, first control lust. Controlling lust allows reducing dietary indulgence; this is the way to secure life and extend years. Indulgence limits life's enjoyment, leading to early death.

Xu Zhenfu said: I observe that when patients slightly recover and stomach Qi returns, people assume "those who can eat will not die," leading to reckless indulgence in rich flavors, worrying only if they don't eat enough. Alas! This is thoughtless. Rich flavors promote pathogens. Ancients prioritized few desires and bland tastes. For injured patients, further injury is dangerous. Also, chronic patients recovering slightly may still have blurry vision and back pain. Assuming stagnation requires sexual release to vent frustration leads to rapid relapse and untreatable conditions. Irregular diet turns mild illness severe and safety into danger. This is a universal flaw known only to the wise.

*Benzhou Yan Yi* says: The body's foundation is comfort and ease; comfort and ease depend on preservation. If the foundation is solid, how can disease arise or premature death occur? No health preservation method surpasses this. Even plants need irrigation; how much more so humans, the spirit of all things? Preservation principles are myriad, but roughly three methods: 1. Nourishing Spirit, 2. Cherishing Qi, 3. Preventing Disease. Forgetting emotions and intellect, maintaining emptiness and stillness, preserving truth internally and externally, ensures Spirit is not consumed internally nor confused externally. True Unity remains pure, and Spirit calms. This is nourishing Spirit. Holding the root of Yuan Yi, consolidating Jing and Qi, stabilizing the Three Jiao, forgetting the Six Thieves, emptying consciousness, and merging with the Great Unity stabilizes Qi. This is cherishing Qi. Proper diet, moderate temperature, avoiding Eight Evils, and natural sleep/wake cycles ensure bodily peace. This is preventing disease.

Heqi Tang (Harmonious Qi Decoction) treats all external Wind, anger, resentment, and depression. First, use the character "Endure"; second, use the character "Forget." Mix the two ingredients evenly, swallow without speaking. After ingestion, drink five to seven cups of fine wine to achieve a pleasant half-intoxication.

Kuaibu Wuyou San (Happy Carefree Powder) removes vexation and cuts off delusions.
Grind the two ingredients into fine powder. Take with clear water. Before preparing, clean a room thoroughly. Ensure windows are bright, place small railings, plant flowers and bamboo, keep fish. Set up a table, bed, and cushion. Sit cross-legged, close eyes, regulate breath, and take the medicine. After three incense sticks' time, walk freely in the courtyard, enjoy the breeze and moon, view calligraphy and paintings, or sing ancient poems. If tired, drink bitter tea and rest. Soon, Spirit becomes clear, Mind is tranquil, unaware of worldly vexation or internal delusions. Effect is visible.

"My destiny is in me, not in Heaven." Fools bring upon themselves diseases and winds by indulging passions and lacking self-care, causing deficiency. Like rotten wood breaking in wind or collapsing banks crumbling in water. If one cannot take medicine, knowing how to conserve essence and regulate emotions can still grant 100-200 years of life.

*Wushan Ren Rijie* says: The Supreme Lord says: The True Person is within oneself, do not ask neighbors. Laozi says: Serving Heaven and governing man is best done through frugality (*Se*), which is the way to deepen roots, solidify stalks, and achieve long life. Thus, the "mining and battle" practices of other schools are certainly not the true Dao. Originating from wealth, people wanting longevity yet indulging in lust led alchemists to propose these methods to satisfy desires and gain rewards. Scholars who mistakenly believe and use them either die young or weaken, rarely reaching natural lifespan, let alone immortality. Ginseng and Atractylodes are herbs that tonify deficiency. Wine and meat aid the emaciated. Autumn Stone and Placenta (Heche Che), though discarded by men, can revive the dying when processed. Claims of "Two Strings True Qi" or youth saliva may have benefits, but without true transmission and with high risk, loss outweighs gain. Better to abandon them entirely.

*Fengqin Yanglao Shu* says: Elderly food should be warm, cooked, and soft; avoid sticky, hard, raw, and cold items. Each morning, take a dose of mild lower-Yuan tonifying medicine with fine wine; women take mild Blood Sea tonifying medicine, preferably non-drying/hot. Eat pork or sheep kidney soup, or congee with Schisandra, scallions, wild garlic, quail, etc. At Chen hour (7-9 AM), take Renshen Pingqi San. Then, gradually introduce season-appropriate warm/soft foods. Walk 100-200 steps after meals to aid digestion. Before bed, take Renshen Banxia Wan to transform phlegm and benefit the diaphragm. Elders should not eat until full. Frequent small meals aid Spleen/Stomach digestion and preserve Grain Qi. Large meals burden weak intestines/stomach, causing disease. Children should understand this key to elder care. Take the mentioned medicines three times daily, no more. If healthy, no medicine is needed; just regulate diet, and one remains safe.

*Fengqin Yanglao Shu* says: Elderly medication is merely supportive. Use only mild, Qi-smoothing, appetite-stimulating, deficiency-tonifying, and neutral medicines. Avoid market-bought, gifted, unknown formulas, or harsh/potent drugs. Administer with caution.

*Fengqin Yanglao Shu* says: When Tian Gui ends, Essence and Blood deplete. Spirit and Qi float and weaken, resembling children, relying entirely on care. In emergencies like fire, flood, or war, shelter elders safely; do not cause panic. A major shock causes elders to act rashly and incur residual guilt. Do not allow attendance at funerals or inquiries about critical illness. Do not startle them during sleep or meals. Do not inform them of sorrow or worry beforehand. Do not let them smell foul odors. Do not let them eat raw/cold/hard/toxic foods. Do not let them live in leaky/damp places. Do not expose them to sudden storms/cold. Do not let them suffer heat/vexation. Do not let them exert themselves walking/moving. Do not let them eat large night meals. Do not let them go hungry in foggy/dark weather. Do not let them ride horses/carriages. Do not let them take eccentric medicines. Do not let them enter ruined/unstable houses. Do not let them visit graveyards. Do not let them climb dangerous places. Do not let them cross deep/fast waters. Do not leave them alone in dark rooms. Do not let them know of distant disasters. Do not let them associate with frivolous servants. Do not let them manage household chores. All these should be avoided to preserve longevity.

*Fengqin Yanglao Shu* says: Elders' bones and flesh are sparse; cold wind easily invades. Tight clothing against the skin keeps warmth on the body, naturally supporting Qi and Blood.