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My master once lectured on the *Huangdi Neijing* (Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon), specifically on the phrase "in treating diseases, one must seek the root." Upon hearing this, I had a sudden enlightenment, rose in surprise, and sighed deeply, saying, "Indeed! How profound are the teachings of Huangdi (Yellow Emperor) and Qibo (Qibo) in influencing people. Must such consistent principles only be gained through oral transmission? My humble opinions dare to be fully presented before you."

I said, "The root of the eye lies in Yin and Yang and the Five Elements (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water). Through mutual generation and coordination, they produce spiritual consciousness. If there is even slight deviation or damage, the pathogenic factors of the Six Excesses (Wind, Cold, Summerheat, Dampness, Dryness, Fire) will take advantage. The cause of the disease at this point certainly cannot be treated merely by addressing the symptoms as they appear. The classics also state 'nourish its source of transformation,' which clarifies the meaning of 'seeking the root.'

If Spleen Earth is deficient, warm it to benefit Fire; if Liver Wood is deficient, moisten it to strengthen Water; if Lung Metal is deficient, use sweet and緩 (gentle/moderating) methods to cultivate Earth; if Heart Fire is deficient, use sour and astringent methods to nourish Wood; if Kidney Water is deficient, use pungent and moistening methods to protect Metal. This is the principle of protecting the mother organ.

If Wood qi is excessive, Metal should level it. If Fire qi is excessive, Water should level it. If Earth qi is excessive, Wood should level it. If Metal qi is excessive, Fire should level it. If Water qi is excessive, Earth should level it. This is the principle of balanced interaction.

Metal is controlled by Fire; therefore, draining Heart Fire precedes protecting the Lung. Wood is damaged by Metal; therefore, leveling the Lung precedes tonifying the Liver. Earth is attacked by Wood; therefore, damaging (restraining) the Liver precedes supporting the Spleen. Water is overwhelmed by Earth; therefore, clearing the Spleen precedes nourishing the Kidney. Fire is restrained by Water; therefore, reducing the Kidney precedes nurturing the Heart. This is the principle of preventing evil.

If Metal is excessive, Wood cannot withstand it, causing Metal to become deficient; then Fire comes to avenge its mother's enemy. If Wood is excessive, Earth cannot withstand it, causing Wood to become deficient; then Metal comes to avenge its mother's enemy. If Water is excessive, Fire cannot withstand it, causing Water to become deficient; then Earth comes to avenge its mother's enemy. If Fire is excessive, Metal cannot withstand it, causing Fire to become deficient; then Water comes to avenge its mother's enemy. If Earth is excessive, Water cannot withstand it, causing Earth to become deficient; then Wood comes to avenge its mother's enemy. These are all cases of hyperactivity followed by restriction. The treatment method should level the retaliatory qi and support the qi that cannot withstand. The classics say: do not assist the victorious qi, do not aid the retaliatory qi. This is the principle of prevention.

When Wood reaches its extreme, it resembles Metal, because dense trees attract wind, and strong wind causes breaking; this is not Metal attacking, so one should use Qing Gan Wan (Liver-Draining Pill) combined with Dao Chi San (Guide Out Red Powder). When Fire reaches its extreme, it resembles Water, because intense heat causes sweating, and excessive sweat leads to cold; this is not Water hiding, so one should descend Heart Fire and clear Spleen Earth. When Earth reaches its extreme, it resembles Wood, because wet earth collapses and dry earth cracks; this is not Wood dispersing, so one should regulate the muscle layer and harmonize Qi. When Metal reaches its extreme, it resembles Fire, because molten metal destroys objects and striking produces fire; this is not Fire refining, so one should use Bai Hu Tang (White Tiger Decoction) combined with promoting urination. When Water reaches its extreme, it resembles Earth, because frozen water becomes ice, which is hard and can bear weight; this is not Earth filling, so one should warm the Kidney and level the Liver. This is the principle of resolving doubts.

As for extreme heat generating cold, and extreme cold generating heat, it is like the weather: after biting north winds, heavy frost, and snow, the sky must clear; after sultry south winds, damp pillars, and moldy moss, rain must fall. At the Summer Solstice, Yin begins to grow; at the Winter Solstice, Yang begins to grow. Things turn into their opposites when they reach extremes; this is natural law. This is the root of pathological changes.

When severe cold prevails, if heating treatments fail to generate warmth, and symptoms come and go suddenly, appearing and disappearing intermittently, this indicates a lack of Fire (Yang deficiency). When severe heat prevails, if cooling treatments fail to reduce fever, and symptoms appear by day and hide by night, or vice versa, occurring seasonally, this indicates a lack of Water (Yin deficiency). For those lacking Water, strengthen the ruling organ (Kidney); for those lacking Fire, benefit the source (Mingmen/Heart Yang). The classics say: "For various conditions treated with cold herbs that remain hot, seek the Yin; for various conditions treated with hot herbs that remain cold, seek the Yang." This is the meaning. This is the root of determining the nature of the disease.

Severe heat with restlessness, dry mouth and tongue—is this not a Yang syndrome? However, if the facial complexion is red, this is Dai Yang (Floating Yang). If the pulse is deep, small, and powerless, or wide and irregular, this indicates Yin excess below, forcing Yang to float above, constituting a false Yang syndrome. Try using drugs with a false-cold nature, following the apparent condition to subdue it, and it will calm instantly.

Wearing fur coats near a fire, with cold hands and feet—is this not a Yin syndrome? However, if the complexion is dull, and the pulse is slightly large and rapid, becoming stronger upon heavy pressure, this indicates cold in the skin but heat in the marrow, constituting a false cold syndrome. Use pungent-cool substances to warm and circulate, and recovery will follow a single sweat. This is the root of recognizing symptoms.

Regarding the Six Excesses, although there are fixed examples, the depth of infection varies among individuals, making generalizations difficult. Simply stating that Wind combined with Cold or Dampness should be treated with warming dispersion, and combined with Heat with pungent-cooling, while Cold, Warmth, or Heat combined with Dampness should be treated with drying and leaching, and Summerheat with clearing and resolving plus Qi supplementation, and external Dampness with warming dispersion while internal Dampness with warming tonification, and combined with Heat with clearing and draining—this is incomplete. Dryness is essentially a sign of withering; more than half of internal injuries involve dryness, requiring clearing and warming, never overly cooling, because cooling belongs to Autumn, damaging Earth (Spleen/Stomach) and oppressing Wood (Liver/Gallbladder). Even if dryness is removed, the Wood and Earth will become scorched.

The origin of Fire lies within Water, operating together with true essence. The pathogen of Fire wanders outside Water, standing in opposition to Yuan Qi (Original Qi). Therefore, in cases of Fire pathogen, half the injury is to Yuan Qi and half to Yin Water. Direct treatment intensifies the fire; indirect treatment (following the pathogen's nature) calms it. Only in cases of sudden external contraction leading to stagnation and heat is temporary cooling appropriate. This is the root of cautious medication.

If eye diseases do not explore the roots of Five Elements regulation and Yin-Yang/Six Qi dynamics, simply reducing redness when red, reducing swelling when swollen, applying heat when cold fails, and cold when heat fails, the disease will not resolve, and the patient will deteriorate rapidly. Although it seems the syndrome is neglected, it is actually the medication that is misused. Moreover, most people's constitutions exhibit true deficiency and false excess, and ophthalmic syndromes often present with upper heat and lower cold. Initially, cooling agents provide relief in the upper jiao, leading doctors and patients to believe this is the correct approach. After a while, appetite decreases, mistaken for indigestion and consumption. Later, heat worsens, restlessness increases, and phlegm-coughs multiply, yet it is claimed the drug potency is insufficient, leading to increased cold herbs, resulting in damp diarrhea and abdominal distension. Then, chest-opening and Qi-moving drugs are used. If disaster does not strike now, when will it?

Thus, coughing and hemoptysis with intermittent fever may not necessarily develop into Tuberculosis (Lao Fei Ji); however, continuous use of Si Wu Tang (Four Substance Decoction) and Zhi Bai Di Huang Wan (Anemarrhena, Phellodendron and Rehmannia Pill) will cause it. Chest and abdominal fullness with depression may not necessarily develop into Distension; however, continuous use of Shan Zha (Hawthorn), Shen Qu (Medicated Leaven), and Mai Ya (Barley Sprout) will cause it. Facial and ankle edema with scanty, difficult urination may not necessarily develop into Edema; however, continuous use of Ba Zheng San (Eight-Herb Corrective Powder) and Si Ling San (Four-Ling Powder) will cause it. Qi stagnation and chest oppression with difficulty swallowing may not necessarily develop into Dysphagia (Ye Ge); however, continuous consumption by Qing Pi (Green Tangerine Peel) and Zhi Ke (Aurantium Fruit) will cause it. Tendon spasms and weakness may not necessarily develop into Bi Syndrome (Painful Obstruction); however, continuous wind-searching and phlegm-resolving will cause it. Persistent red eyes with grittiness and difficulty opening may not necessarily develop into Cataracts (Zhang); however, continuous exterior-releasing and interior-purging will cause it. Once formed, these conditions are irreparable by medicine, yet excuses are made regarding contraindications. Despite the gravity of life and death, is this how one discusses eye diseases?

Therefore, seeking the root in treatment is indeed justified. In summary: Death takes Life as its root; to save the dying, do not harm the living. Evil takes Righteousness (Zheng Qi) as its root; to attack evil, one must protect righteousness. Yin takes Yang as its root; Yang exists means life, Yang exhausted means death. Stillness takes Movement as its root; movement means vitality, stillness means cessation. Blood takes Qi as its root; Qi arrives means flow, Qi departs means coagulation. Symptoms take Pulse as its root; auspicious pulse means good prognosis, ominous pulse means bad prognosis. The former is the root of the latter; what comes from here must leave from here. Interior is the root of Exterior; manifest is smooth, latent is adverse. Upper and Lower alternate as roots: for diseases above, if dispersal fails, guide and unblock to expel evil downward; for diseases below, if purging fails, lift to the Yang pathway to transform evil via Qi. Urgency and Slowness, Deficiency and Excess interdepend as roots: Excess requires urgent treatment because evil is strong; delay allows spread, so treating excess has clever methods but no slow ones. Deficiency requires slow treatment because essence is depleted; only tonification works, with no quick results, so treating deficiency has no clever or fast methods.

As for the doctor, the root lies in scholarly ability. Without sufficient learning, one cannot recognize current conditions, let alone apply classic formulas effectively. Most taboo is arrogance without caution. As for the patient, the root lies in respecting the teacher. Disrespect prevents obtaining wise care, making miraculous cures impossible. Most taboo is indecisiveness despite listening to many opinions.

Liezi said: "The sage does not examine what has happened, but why it happened." Huainanzi said: "The reason Bian Que is valued is that he knows the origin of disease; the reason the Sage is valued is that he knows the origin of chaos." These are words about knowing the root.

Do you not see planting flowers and trees? If the root is dug up, vitality is damaged. Before wilting occurs, if one does not cultivate the soil and water, but instead prunes with scissors, the plant will surely wither and burn. Such is my view. I wonder if it aligns with the Great Way."

My master initially dismissed my words, but at this moment, he rose in surprise and sighed, saying, "What a great discussion! You have entered the chamber of Huangdi and Qibo." He ordered it to be written down, awaiting correction by those proficient in medical science.