Library

Laozi said: The five colors blind the eyes, and the five tones deafen the ears.
Peng Zu said: Licentious and mournful sounds, though pleasing to the heart and ears, lead to the disaster of indulgence and neglect. How can one achieve longevity in such a manner?
Confucius said: Do not look at what is contrary to propriety; do not listen to what is contrary to propriety.
Mencius said: Bo Yi did not look at ugly colors, nor did he listen to licentious sounds.
Sun Simiao (Zhenren) said: Raw consumption of the five pungent vegetables, lack of moderation in cooked food and drink, straining the eyes by gazing into the distance, reading commentaries at night, long-term residence in smoky environments, incessant chess playing and gambling, unceasing alcohol consumption,
eating hot meals and wheat-based foods, years of copying manuscripts, carving fine and intricate patterns, immoderation in sexual activity, excessive weeping and tearing, reading under moonlight, viewing stars and the moon at night, excessive bloodletting from the head,
reading after sunset, repeatedly staring at the sun or moon, gazing far at mountains, rivers, trees, and grass, riding and hunting, exposing oneself to wind and frost, chasing beasts against the wind, day and night without rest—all these are causes of blindness. Be cautious, be cautious.
Books state: The spirit of the Heart manifests through the eyes; prolonged visual strain injures the Heart. The essence of the Kidney manifests through the ears; prolonged auditory strain injures the Kidney.
Listening to licentious sounds, desiring beautiful sights, and craving delicious tastes cause the Five Zang Organs to tremble and become unstable, the Qi and Blood to surge and remain restless, and the Spirit to fly away and fail to reside within.
Once the Upright Qi (Zheng Qi) dissipates, licentious and pathogenic Qi takes advantage of this weakness to cause disease.
The *Xu Shu* states: Prolonged gazing at the sun, moon, and stars damages the eyes; failing to watch one's step near wells and pits shortens life. Therefore, do not block boiling well water, as it causes blindness and deafness; killing chickens for fighting leads to Qi stagnation. All colors damage the eyes, except black lacquer screens, which can aid vision.
The *Huainanzi* states: The five colors confuse the eyes, making vision unclear; the five tones distort the ears, making hearing dull. It also states: How can the eyes and ears endure long-term labor and movement without rest?
There was an individual over eighty years old whose eyes were clear and bright, capable of reading tiny characters at night. He said: I take no medicine, but I merely avoid eating the livers of domestic animals. People doubted this based on the *Bencao* (Compendium of Materia Medica) claim that "sheep liver brightens the eyes." I replied: Sheep liver brightens the eyes due to its inherent nature; other animal livers do not share this property. When livestock are slaughtered, their anger accumulates in the liver. Since the Liver governs the storage of Blood, [blood filled with anger] is detrimental to clear vision.