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子舆氏曰∶夫蚓上食稿壤,下饮黄泉。东坡曰∶蜗涎不满壳,聊足以自濡。所谓知要也。又,
《野语》曰∶蝮蛇有一种小而甚智。巫流操其法术欲取之,必诵咒语于洞穴之口。蝮一闻之,即
以尾塞其耳,拒其声而弗听。巫术穷,而蝮得安于蜇。所谓知忌也。又曰∶夜飞之蛾,赴灯烛光
而扑之,始以为快,卒以焚身。蚊睫朗于暗,避火而远 焉。所谓知伤也。夫人灵于物,终其身
昧昧然,不知所谓有要有忌有伤者,或致枯于贪,或罹患于诱,或焚身于快。予为就日之所习,最
要最忌最伤之事,胪列而琐陈之,使由是推类引伸,以保其生,庶几不智出微虫下也。
面要常擦 如前擦面之功,能使容颜光泽,故要常擦。道家谓之修神庭。
目要常揩 每静时能常闭目,用两大指背,两相磨擦,揩眼使去火,永无目疾,故要常揩。
耳要常弹 即鸣天鼓。可免耳患,故要常弹。
齿要常叩 齿喜动,故要常叩。
背要常暖 肺系近背,暖则不受风寒,故要常暖。
胸要常护 胸即心窝,故要常护。
腹要常摩 歌云∶食后徐行百步多,手摩脐腹食消磨。故要常摩。
足要常搓 如前足功,搓脚底涌泉穴,能去风湿,健步
履,故要常搓。
津要常咽 如前舌功,常取津液满口, 声咽之,能宣通百脉,故要常咽。
睡要常曲 仰面伸足睡,恐失精,故宜侧曲。又曰∶睡则气滞于百节,养生家睡宜缩,觉宜伸。
Mencius said: "Earthworms eat dry soil above and drink yellow spring water below." Su Dongpo said: "The saliva of a snail is not enough to fill its shell, yet it is sufficient to moisten itself." This is what is called knowing the essentials. Furthermore, *Ye Yu* (Wild Sayings) records: There is a type of pit viper that is small but very intelligent. When shamans use their spells and arts to capture them, they must chant incantations at the entrance of the cave. Upon hearing the sound, the viper immediately plugs its ears with its tail, rejecting the sound and refusing to listen. The shaman's magic fails, and the viper remains safe in its burrow. This is what is called knowing taboos. It also says: Moths flying at night rush towards lamp and candle light, initially finding pleasure, but ultimately suffering from being burned alive. Mosquitoes see clearly in the dark and avoid fire by staying far away. This is what is called knowing harm. Humans are more spiritual than other creatures; if one remains ignorant throughout life, not knowing what are the essentials, taboos, or harms, some may wither due to greed, some may suffer disasters due to temptation, and some may burn themselves out due to seeking pleasure. Based on my daily experiences, I have listed and detailed the most essential, most taboo, and most harmful matters, so that people can infer and extend these principles to preserve their lives, hopefully not being less wise than tiny insects.
The face should be frequently rubbed. As mentioned earlier, rubbing the face can make the complexion lustrous, so it should be done frequently. Daoists call this cultivating Shenting (Mind Palace).
The eyes should be frequently wiped. Whenever quiet, one should often close the eyes and rub the backs of the two thumbs against each other to wipe the eyes, dispelling fire heat, ensuring no eye diseases occur, so it should be done frequently.
The ears should be frequently tapped. This refers to the "Heavenly Drum" technique. It prevents ear ailments, so it should be done frequently.
The teeth should be frequently clicked together. Teeth enjoy movement, so they should be clicked frequently.
The back should be kept warm. The lung system is near the back; keeping it warm prevents invasion by wind-cold, so it should be kept warm frequently.
The chest should be protected. The chest corresponds to the heart region, so it should be protected frequently.
The abdomen should be frequently massaged. A song goes: "After eating, walk slowly for a hundred steps, massage the navel and abdomen to aid digestion." So it should be massaged frequently.
The feet should be frequently rubbed. As per the foot exercises mentioned earlier, rubbing the Yongquan (Kidney 1) acupoint on the sole of the foot can dispel wind-dampness and strengthen walking, so it should be done frequently.
Saliva should be frequently swallowed. As per the tongue exercises mentioned earlier, frequently filling the mouth with saliva and swallowing it audibly can unblock the meridians, so it should be swallowed frequently.
Sleeping posture should maintain a curved position. Sleeping on the back with legs extended may lead to loss of essence, so side-sleeping with a slightly curved body is advisable. It is also said: During sleep, Qi tends to stagnate in the joints; health cultivators believe that during sleep the body should be contracted, and upon waking, it should be extended.