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[Chapter 8: Eye Halos]

In the dark night, without wind or rain, nor moonlight, how does the eye perceive light on its own? This is because the vigorous Yang Qi surges past the Mingmen (Gate of Life, the source of vital energy), causing the Shen Zhu (Spiritual Pearl, referring to the eyeball/pupil) to reveal its spiritual essence. When reading, the chapters and sentences are distinct; faces of people sitting across the room can be recognized. However, do not rejoice in this double clarity of vision, for the crisis of Qingmang (a condition leading to blindness, such as optic atrophy) is imminent.

This ocular condition manifests as follows: in the absence of lamps or moonlight at night, the eyes flash like lightning, suddenly enabling the perception of objects. Upon closing the eyelids, a band of white light appears horizontally before the eyes, persisting throughout the night without cessation. Even within this white light, one may vaguely perceive the movement of fingers. Senior physicians refer to this phenomenon as "Shen Guang Zi Xian" (Self-appearance of Spiritual Light). This is likely due to the individual's innate constitutional weakness, coupled with a tendency toward excessive activity and internal pathological desires (such as sexual indulgence). After extreme fatigue, overeating, and coitus, the Jing and Blood are severely depleted. The remaining thread of unextinguished True Yang Qi fails to nourish the Yin Water, instead following pathogenic factors upward. Thus, this disease arises. Urgent treatment should involve Da Bu Yuan Jian (Greatly Tonify the Origin Decoction) administered with Jia Jian Ba Wei Wan (Modified Eight-Ingredient Pill) or Zhu Jing Wan (Stabilizing Scenery Pill). If accompanied by restlessness and irritability, temporarily administer Yang Xin Dan (Nourish the Heart Pill) for one or two doses to cause the rootless fire to descend and return to its meridian. Naturally, the Spiritual Light will be contained internally, and the essence will not scatter outward, thereby avoiding the disaster of Qingmang and complications from Wind pathogens.

Pathogenic Qi, turbid and misty, ascends into the eyes. Looking up at the moon, one sees a halo around it like a rainbow. Do not dismiss the moon's appearance as merely a celestial matter; why does a similar halo appear around lamp lights?

This eye condition presents no severe organic pathology. However, when viewing lamps, the moon, or light leaking through gaps, a ring-shaped shadow about the size of a bowl appears outside the visual field. Its color is cyan-red inside and purple-green outside, resembling the corona of the sun or moon, hence termed "Mu Yun" (Eye Halo). The general mechanism is that Kidney Water is deficient and unable to control Heart Fire. The mutual conflict between Water and Fire causes turbulent Qi to surge upward, creating phenomena out of nothing. This is analogous to the interaction between sunlight and rain, which suddenly forms a rainbow, displaying alternating red and green colors. Zhu Xi (Zhu Huiweng) stated that rainbows are caused by the excessive Qi of heaven and earth, and noted that rain stops when a rainbow appears. Is this not a sign of deficient Water, excess Fire, and the deviation of Yin and Yang? Whenever a person is extremely fatigued, strains their vision for long periods, deprives themselves of sleep, and forces themselves to rise, this defect occurs. It may happen temporarily but should not become chronic. Treatment requires Si Jun Zi Tang (Four Gentlemen Decoction) combined with Bu Shui Ning Shen Tang (Tonify Water and Calm Spirit Decoction) for immediate cure, or Ping Qi He Zhong Tang (Regulate Qi and Harmonize Middle Decoction) for one or two doses, which is also effective. If this minor ailment is ignored and no nourishing care is provided, it becomes a precursor to blindness. As the saying goes: "If you do not pluck the sprout, an axe will soon be needed." Be cautious.

Prescribing formulas is akin to engaging in battle. In ancient times, the variety of herbs was small, but the dosage of each was heavy; this constitutes elite troops and orthodox formations (Zheng Bing), advancing directly like flying dragons or soaring birds to strike the enemy's center. Today, the variety of herbs has increased, while dosages have decreased; this constitutes deceptive troops and unconventional formations (Qi Bing), feinting east while striking west, where more ingredients are considered better. However, if the soldiers are not elite, even holding strategic advantages yields no opportunity. Just as Feng Hou (a legendary general of the Yellow Emperor) suddenly encounters enemies as fierce as tigers and leopards, both orthodox and unconventional tactics fail to support each other. Can one hope to survive by stepping into danger driven by arrogance, placing oneself in a death ground and expecting to live? Here, I have selected those prescriptions with proven efficacy for emergencies, providing detailed annotations. I have imitated Zhang Jingyue’s Eight Formations (Bu/Tonify, He/Harmonize, Gong/Attack, San/Disperse, Han/Cold, Re/Heat, Gu/Solidify, Yin/Cause), listing several formula names for each group. May all practitioners know themselves and their adversaries, follow my words, and practice them cautiously. Then, the application of formulas will be flexible and round, ensuring victory in every battle.

Written casually by Bu Chenzi of Luting