Library

The field of compilation and writing has reached its peak prosperity today. Libraries are filled with scrolls, covering both grand and minute details comprehensively. Whatever is beautiful and enduring is valued primarily for its practical utility.

As for the teachings of health preservation experts, their main intent is to nourish one's nature and preserve true vitality. On a basic level, they aim to dispel illness and prolong life, enabling everyone to enjoy their natural lifespan and return the world to the simplicity and peace of ancient times. Such teachings should be considered among the most useful.

However, good editions of such books are indeed scarce today. The introductory remarks have been passed down in a fragmented manner, appearing vague and obscure. Critics who have not delved deeply into these texts often dismiss them as heterodox paths, believing that only hermits seeking personal perfection might find value in them, failing to realize that these methods can be practiced by everyone in daily life and diet. Is this not because the compilers still have deficiencies, and the transformation towards benevolence and longevity awaits further development?

Since arriving in Beijing in the autumn of the Gengyin year, I participated in the grand celebration at Cining Palace the following year, sharing joy with people across the empire under the light of imperial grace. At that time, Mr. Xu Mengfeng from Yuzhang, having been selected for a position in the Ministry of Personnel, gathered with me. Our connection stemmed from our previous service together as editors, fostering a close colleague relationship that grew tighter over time.

Mr. Xu Mengfeng is a contemporary scholar of both virtue and literary talent. His body of work is substantial; his printed books on poetry and administration circulate widely throughout the country. He possesses extensive knowledge, yet maintains a profound and tranquil character, engaging with things without being attached to them. His deep affection for me reveals his generous spirit. He once inscribed four small portraits of me with the title "Teeth and Virtue Increase Together" and promised to continue our friendship in later years.

Soon after, he presented me with a volume he compiled titled *Shoushi Zhuanzhen* (Transmission of True Health Preservation for the World), requesting a preface. I was pleased that his intention to complete the book aligned with my own views, and I admired how Mr. Xu truly uses the method of preserving one's own life to benefit the world. His words are credible and well-founded.

I have often said that authors seeking fame tend to adopt obscure and difficult language to appear profound. This is especially true for those discussing alchemy and dietary cultivation, whose talk of emptiness and vastness confuses learners, leading them to ignore such works as meaningless chatter. It is no wonder.

In contrast, this compilation extracts the essence of nurturing nature and preserving vitality, and of dispelling illness and prolonging life. It guides readers through key points with clarity and simplicity, covering both fundamentals and details. Its content is as plain and essential as cloth and grain, focusing on matters of daily practice. For a learner holding this book, understanding its origins allows for effort regardless of whether one is in officialdom or seclusion, in noise or silence. Progressing, one may achieve great heights; retreating, one still gains small benefits. Indeed, it serves as a ferry for crossing the world and a precious raft for health preservation.

Mr. Xu, as an esteemed teacher in the academy and a benevolent official among the people, continues to write during his spare time while awaiting appointment. Driven by his concern for the people and desire to share goodness, he contributes to the harmonious prosperity of our nation. May all people roam within the universe of education, and may the world become like a spring terrace of joy. Does this not manifest here?

Thus, despite my old age and dullness, I happily take up my brush to write this preface.

Written in bowing respect by Wang Shifang, former student and junior colleague of the Xiangshan Elder, Imperial Appointed Vice Director of Studies at the Imperial Academy, in the first month of Xinmao, the 36th year of Qianlong, aged 113.