Library

A person asked: The *Neijing* (Inner Canon) states, "For deficiency of essence (*Jing*), tonify with flavor." It also says, "The earth nourishes humans through the five flavors." In ancient times, people began eating meat at age fifty. Now I am seventy years old, having completely abstained from salt and vinegar. Does this conform to the Golden Mean? Why is your spirit vigorous and your complexion lustrous?

I replied: Flavors originate either from nature or from human processing. Natural flavors, such as those found in grains, legumes, vegetables, and fruits, possess a naturally mild and harmonious quality. Consuming them has the effect of tonifying Yin essence; this is what the *Neijing* refers to as "flavor." Human-processed flavors are all strong, biased, and concentrated tastes resulting from cooking and seasoning. They contain toxins that can cause disease and shorten life; these are the flavors you doubt. Your current abstinence from salt and vinegar does not mean you are truly eating bland food. The slight saltiness of barley and chestnuts, the sweetness of rice and Chinese yam (*Dioscorea opposita*), and the pungency of green onion and wild leek are all considered "flavors." Do you consider them bland? Those who are content with natural, harmonious flavors experience the restraint of the Heart and the descent of Ministerial Fire (*Xianghuo*). Those who are content with strong, biased flavors indulge their desires, leading to the dominance of Ministerial Fire. What is there to doubt?

The *Neijing* further states, "The generation of Yin is rooted in the five flavors." Are these not natural flavors? "The injury to the five Yin organs lies in the five flavors." Are these not human-processed flavors? Thus, the sages' measures for preventing illness among the people are complete here. When ordinary people are hungry, they must eat. Rice, which is sweet and bland, embodies the virtue of Earth; it belongs to Yin and is the most tonifying of substances. It should only be consumed with vegetables. The classics state that vegetables are used to fill the diet because, when one is starving, sudden overeating may damage the Stomach. Therefore, vegetables are added to ensure fullness, taking advantage of their unblocking properties and ease of digestion. This reflects the benevolence of Heaven and Earth in generating life. The *Analects* say, "Although there may be much meat, do not let it exceed the quantity of grain." The *Zuo Zhuan* records, "Guests and hosts bow to each other hundreds of times throughout the day, but wine is served only three times, to avoid the disasters of alcohol." This is the intent of the sages in teaching. Generally, when grains are eaten together with rich, fresh meats, the strong flavors, aided by the grains, accumulate over time. Would this not aid the growth of Yin-Fire and lead to toxicity? Therefore, while those practicing dietary regimens may abstain from grains, those who do not abstain from grains yet practice such regimens will inevitably suffer harm. The *Neijing* states, "Long-term consumption increases the corresponding Qi; this is the normal transformation of things. If this increase persists for too long, it becomes the cause of premature death." Those who are content with strong flavors have simply failed to reflect on this!

Another question arose: "For deficiency of essence, we tonify with flavor. Why is there no mention of tonifying with Qi?" I said: Flavor belongs to Yin; Qi belongs to Yang. Tonifying essence with Yin seeks the root. Therefore, tonifying with flavor involves substances with strong flavors, such as Licorice Root (*Gancao*), Atractylodes Rhizome (*Baizhu*), Rehmannia Root (*Dihuang*), Alisma Rhizome (*Zexie*), Schisandra Berry (*Wuweizi*), and Asparagus Tuber (*Tianmendong*). The classics say, "Tonify the deficient," which is precisely this meaning. The earlier text stated, "For deficiency of form, warm with Qi." Injury from fatigue and overwork leads to Qi deficiency, hence termed "deficiency." "Warm" here means to nurture. Gentle nurturing allows Qi to become self-sufficient; when Qi is complete, form is complete. Therefore, it speaks of "warming" rather than "tonifying." The classics say, "Treat fatigue with warmth," which is exactly this point. Those who compiled the *Ju Fang* (Formulas of the Bureau) did not understand this. For all types of deficiency syndromes, they invariably use warming herbs to assist tonifying herbs, naming this method "warm-tonification." This demonstrates an inability to grasp the purport of the classics.