Library

Being under twenty years of age is called "Tong" (Child/Youth). Being over thirty years of age is called "Zhuang" (Strong/Prime). Longevity or early death, poverty or wealth are determined by Heaven. Whether one follows the right path or deviates into evil depends on human agency. Gongshu Duan, due to his mother's favoritism, lost his status by acting unlawfully.

Mencius' mother moved three times, and Mencius eventually became the "Second Sage" (Yasheng, 亚圣), second only to Confucius. Nowadays, young people indulge in pleasure and settle for comfort, failing to follow the teachings received in the courtyard from their fathers, and despising the free-spirited demeanor exemplified by Zeng Dian. They associate with treacherous teachers and sycophantic friends, surrounded by those who spy on their faults, while temptations lurk within the walls and at markets selling wine and meat. When driven to desperation, they seek medical help, pursuing only rapid effects, complaining about Heaven and blaming others, without knowing how to reflect upon themselves. Mencius said: "The way of learning has nothing else but to recover the mind that has strayed." If the spirit and mind remain in their proper residence, then apart from hunger, thirst, cold, and warmth, one will naturally not create unnecessary troubles. Confucius said: "In youth, when blood and qi are not yet settled, one should guard against lust." Ancient customs stipulated that men marry at thirty and women marry at twenty. One should also observe the strength or weakness of their blood color to encourage or restrain them accordingly; examine whether their innate constitution is pure or turbid to adjust and adapt accordingly. In this way, there will be no illness caused by the frustration of unmarried men and women.

Confucius said: "In prime of life, when blood and qi are vigorous, one should guard against contention." Contention is not merely fighting aggressively; mutual standoff is also contention. As soon as a competitive heart arises in the chest, one harms one's own harmony. If scholarship is unclear yet one becomes arrogant, if self-cultivation is incomplete yet one becomes proud, and if one's aspirations cannot be realized, depression and illness will ensue. Self-abandonment and speech devoid of righteousness lead to madness. Mencius said: "Act out of benevolence and righteousness, rather than performing benevolence and righteousness artificially." If one seeks peace and joy by artificially performing benevolence and righteousness, I see that such a person will find neither peace nor joy. This is the principle of nurturing oneself during youth and prime. Abandoning this great Dao and seeking crooked paths for extra gain will inevitably lead to ruined careers and squandered families, resulting in bizarre and shameless behavior.

Generally speaking, during the time when blood and qi are abundant and strong, it is difficult to control and suppress. In all matters, one must first understand the Mind, which is our spiritual clarity and the Master. All desires, bullying, usurpation, and reckless actions are driven by blood and qi. If one violates laws and suffers disasters, it is clearly the Master bringing humiliation upon oneself. Constantly entertaining these thoughts will naturally form good habits. The techniques of cultivating nature and preserving life in ancient and modern times are likely difficult for those obsessed with fame and profit to practice, so they are not copied here. Except for summer, wash the head every five days and bathe every ten days. Frequent bathing may make one feel externally refreshed, but internally it actually dissipates qi and leaks true essence.

For a twenty-year-old, if unavoidable, sexual emission should occur once every five days; for a thirty-year-old, once every ten days; for a forty-year-old, once a month. Those with weak constitutions should be even more cautious. Do not recklessly use medicinal herbs, lest you cause worry to your parents and bring upon yourself the disaster of premature death. Those who can preserve themselves from beginning to end can avoid disease and prolong life, becoming stronger in old age, which is called being an immortal on land. Although there are differences in wealth and poverty, if the Ying (Nutritive) and Wei (Defensive) Qi are harmonious and blended, resembling spring throughout the four seasons, this is vastly superior to being rich and noble while suffering from illness. Moreover, if one continues to advance without stopping, it will surpass what ordinary people can comprehend. However, in the arena of fame and profit, accepting gains and losses as fate, knowing when to stop and be content, allows one to gradually enter the realm of the Dao. The Dao does not merely mean silence and withering. It means practicing this Dao while originally rich and noble, and practicing this Dao while originally poor and humble.

Guan Yinzi said: "Make your Dao round, your Virtue square, your conduct level, and your affairs sharp." Confucius said: "Set your heart on the Dao, rely on Virtue, base yourself on Benevolence, and amuse yourself in the Arts." Thus, the words of the Inner and Outer Sages have never failed to correspond. The Arts are techniques for dealing with the world, hence "affairs should be sharp"; Benevolence is the constant of universal love, hence "conduct should be level"; Virtue is square and thus unyielding, providing inner fulfillment and external reliance; the Dao is round and thus flexible without attachment, allowing for universal acceptance, making Virtue and Benevolence vast, with aspirations everywhere. How could one completely abandon all affairs and then call it nurturing? Rather, one should act according to the changes of adversity and prosperity, store them appropriately, measure one's abilities to bear responsibilities, and not be swayed by external things, which is called "She" (Nurturing/Gathering); by remaining secure in one's role, it is called "Yang" (Nourishing).

Baopuzi said: "If talent is insufficient but one forces thinking, if strength is inadequate but one forces lifting, deep worries and heavy resentments, sorrow and emaciation, excessive joy or anger, eagerly pursuing desires, anxiously fearing misfortunes, unregulated laughter and talk, irregular sleep and wake times, drawing bows and crossbows, intoxication and vomiting, lying down immediately after full meals, running and jumping until panting, shouting and crying—all are considered excessive injuries. These are the warnings of the ancients. Furthermore, feeling sentimental under the wind and moon, by bamboo paths and flower edges, losing composure after drinking, lacking propriety in advancement and retreat, braving smoke and miasma for glory, inhaling mixed evils, lingering on favor and disgrace, mixing flavors in diet, and gradually suffering sudden illnesses—each has its treatment principles. At such times, one should turn the light inward, briefly pause the Yuan Shen (Original Spirit), and utilize the power of medicine, rather than indulging cleverness to bully crude doctors and invite trouble. Alas! The Three Sovereigns and Great Sages managed ten thousand affairs daily, yet were earnest about the ailments of the people below, humbling themselves before scholars outside society to discuss Dao and medicine for widespread transmission. Today's learners do not even know how to govern themselves, yet they try to govern others with others. Who is truly greater? And how much harder is it to become a ruler of others! I once wrote 'On Returning to Simplicity,' stating: Shu and Hu wished to repay Hun Dun's kindness and plotted together: 'All humans have seven apertures for eating and breathing, but Hun Dun has none. Let us try carving one.' After seven days, Hun Dun died. A guest told me: 'I have a method to revive Hun Dun. Carve one aperture per year, and after seven years, Hun Dun will live again.' I said: 'Your scholarship is too rigid; why boast? I can revive Hun Dun with a single breath, and with every breath, he lives with me. Thus, seeing makes him bright, hearing makes him clear, speaking makes him eloquent, yet I do not claim brightness, clarity, or eloquence, nor do others perceive me as such. Without patching the carved aperture, Hun Dun remains whole. This is called brightness, clarity, and eloquence.' Wise individuals who possess insight here will surely have a master in health preservation. Methods of non-nurturing are classified as secondary."