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Thus, why do people fail to complete their natural lifespan and die prematurely due to punishment or violence? It is because of their excessive attachment to life (overindulgence in desires and rich foods for the sake of longevity). Only those who do not treat "seeking life" as an intentional pursuit can truly cultivate the Way and achieve longevity.

Generally, people not only fail to understand what constitutes true nourishment, but they also fail to understand what constitutes harm. Harm is easy to perceive and occurs rapidly, whereas nourishment is difficult to perceive and takes effect slowly. If one cannot realize the obvious harm, how can one grasp the subtle nourishment? Harm is like a lamp consuming wax; its process is invisible, yet it suddenly runs out. Nourishment is like sowing grain; imperceptibly, it suddenly flourishes. Therefore, in cultivating the body and nature, one must be cautious about details. One should not neglect minor benefits because they seem insignificant, nor ignore minor harms because they seem harmless. Accumulating small things leads to greatness; reducing excess leads to abundance (longevity). If one can cherish the body at its subtle stages and achieve virtue at its manifest stages, one would then approach understanding the Dao.

The foundation of health preservation lies in avoiding injury; this is a crucial principle. For instance, thinking excessively beyond one's capacity causes injury; forcing physical exertion beyond one's strength causes injury; sorrow and emaciation cause injury; excessive joy causes injury; eagerly pursuing desires causes injury; worrying about potential disasters causes injury; prolonged talking and laughing cause injury; irregular sleep and rest cause injury; drawing bows and using crossbows cause injury; drunkenness and vomiting cause injury; running, jumping, panting, and fatigue cause injury; loud cheering, crying, and laughing cause injury; improper sexual intercourse causes injury.

Therefore, methods for preserving nature include: spitting without excessive force, walking without rapid steps, listening without extreme sounds, looking without extreme distance, sitting without prolonged periods, lying down before reaching exhaustion. Put on clothes before feeling cold, remove them before feeling hot. Do not eat until extremely hungry, and avoid overeating; do not drink until extremely thirsty, and avoid drinking too much. Excessive food consumption leads to accumulation disorders; excessive drinking leads to phlegm-stasis disorders. Avoid both excessive labor and excessive ease; avoid waking up late; avoid profuse sweating; avoid excessive sleep; avoid frantic driving or riding; avoid straining vision to look far; avoid eating too many raw and cold foods; avoid drinking alcohol in the wind; avoid frequent bathing; avoid having overly ambitious goals; avoid creating artificial novelties. In winter, avoid extreme warmth; in summer, avoid extreme coolness. Avoid sleeping outdoors under the stars; avoid being fanned while sleeping. Do not expose oneself to extreme cold, heat, wind, or fog. When tasting the five flavors, avoid excess. Thus, excessive sour damages the Spleen; excessive sweet damages the Lung; excessive pungent damages the Liver; excessive salty damages the Heart; excessive bitter damages the Kidney. This is the natural law of the Five Elements.

Injuries to the body are not immediately felt; they merely reduce lifespan over time.

Ancient masters of the Dao built ramparts to prevent evil influences and cleared sources to nurture true Qi. They dwelled in quiet places, undisturbed by external objects, moving and resting in harmony with Shen and Qi, guarding Hun and Po. They strictly guarded against seminal emission, maintaining single-minded focus, so that True Qi could remain, circulating上下 (up and down), flowing freely like water, unceasingly like the sun and moon. Yin nourishes the Zang organs, Yang secures the Fu organs. The flow is smooth, full but not overflowing,充盈 (filled) but not stagnant. This is called long life.

A proverb says: People in this world lose a day each day, like sheep led to the slaughterhouse; each step forward brings them closer to death. Though this metaphor is ugly, it is true. Wise men do not worry about death not because they do not wish to live, but because they lack the method to avoid death, thus suffering in vain without benefit. Hence it is said: "Knowing destiny and being content with Heaven, one has no worries." This does not mean they do not wish for long life. Instead, descending into the nine springs, facing the boundless void, becoming food for ants, and finally merging with dust, causes heart palpitations and sighs. If one has the will to live, why not discard non-essential matters and cultivate the profound Dao?

People of the world, failing to observe clearly, indulge in the five desires and lust for sound and color. Eyes are confused by black and yellow (colors); ears pursue licentious noises. Flavors fry the viscera; wine boils the intestines and stomach; fragrance rots the bone marrow; anger and joy violate righteous Qi; thought and worry dissipate Spirit; sorrow and joy destroy inner purity. With such a tiny body, attacked from multiple paths; a body easily exhausted, yet divided to face enemies. The body is not wood or stone; how can it last long?

Generally, sustaining life requires first regulating Yuan Qi. The body has four Qi, which most people do not understand. Among these four, each governs life and death. First is Gan Yuan Qi, which transforms into Jing (Essence), and Jing transforms back into Qi. Jing connects to Shen (Spirit); abundant Jing leads to bright Shen; solid Jing leads to smooth Shen; smooth Shen leads to robust health. Scattered Jing leads to tired Shen; exhausted Jing leads to departing Shen; departing Shen leads to death. Second is Kun Yuan Qi, which transforms into Blood, and Blood transforms back into Qi. Qi and Blood connect inside and outside; strong Blood leads to plump body; solid Blood leads to ruddy complexion; ruddy complexion leads to harmonious life. Withered Blood leads to hair changes; ruined Blood leads to empty brain; empty brain leads to death. Third is Shu Qi, which is the Qi of interaction between the One Yuan. Qi transforms into Jin Ye (Body Fluids), and Jin Ye transforms back into Qi. Qi operates life; life relies on Qi; Yin-Yang movement and respiration moisten the form. Flowing Qi means life; deficient Qi means death. Fourth is Zhong Qi, which is Gu Qi (Grain Qi). Grain sustains life but ultimately misleads fate; although eating grain sustains life, accumulating Gu Qi leads to death. Jing attaches to Blood; Qi attaches to Life; they should circulate, making the body permanently stable. Gan Yuan Yang resides in Yin positions, specifically the Qi Sea below the navel. Kun Yuan Yin resides in Yang positions, specifically the Blood Sea in the brain. Life belongs to Yang; Yang penetrates the five Zang organs, manifested as breathing Qi. Death belongs to Yin; Yin receives the five flavors, manifested as foul Qi. Qi Sea Qi strengthens Spirit and fills bone marrow; Blood Sea Qi supplements skin and flesh and flows through blood vessels; Breathing Qi opens the six Fu organs and supports the four limbs; Foul Qi disturbs body spirit and rots the five viscera.

Form is the vessel of life; Mind is the master of form; Spirit is the treasure of Mind. Thus, calm Spirit leads to harmonious Mind; harmonious Mind leads to intact Form. Restless Spirit leads to turbulent Mind; turbulent Mind leads to damaged Form. To preserve Form, one must first regulate Spirit. Tranquility and harmony nourish Spirit, ensuring inner peace; clarity and emptiness house Spirit, preventing external temptation. With tranquil Spirit and clear Mind, Form suffers no burden. An empty room generates light; the human mind fears emptiness. Emptiness ensures pure whiteness without turbidity, bringing auspiciousness. People do not look in dim light but in bright mirrors because mirrors are clear; they do not see reflections in flowing waves but in still water because still water is clear. Mirrors and water, possessing clarity, reflect the shape of objects. From this, we see: clear Spirit eliminates filth; quiet Form clarifies Spirit. Eliminated filth means internal desires are gone; clarified Spirit means external burdens do not enter. Now, singing songs brings joy; mournful sounds bring sorrow. The seven orifices are the windows of Spirit; Ambition and Qi are the indicators of the five viscera. Eyes and ears seduced by sound and color, nose and mouth attracted by fragrance, limbs seeking comfort—all share the same nature. Thus, Spirit becomes anxious and loses its post; Ambition is tied to choices, causing the five viscera to churn uneasily. Desires turn outward; Heart and viscera become blocked inwardly; wandering in chaotic waves, lingering in realms of right and wrong—few escape moral decay and life damage. Therefore, sages clear eyes but do not look; sharpen ears but do not listen; close mouths but do not speak; abandon thoughts but do not deliberate. Valuing the body over the trivial, status cannot move them; loving the Dao over poverty, wealth cannot tilt them. Dwelling to please emotions, roaming in One Qi, with a heart of pure white, Form preserves itself without cultivation; Dao arrives without effort.

Desires in the body are like insects in trees. Trees harboring insects rot from within; humans harboring desires harm themselves. Abundant insects kill trees; intense desires kill humans. To restrain desires, one must first guard the Five Gates. The Five Gates are the paths of desire and the storehouses of craving. Eyes loving colors are called axes that cut nature; ears loving licentious sounds are drums that attack the heart; mouths craving flavors are medicines that rot viscera; noses enjoying fragrances are smoke that burns throats; bodies enjoying carriage rides are mechanisms that summon collapse. These five can preserve life or damage it. Eyes/ears regarding sound/color, nose/mouth regarding fragrance, body regarding comfort—these natures are identical. Yet, depending on how one handles them, one may become wise or foolish.