水清明而火昏浊，此智愚之别。水静而神藏，火躁而消亡，此存亡之殊。
故性静则心如止水，情动则心如亡猿，烦扰外驰，存乎中者几希矣。存乎中者
几希，则语后便忘，不俟终日，纵复追忆，邈若山河。惟当夜半鸡鸣牿亡
之余，灵明复 ，日间所作、所言、所诵、皆历历能记。由是言之，药虽有安
心养血之功，固不若自为存养之为得耳。七情五志，动即为火，皆足扰我安静之神，
而痰闭血郁，又无论矣。若乃精神衰短，心 然不能须臾，苟非老而遗忘，何
以天夺其魄，牿之反复，夜气不足以存，此孟氏所为致叹于牛山之木也。
思虑过度，心血耗散，不任思索，每一追忆，心火即动，如油竭之灯，倏
然焰大，即涤虑凝神，收敛久之，乃略宁息。归脾汤，（见血。）有痰加竹沥。痰迷心窍
者，导痰汤（见痰）吞寿星丸。（见狂癫。）精神短少者，人参养荣汤。（见虚损。）
读书勤政劳心
者，安神定志丸。心肾不交者，朱雀丸。孔圣枕中丹。菖蒲一，茯苓、茯神、人参
各五，远志七，为末，服如上法。商陆花阴干百日，为末，暮服方寸匕。汪轫 曰∶
金正希先生尝言，人之记性皆在脑中，凡人外见一物，必有一形影留在脑中，小儿
脑未满，老人脑渐空，故皆渐忘。愚思凡人追忆往事，必闭目上瞪而思索之，
此即凝神于脑之意也。案此说甚善，脑者髓之海，肾之精也，在下为肾，在上为脑，
虚则皆虚，此证之为肾虚，信矣。《易》曰∶智以藏往。智，于五行配水、属肾，肾
虚故不能藏也。
水清澈而火浑浊，这是智慧与愚笨的区别。水静止则神志内守，火躁动则神气消亡，这是生存与死亡的不同。
所以性情安静时，心就像止水一样平静；情欲发动时，心就像逃窜的猿猴一样慌乱，烦扰向外驰散，内心留存的正气就很少了。内心留存的正气很少，那么说完话立刻就会忘记，不用等到一天结束，即使再去回忆，也遥远得像隔着山河一样。只有在半夜鸡鸣、牛栏（比喻身体受约束）之后的残余时刻，灵明重新恢复，白天所做的、所说的、所诵读的，都能清晰地记得。由此说来，药物虽然有安心养血的功效，固然不如自我修养存养来得有效。
七情五志，一旦发动就会化为火，都足以扰乱我安静的神志，至于痰闭和血郁的情况就更不用说了。如果是精神衰弱短少，心神恍惚不能片刻安宁，如果不是因为年老而遗忘，怎么会是上天夺去了他的魂魄，反复地约束折磨，导致夜间的清气不足以存留，这就是孟子为牛山上的树木所感叹的原因。
思虑过度，心血耗散，无法承受思考，每次追忆往事，心火就会发动，就像油尽的灯，突然火焰变大，然后洗涤思绪、凝聚精神，收敛很久，才稍微平息。归脾汤（见血证章节），如果有痰加上竹沥。痰迷心窍的人，服用导痰汤（见痰证章节）并吞服寿星丸（见狂癫章节）。精神短少的人，服用人参养荣汤（见虚损章节）。读书勤奋或政务劳心的人，服用安神定志丸。心肾不交的人，服用朱雀丸或孔圣枕中丹。配方：石菖蒲一钱，茯苓、茯神、人参各五钱，远志七钱，研为细末，服用方法同上。商陆花阴干一百天，研为细末，晚上服用一方寸匕。汪轫说：金正希先生曾经说，人的记忆都在脑中，凡是人外面看到一样东西，必然有一个影像留在脑中，小儿脑髓未满，老人脑髓渐空，所以都会逐渐遗忘。我思考凡人追忆往事，一定闭上眼睛向上瞪视来思索，这就是将精神凝聚在脑中的意思。考察这个说法很有道理，脑是髓之海，属于肾的精气，在下为肾，在上为脑，虚弱时两者都虚弱，这个病症确实是肾虚，可信了。《易经》说：智慧用来收藏过往的记忆。智，在五行中配属水，归属于肾，肾虚所以不能收藏记忆。
Water is clear, while fire is turbid; this is the distinction between wisdom and foolishness. Water remains still, so the Shen (Spirit) is stored within; fire is restless, so the Shen dissipates and perishes; this is the difference between preservation and loss of life.
Therefore, when one's nature is tranquil, the heart is like still water; when emotions are stirred, the heart is like a fleeing ape, distracted and rushing outward, leaving very little essence remaining within. When very little essence remains within, one forgets immediately after speaking, without waiting for the day to end; even if one tries to recall later, it feels as distant as mountains and rivers. Only at midnight, after the rooster crows and during the residual state following physical restraint (symbolized by the cattle pen), does the spiritual clarity return, allowing one to clearly remember everything done, said, and recited during the day. From this perspective, although medicines possess the merit of calming the heart and nourishing blood, they are certainly not as effective as self-cultivation and preservation.
The Seven Emotions and Five Zhi (Emotional Spirits), once activated, transform into Fire, all of which can disturb my tranquil Shen; as for Phlegm obstruction and Blood stagnation, there is no need to mention them further. If one suffers from deficient and short Spirit, with a vague Heart that cannot remain steady for a moment, unless it is forgetfulness due to old age, how could it be that Heaven has snatched away their Hun (Ethereal Soul), repeatedly subjecting them to restraint, such that the Night Qi (Yin energy accumulated at night) is insufficient to be preserved? This is what Mencius lamented regarding the trees on Mount Niu.
Excessive thinking consumes and scatters Heart Blood, making one unable to bear mental effort; every time one recalls the past, Heart Fire arises, like a lamp running out of oil where the flame suddenly flares up before extinguishing. Only by cleansing thoughts, concentrating the spirit, and practicing convergence for a long time can it slightly subside. Gui Pi Tang (Restore the Spleen Decoction) [see Blood disorders]; add Zhu Li (Bamboo Sap) if there is Phlegm. For those with Phlegm confusing the Heart orifices, use Dao Tan Tang (Guide Out Phlegm Decoction) [see Phlegm disorders] taken with Shou Xing Wan (Longevity Star Pill) [see Mania and Epilepsy]. For those with deficient Spirit, use Ren Shen Yang Rong Tang (Ginseng Nourishing Vigor Decoction) [see Deficiency and Damage disorders]. For those who study diligently or engage in exhausting administrative work, use An Shen Ding Zhi Wan (Calm Spirit and Stabilize Will Pill). For those with non-interaction between Heart and Kidney, use Zhu Que Wan (Vermilion Bird Pill) or Kong Sheng Zhen Zhong Dan (Confucius' Pillow Treasure Elixir). Formula: Shi Chang Pu (Rhizoma Acori Tatarinowii) 1 qian, Fu Ling (Poria), Fu Shen (Poria with Hostwood), and Ren Shen (Radix Ginseng) each 5 qian, Yuan Zhi (Radix Polygalae) 7 qian; grind into powder and take as described above. Shang Lu Hua (Flos Verbasculi Officinalis) dried in shade for 100 days, ground into powder, taken in the evening in a dose of one fang cun bi. Wang Ren stated: Mr. Zheng Jinxi once said that human memory resides in the brain. Whenever a person sees an object externally, a shadow/image must remain in the brain. Children's brains are not yet full, and the elderly's brains gradually empty, hence both tend to forget gradually. I ponder that whenever ordinary people recall past events, they close their eyes and look upward to think; this is precisely the meaning of concentrating the spirit in the brain. Examining this theory, it is very sound. The brain is the Sea of Marrow, belonging to the Essence of the Kidney. Below it is the Kidney, above it is the Brain; when deficient, both are deficient. Thus, this condition being Kidney deficiency is indeed credible. The *I Ching* says: "Wisdom stores the past." Wisdom corresponds to Water in the Five Elements and belongs to the Kidney; due to Kidney deficiency, it cannot store memories.