典藏书目

Slaughtering living beings on the spot to meet urgent needs not only depletes the benevolence of cherishing life but also deviates from the proper way of nourishing the mouth and body. Moreover, while the meat is still warm, its vital nature remains. Living creatures cause even greater harm.

In the past, there was a person who fell ill after eating raw fish slices (Shengyu Kuai). After taking purgative medicine, what was excreted had already transformed into the shape of worms and could move; threads were still present, thus providing verification. Another person developed an accumulation mass after eating turtle meat. After taking purgative medicine, what was excreted was an animal capable of movement, resembling the shape of a turtle, thus providing verification. There are many such cases where consuming raw meat or fish slices leads to the generation of parasites and disease. For all minute living beings, they should be cooked immediately before consumption. The harm caused by eating them raw to humans is indeed immeasurable. This can result in abdominal masses (Jia), chronic stubborn diseases, or strange ailments. These principles must not be unknown nor neglected. (Selected from "Food Therapy")

The *Jingui Yaolue Fang* states: In spring, do not eat liver; in summer, do not eat heart; in autumn, do not eat lungs; in winter, do not eat kidneys; in the four seasons, do not eat spleen. This is because the five internal organs of livestock can benefit the five internal organs of humans. In spring, Wood Qi is prosperous, Liver Qi is abundant, and Spleen Qi is deficient; therefore, one should not eat liver. If eaten, Liver Qi becomes even more abundant, and Spleen Qi becomes even more deficient, leading to Spleen disease, which is difficult to treat. However, if in spring the Liver Meridian is diseased and there is clearly a deficiency syndrome, it is appropriate to eat liver to tonify it. Or, if in spring Liver Qi is too abundant, it is appropriate to eat lung to suppress it. It is also said: Liver disease prohibits pungent flavors; Heart disease prohibits salty flavors; Spleen disease prohibits sour flavors; Lung disease prohibits bitter flavors; Kidney disease prohibits sweet flavors. The Five Flavors mutually restrain each other, hence the prohibitions. Alternatively, if Liver Qi is excessively abundant causing illness, pungent flavors may be used to control it. The key lies in mental flexibility and adaptability; one must not rigidly adhere to fixed theories. The same applies to other organs. (Selected from "Food Therapy")

Occasionally, when one has eaten until overly full, even if feeling physically tired, one should not lie down to sleep immediately. One should walk slowly for about a hundred steps, then loosen the belt and clothing, stretch the waist, sit upright, and massage the chest and abdomen with both hands, crossing back and forth about ten to twenty times. Then, press downwards from between the heart and ribs with both hands about ten times to ensure the Qi in the chest and abdomen flows freely without obstruction, allowing the overconsumed food to digest accordingly.

Foods that can be eaten raw are limited to fruit pits. Seasonal fruits just arriving at the market are not expensive; tasting them first is prized because their substance is solid and Qi is sufficient to drive market circulation. Many items are harvested unripe merely to chase market profits. The fresh taste of seasonal fruits is easy to enjoy; one should not indulge in sweetness and sourness until desires are fully satisfied. Dates and chestnuts, when roasted or cooked, can be eaten in moderation without harm, but it is taboo to consume them after a full meal. In dishes, radish, Yinchen (Artemisia capillaris) soup, and broth are best used raw. Tender shoots of lettuce, fat roots of turnips, bitter melon, and eggplant can be eaten raw, but they do not benefit the intestines and stomach as much as being pickled into vinegar-fermented vegetables or boiled into soups as accompaniments to grain meals. Grains certainly cannot be eaten raw, and this applies to all animals either. For instance, slicing fish into threads, spreading meat into strips, and pouring vinegar over them was the orthodox method of dietary nourishment in ancient times. Nowadays, some people shuck clams and crabs and swallow them alive. How can the utilization of meat flavor justify such practices? By lightly harming the lives of creatures, one also lightly disregards one's own life. Eating raw fruits and vegetables naturally causes damage; this is an even greater loss, as it results in losing both the virtue of cherishing life and the principles of health preservation. (Selected from "Food Therapy")