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Master Yin Guang said: The matter of restraining desires is profound in principle, significant in consequence, and difficult to explain. Heaven created males and females, and sages modeled their laws after heaven, allowing men and women to marry and cohabit as the greatest aspect of human relations. This concerns social customs above and the continuation of ancestral sacrifices below. Is it for people to seek daily pleasure and make sexual intercourse their primary concern? Those greedy for desire have thin and weak essence, like seeds that cannot sprout; thus, conception is difficult. Even if conception occurs, most children die before reaching adulthood. Even if they survive, they are likely to be frail, weak, and cowardly, unable to achieve great things. If one can preserve spirit and restrain desires for half a year, waiting until the wife's Tian Gui (menstrual blood) has flowed, then choosing an auspicious night and date to engage in intercourse once, conception will surely occur. From then on, permanently abstaining from sexual activity ensures that the born child will not only have virtuous character and light desires but also a robust constitution, free from fetal toxins, smallpox, measles, and other diseases. "Tian Gui" refers to menstrual blood. Conception should only occur after menstruation has completely ceased; otherwise, pregnancy is unlikely. Intercourse during incomplete cessation of menstrual blood causes the woman to contract leukorrhea disease, making pregnancy impossible. Human ethical duties should not be performed on days or times one dislikes; hence, one must choose auspicious times. The *Book of Rites · Monthly Ordinances* records that in mid-spring, three days before thunder sounds, kings shook wooden-tongued bells to announce to the people: "Thunder is about to sound. Those who do not guard their conduct will bear defective children and face disaster." Shaking the bell meant instructing local officials to warn the populace. "Conduct" refers to movement and stillness; "not guarding conduct" means engaging in sexual intercourse. "Defective children" refers to incomplete facial features. It is common to see children born with non-human traits or physical defects due to this reason. "Must face disaster" implies that parents may suffer misfortune, such as severe illness or premature death, not just that the child is defective. Ancient sage kings valued people's lives and paid special attention to this matter, warning them via the bell. One must avoid intercourse during thunderstorms, heavy winds and rain, when malefic stars are dominant, and at seasonal transitions (May and November are periods of yin-yang conflict; leakage of essence causes severe damage. Ancient saying: some couples died within three years due to sexual indulgence in these two months. Thus, unrestrained desire harms in all seasons, especially the fifteen days before and after Summer Solstice and Winter Solstice, when abstinence is strictly required.) Also, Buddhist and Christian feast days. (There are specific days in the year suitable for fasting and abstinence, as deities inspect the world. One should maintain reverence and not dismiss this as pedantic. Ignorant people violate these prohibitions, leading to minor illnesses or major loss of life. Young people with strong spirits suddenly dying of acute conditions, or couples dying together, or giving birth to abnormalities, are mostly caused by this. Rather than regretting afterwards, why not observe precepts to renew oneself? Those who cherish life should observe these carefully. Detailed dates are in *Shou Kang Shi Jian*; please consult it.) All these are taboo. (Also, ancestors' birthdays and death anniversaries, as well as spouses' natal birthdays, should be observed with caution.) This is the great way of respecting heaven, honoring sages, following royal regulations, and strengthening human ethics. Alas, worldly people rarely speak of this, causing descendants' constitutions to deteriorate generation by generation, resulting in early death or chronic debility due to excessive sexual activity. This is largely due to parents' ignorance of ethical principles, stemming from grandparents' lack of instruction. When children come of age, parents should gently guide them on restraining desires and preserving health. Fathers teaching daughters is inappropriate, but mothers can do so. Only then is it true love for children. Worldly "love" often allows indulgence, which is more harmful than killing one's children—how tragic! Sages emphasized prenatal education, teaching before conception. I, a monk, dare not discuss marital sex. However, having read ancient treatises on fundamental preservation before ordination, I wish to share this with friends to repay benefactors. Moreover, Buddha is the Great Physician who cures all diseases. As a disciple, I wish to practice medicine according to my capacity. This malady is universal and severe among humanity. If we ignore such widespread, serious diseases while focusing on minor ones, is this not putting the cart before the horse? Deng Bocheng sought offspring, and I briefly explained this in my reply. A Confucian scholar named Liu in Hunan (name forgotten) did not approach his wife after marriage. She said, "Marriage is for procreation. If you do not approach me, our lineage will end." They engaged in intercourse once, resulting in a son named "Chuan Zhi" (Transmit Lineage). He then abstained. His wife said, "One son alone is lonely and unsupported. Better to have another." They engaged again, resulting in a second son named "Zai Zhi" (Re-transmit Lineage). Both sons entered the Hanlin Academy. This man had sexual intercourse only twice in his life. He detailed taboo days for intercourse and methods for clearing the mind, reducing desires, preserving yuan qi, and nourishing spirit, recording these in his family genealogy for descendants to follow. A friend from Hunan told me this. To seek noble offspring, abandoning this method for others yields only luck. Following this method guarantees success.