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Lotus seeds (Lianzi), with a sweet and astringent taste, are neutral in nature and slightly cold, and non-toxic. They enter the Heart, Spleen, Liver, and Kidney organs, nourish the Shen (Spirit) and stabilize the Zhi (Willpower), facilitate the interaction between the Ministerial Fire (Xianghuo) and the Sovereign Fire (Junhuo), effectively stop seminal emission, clear Heart Qi, relieve lower back pain, and arrest dysentery.

The flower heart (Lotus plumule/Lianxin) benefits the Kidney, astringes essence, and consolidates marrow.

Lotus root (Ou), with a sweet taste and cold nature, primarily treats excessive bleeding due to blood heat, resolves blood stasis, disperses stagnation to prevent coagulation, stops hematemesis (vomiting blood) and epistaxis (nosebleed) caused by reckless blood flow, breaks down postpartum blood accumulation causing irritability, detoxifies alcohol, clears heat, and promotes tissue regeneration for traumatic injuries.

Note: Lotus seeds, lotus plumules, and lotus roots all benefit humans, but the efficacy of lotus seeds is particularly superior. People generally believe that lotus seeds should not be consumed with the plumule, fearing it may cause sudden cholera-like symptoms. However, if the plumule is removed from the lotus seed before use, it loses all efficacy; its miraculous power lies entirely within the plumule, not merely in treating postpartime thirst. The lotus plumule clears both Heart fire and Kidney fire. When these two fires flare up, the Heart and Kidney fail to interact. When these two fires are cleared, the Heart and Kidney naturally harmonize. Removing the plumule and using only the lotus seed meat can only nourish the Spleen and Stomach, failing to benefit the Heart and Kidney. Using lotus plumule alone combined with Renshen (Ginseng Radix), Fuling (Poria), [missing herb], and Baizhu (Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma) is particularly effective for treating nocturnal emission, precisely because it facilitates the communication between the Heart and Kidney. Therefore, one must never remove the plumule when using lotus seeds. Once removed, it cannot nourish the Shen or stabilize the Zhi, cannot stop seminal leakage, nor eliminate lower back pain.

One might ask: In the past, people used Lianzi Qingxin Tang (Lotus Seed Decoction to Clear the Heart), but there is no record of them using the plumule. I reply: If Lianzi Qingxin Tang does not use the plumule, this is why it fails to be effective. It is possible that ancient prescriptions did use the plumule alone, but over time, this knowledge was lost, and people forgot to use it, rendering the originally miraculous formula useless. This is why I sigh repeatedly. Originally, when people used Lianzi Qingxin Tang, using one qian of lotus plumule to clear the Heart fire invariably produced immediate results. Stone lotus seeds (Shi lianzi), specifically those matured on the tree, should not be used in medicine.

Euryale seeds (Qianshi), with a sweet taste and neutral nature, are non-toxic. They enter the Spleen and Kidney meridians. They treat damp-bi syndrome (painful obstruction due to dampness), stop lower back and knee pain, benefit essence, enhance hearing and vision, strengthen willpower, tonify the Middle Jiao, eliminate acute diseases, and prolong life and health with long-term consumption. Though appearing ordinary, they offer significant benefits. They can serve as a Jun (Monarch), Chen (Minister), or Zuo-Shi (Assistant-Guide) herb. Their primary function is tonifying the Kidney and dispelling dampness. Most herbs that tonify the Kidney have moistening properties, which inevitably introduce some dampness. Qianshi, however, tonifies the Middle while dispelling dampness without being drying. Thus, it can expel pathogenic water (excess dampness) and tonify vital fluids (true yin). When used with other yin-tonifying herbs, it further assists in generating essence without the risk of increasing dampness even with high doses.

One might ask: Qianshi seems unremarkable; why do you praise it so highly as an herb that benefits essence and tonifies the middle? I reply: Qianshi not only benefits essence but also astringes essence; it is a miraculous herb for tonifying the Kidney. Do you doubt its efficacy? When Qianshi is used together with Shanyao (Dioscoreae Rhizoma), each ground into powder and taken daily with rice water decoction, even patients severely debilitated by nocturnal emission will stop leaking essence and regain vigor within ten days. This is an extremely mild herb with extraordinary effects, beyond the comprehension of ordinary people.

One might ask: Since Qianshi is so plain yet beneficial, besides tonifying the Kidney and benefiting essence, what other conditions can it be used extensively for? I reply: There is no condition where Qianshi cannot be used extensively, especially for opening the Stomach Qi. When Stomach Qi is greatly opened, how could any disease not benefit from it? It is plain yet miraculous, bland yet never tiresome; this describes Qianshi perfectly.

One might ask: Qianshi is plain yet beneficial. If so, why not eat it daily as a staple food? I reply: Although Qianshi is not suitable for making staple rice, it is indeed suitable for daily use. I have a prescription suitable for both home and travel. It uses 2 jin of Qianshi, 2 jin of Shanyao, 4 jin of white glutinous rice, 1 jin of white sugar, and 2 liang of Huajiao (Zanthoxylum pericarpium), removing the cores of the Huajiao. Each ingredient is ground into powder. Take one liang daily mixed with boiling water. It best opens the Stomach and generates essence. For those without nocturnal emission, it can be taken until the age of one hundred.

One might suspect that Qianshi only stops essence but does not generate it. Although stopping essence is a form of benefiting essence, one cannot say that essence is generated *by* Qianshi. I reply: Does Qianshi only stop essence? To stop seminal emission, one must first tonify. If Qianshi could not benefit essence, how could it stop emission? Moreover, Qianshi not only stops essence but also generates it. By removing damp-phlegm from the Spleen and Stomach, it generates true water in the Kidney. How can there be any doubt that Qianshi benefits essence?