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The True Man said: Although one frequently takes tonifying herbs, if one does not understand the art of nurturing nature (Yangxing), it is difficult to achieve longevity. The principle of nurturing nature is to maintain slight physical activity regularly, but avoid excessive fatigue and forcing oneself beyond one's capacity. Moreover, flowing water does not rot, and door pivots do not become worm-eaten because they are in constant motion. The principle of nurturing nature dictates that one should not walk, stand, sit, or lie down for prolonged periods, nor should one gaze or listen for too long. Prolonged gazing damages blood, prolonged lying damages Qi, prolonged standing damages bones, prolonged sitting damages muscles, and prolonged walking damages sinews. Furthermore, one should not force eating, force drinking alcohol, force lifting heavy weights, indulge in excessive worry, rage, sorrow, fear, jumping, talking excessively, or laughing loudly. One should not eagerly pursue desires, nor harbor resentment; all these actions damage lifespan. If one can avoid violating these taboos, one can attain longevity. Therefore, those who are good at health preservation often think less, have fewer thoughts, have fewer desires, engage in fewer affairs, speak less, laugh less, worry less, rejoice less, like less, and dislike less. Practicing these "Twelve Lows" is the key契 (key principle) of nurturing nature.

Excessive thinking leads to spiritual exhaustion, excessive thoughts lead to scattered will, excessive desires lead to confused mind, excessive affairs lead to physical labor, excessive speech leads to Qi deficiency, excessive laughter damages the Zang organs, excessive sorrow frightens the heart, excessive joy causes mental overflow, excessive happiness leads to forgetting errors and confusion, excessive anger makes the meridians unstable, excessive fondness leads to obsession and lack of reason, and excessive aversion leads to haggard appearance and lack of joy. If these "Twelve Highs" are not eliminated, Ying and Wei (Defensive and Nutritive Qi) will lose their regulation, and Blood and Qi will move recklessly, which is the root of losing life. Only by having neither excess nor deficiency can one approach the Dao. Thus, it is known that avoiding external attachments is the initial method of the True Man. If one can act thus, one can live amidst plagues without worry or doubt. Having screened out external attachments, one must guard the Five Spirits (Liver, Heart, Spleen, Lung, Kidney) and follow the Four Righteous Actions (Speech, Conduct, Sitting, Standing). In speech, one must absolutely avoid floating thoughts and delusions, and the mind should not harbor desires or allow great evil to arise. Thus, Confucius said: "Let thoughts be free from evil." I once practiced the Yellow Emperor's Internal Gazing Method, visualizing and contemplating until the five Zang organs appeared clearly like hanging chimes, with colors distinct and clear, never ceasing. Also, every morning upon rising, face South (Wu position), spread both hands on the knees, use the mind's eye to observe Qi, letting it enter from the top of the head and reach Yongquan (KI 1) below. Doing this daily is called "Welcoming Qi." Usually draw Qi through the nose and exhale through the mouth, exhaling slightly without opening the mouth wide, ensuring less exhaled air and more inhaled air. Whenever about to eat, send Qi into the abdomen first, making Qi the master.

Whenever there is love in the heart, do not love deeply; whenever there is hatred in the heart, do not hate deeply. Both damage nature and spirit. Do not overly praise, nor overly slander. Always maintain an equal mindset towards things; if bias is perceived, correct it immediately. When poor, do not say one is always poor; when rich, do not say one is always rich. Amidst poverty and wealth, always uphold the Dao, do not change ambition and nature due to wealth or poverty. Understand principles but appear unable to speak. With great merit, do not boast. Keep good medicine handy, keep good words on lips, let chaotic thoughts not pass through the mind. Always treat all things with deep sincerity and reverence. Never pretend to be virtuous to please others. Be virtuous all life, even if disliked by others. Do not harbor resentment; serve the ruler with propriety. Others may think this is flattery, but calm your heart with the Dao. Where the Dao resides, virtue is not alone. Do not say doing good yields no good reward, thereby blaming oneself. Let the dwelling not cause a sense of insufficiency; if so, suppress it. Do not let greed arise; let people know contentment. Heaven bestows fortune; wherever you go, do not seek excessively. Excessive seeking tires the heart and distresses the will. As for why people suffer many illnesses, it is likely due to inability to nurture nature. On days of peace and health, one assumes it is permanent, indulging desires, doing whatever the heart wishes, ignoring taboos, deceiving heaven and earth, committing all sorts of wrongs, claiming to follow nature, unaware that afterwards each becomes the root of disease. When hands feel empty, cold sweat flows, and one cries to Heaven, it is too late. This results from lifelong carelessness and lack of self-reflection. If one reflects on body and mind for a short time, one knows that in seeing and acting, various diseases grow. Know that the 404 diseases are created by oneself, not by Heaven. Once illness strikes, even skilled doctors like Heqi cannot save. Then one slanders medicine and immortals. Thus, wise people who cherish life should reflect, feel deep shame and remorse, restrain body and mind, and constantly cultivate goodness.

Regarding dwellings, do not seek luxurious splendor, which breeds insatiable greed and is the source of harm. Simplicity, purity, and cleanliness are best, free from wind, rain, heat, and dampness. Clothing and utensils should not use precious jade or gold, which increase faults and deepen烦恼 (annoyance). Kitchen meals should not be abundant in dried meat; frugality is best. Then, walk like the Swan King, speak with the resonance of a contained bell, sleep like the Lion (Right lateral recumbent position, right side down, right foot bent). Sing daily: "Delicious food must be chewed well, raw food not swallowed roughly. Ask where I live? A large house in the forest village. Fetal breath guards the five Zang, Qi reaches bones becoming immortal." Another song: "Three poisons eaten daily, dissolve without chewing. Brocade as five Zang, wearing ragged robes."

Having pacified the heart, one must be cautious with speech. When speaking or reading, imagine the sound in the Qi Sea (below the navel). After falling asleep, do not speak or read; wait until dawn. Upon rising, speak only of good deeds, not calculating wealth. Do not talk while eating; talking while eating often causes chest and back pain. Do not talk or laugh much while lying down; sleeping requires silence because the five Zang are like chimes, which cannot sound if not suspended. Do not talk while walking; if you must speak, stop walking first. Talking while walking causes Qi loss. On Winter Solstice, only answer questions, do not initiate speech. Initiating speech is "Yan," answering is "Yu." If someone asks, one must answer, but do not initiate. Avoid speaking loudly in the cold.

Since speech is cautious, regulate diet. Those good at nurturing nature eat before hunger and drink before thirst. Eat frequently but in small amounts, not in large single meals, as large meals are hard to digest. Feel like half-full when full, and half-hungry when hungry. Fullness damages the Lung, hunger damages Qi, saltiness damages sinews, sourness damages bones. Learn to eat blandly, chew thoroughly, so rice essence enters the abdomen, not wine grease enters the intestines. When eating, remove vexation (sudden irritation is Fan, invasive touch is Nao). When eating the five flavors, do not rage, or it startles Shen and Qi, causing wild dreams. Do not eat multiple meats at once, as it invites hundred diseases. Eat less meat, more rice, and some pickled vegetables. Do not eat raw vegetables, raw grain, adzuki beans, or stale/smelly food. Do not drink turbid wine or eat noodles, which block Qi orifices. Do not eat raw meat, damaging the Stomach. All meat must be boiled thoroughly and cooled before eating. Rinse mouth several times after eating to keep teeth healthy and breath fresh. After hot food, rinsing with cold vinegar water causes bad breath and dental caries. After hot and salty food, do not drink cold vinegar water, lest one lose voice or develop Corpse Throat. After sweating from hot food, do not face the wind, or one gets spasms, headache, dry eyes, and drowsiness. After eating, massage face and abdomen to promote fluid flow. After eating, walk leisurely for a few Li. Have someone rub powder on the abdomen hundreds of times to aid digestion, greatly benefiting the person, preventing disease, allowing cultivation. Sleeping immediately after eating causes hundred diseases and accumulation. Sleeping supine after eating causes Qi stagnation and Head Wind. Coming from cold, eating hot before warmth resolves causes Thorn Wind. Do not eat at night; do not get drunk or full at night. Do not think intently while eating. Laborious work harms the deficient. Finish eating at Si hour (9-11 AM) to avoid lifelong dry retching. Do not eat meat of parents' zodiac sign, shortening life. Do not eat meat of one's own zodiac sign, scattering soul. Do not eat brains, severely harming the body. Do not eat dried meat contaminated by leaking roof water, causing mass lesions. Do not eat improperly dried sudden meat. Do not eat sacrificial meat that moves spontaneously. Do not eat food with crawling bees. Do not eat Lingli fish if having chronic abdominal disease. Do not eat wet food or wine that casts no shadow. If bloated after eating, purge with medicine. Eat mallow once every ten days; mallow is slippery, unblocking five Zang Qi, and is the chief vegetable. Do not drink too much alcohol; if drunk, vomit quickly. Do not get drunk, or hundred diseases remain. Long-term drinking rots stomach and intestines, soaks marrow, steams sinews, damages Shen and lifespan. Do not face wind when drunk, or face sun, or fan oneself; all cause disease. Do not sleep outdoors or on millet straw when drunk, causing leprosy. Do not force eat when drunk, causing abscesses, aphonia, or sores. Do not ride horses or jump when drunk and full. Do not have intercourse when drunk; drunk intercourse causes facial cough or damages meridians and life. When hungry, sit to urinate; when full, stand to urinate. Avoid holding urine, causing cold knees and Bi syndrome. Avoid holding stool, causing Qi hemorrhoids. Do not strain during urination, causing cold feet/knees. Do not force defecation or breathe out strongly, causing backache and dry eyes; let it be natural. Do not stay long near mountain springs, causing goiter. Do not drink cold water from deep shade, causing malaria.

Diet should be balanced, and clothing adjusted timely. Wet and sweaty clothes should not be worn long, causing sores and wind itching. Change clothes after heavy sweating; otherwise, acute Huoluan occurs, with indigestion and headache.

Adjust clothing timely, and regulate sleep. Sleep facing East in Spring/Summer, West in Autumn/Winter. Head should not face North; beds should not be placed against North walls. Do not sing before sleeping. Remove left foot first when getting into bed. Do not sleep under the ridge of the house. Do not leave candles lit after sleeping, disturbing Hun and Po spirits. Do not place fire stoves near the head, causing heat accumulation, heavy head, red eyes, and dry nose. Cover ears at night to prevent deafness from drafts. Do not sleep with face exposed in Summer, causing thick skin, tinea, or facial wind. Do not cover head in Winter nights for longevity. Do not rest feet on high places while sleeping, damaging Kidney Water and sexual function. Do not sleep with cold feet facing the wall, causing wind entry, epilepsy, and heaviness. Do not sleep with legs dangling off the bed; close mouth. Opening mouth loses Qi and allows evil entry, leading to Xiao Ke (wasting-thirst) and blood loss. Side-sleeping with bent knees benefits Qi and strength. Better than supine sleeping. Confucius did not sleep like a corpse. "Sleep curled up, wake stretched out." Stretching sleep invites ghost pain. Sleep with heart first, then eyes. Wake easily to calls. Do not recount bad dreams; sprinkle water towards East at dawn, chanting: "Bad dreams attach to grass/trees, good dreams become gems." No blame. Do not speak of any dreams as auspicious.

When clothing, food, sleep, and dwelling are suitable, and one follows seasonal Qi, one has mastered health preservation. Good preservers do not violate day/month taboos, nor lose seasonal harmony. Daily taboo: no heavy meal at dusk. Monthly taboo: no heavy drunkenness on last day of month. Yearly taboo: no long travel at dusk. Lifelong taboo: no sexual intercourse with candle lit at dusk. Qi starts at Yongquan on Winter Solstice, reaches knee in Nov, thigh in Dec, waist in Jan, named Three Yang Formation. Reaches shoulder in Feb, neck in Mar, head in Apr. Pure Yang dominates; Yin follows similarly. Do not have intercourse in Apr/Oct, avoiding pure Yang/Yin months. On Winter Solstice, lie on thick grass under North wall to receive Original Qi. After Aug 1, warm feet with mild fire, do not let lower body get cold, keeping Qi low, not leaking upward. In early Spring, dress lower thick/upper thin to nourish Yang and gather Yin. Gathering Yin and nourishing Yang brings disaster. In Winter, Heaven/Earth Qi closes, Blood/Qi hides. Do not exert to sweat, releasing Yang, which harms. Freeze head in Winter, head and feet in Spring/Autumn; this is sage's rule. Spring: late rise, early get up. Summer/Autumn: late get up, early rise. Winter: early get up, late rise. All beneficial. Ignore sudden heat in Winter or cool in Summer. Epidemics arise from violating these. Regulate breath to balance cold/heat. Do not dance/sing on Laba Day. Often...