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A person asked: "Do ancient excellent physicians first master their profession and then understand human affairs, acting upon opportunities with flexibility and adaptability? Is it true that 'the same symptoms may require different treatments'?" The reply was: "Diseases in humans vary by gender (male/female), age group (infants/children), marital status (widowed/single), and physical condition (elderly/weak). There are also distinctions between pre-natal/post-natal states, chronic versus acute conditions, deficiency versus excess patterns, severity of illness, as well as individual temperaments, recent life circumstances (suffering or joy), whether medication has been taken, and the stage of disease development. These present in thousands of forms, too numerous to record. How can one apply a uniform treatment?"

Another said: "Current mediocre physicians find it easier to treat the rich and noble but difficult to treat the poor and lowly; yet some find the poor easier than the rich, and the noble harder than the lowly. What is meant by 'the same treatment yields different effects'?" The reply continued: "Those from wealthy families often have indulgent minds and arrogant natures, engaging in gambling, drinking, and unregulated sexual activity. When provoked, they fly into violent rages. They may also indulge in hunting, land disputes, or litigation day and night, causing fire in the five zang organs to flare up. Moreover, herbal decoctions are prepared by servants or women, likely leading to improper processing. Demanding rapid results under such conditions is difficult. Conversely, those who live in comfort, doing as they please, with many attendants responding to their calls, seem easy to treat. In contrast, those who maintain integrity but suffer poverty and physical labor often lack even basic food supplies, let alone money for herbs. Their treatment is intermittent ('one day exposed to sun, ten days in cold'), making recuperation a massive undertaking."

"Furthermore, those accustomed to wind and rain recover quickly from minor external pathogens. Even those with inherent weakness can be cured with a single dose of heavy sweet-warm formulas. Another objection arises: 'Humans seek pleasure in this world; emotions and desires are unavoidable for both virtuous and unworthy people, making them hard to restrain.' However, for other diseases involving limb fatigue, once worldly concerns are set aside, restraint becomes natural. But eye diseases involve fire in both deficiency and excess patterns. Vital energy constantly competes with normal states. While the body can be guarded, the mind cannot be controlled; thus, restraint remains elusive. If forced to choose which to eliminate first among anger, lust, and gambling, I say anger and lust take precedence, followed by gambling. Anger resembles wild wind and corresponds to Thunder in the Bagua. As the saying goes, 'Thunder originates from Wood'; dry roots attract it. Thunder and Wind interact, gaining power from Wood. Therefore, in the *I Ching* (Book of Changes), warnings regarding the Zhen trigram (representing Thunder/Movement) are particularly strict. Lust is the ancestor of emotion and a thief of the Kidney. All internal organs contain fire, sustained only by a drop of True Water (Jin-Ye). How can one squander this? Zhu Danxi stated: 'When the Minister Fire of the Heart moves, the Ministerial Fire rises. Even without intercourse, essence flows secretly.' Those with Yin deficiency and hyperactive fire fail to rest themselves but instead use sexual activity to vent fire. This risks extinguishing the fire while simultaneously intensifying the flames. The stronger the fire, the greater the momentum; the longer the intercourse, the more essence is lost. Can essence remain inexhaustible and Yuan Qi (Original Qi) undamaged?"

"Gambling violates laws and depletes wealth, yet vagrants view it as life itself. Huang Tingjing finds this incomprehensible. One might argue it stems from greed, yet they spend gold like dirt without cherishing it. Or perhaps it is for emotional release, yet it leads to competitive anxiety and mental instability, resulting in total asset liquidation and disregard for dignity, coming close to becoming thieves. The eyes are the external manifestation of the Liver and Kidneys. No external pathology exists without internal imbalance. If these three vices are not abandoned, mild cases worsen, and severe cases become incurable. Practitioners must speak frankly without concealment. If not, they should use tactful language to admonish patients, first addressing the causes of anger and emotional attachment. When the time is right, gently persuade them with reason. Naturally, anger will subside and the heart will cool. Then, regardless of how complex the prescription changes, it will align with Dao principles. Although symptoms differ, therapeutic effects will be consistent, ensuring no disease in this specialty remains untreatable."