Laozi's Health preservation - Nourishing essence and energy

Laozi's research on the way to health preservation and longevity began with experimental observations of infants, thereby exploring the fundamental essence of longevity. Laozi, in his observation, discovered: "When the bones are weak and the tendons are flexible yet firm, and the combination of the male and female is unknown, it is the ultimate essence." Note: Male and female refer to male and female. It means that although children have fragile bones and tender muscles, their little fists are clenched very tightly. He still doesn't know what sexual intercourse between a man and a woman is, yet his small genitals often become erect. This is because he has abundant vital energy. This is a theory that delves deeply into the origin of all things in heaven and earth. Human life is born out of sexual intercourse between men and women, and the generation of sexual activity originates from the essence of the human body. Essence is the origin of human life. When the spirit is abundant, life will be strong and vigorous. When essence declines, life becomes weak. Just as Laozi expounded in his continued observation: "To murmur all day long without making a sound is the ultimate harmony." ... "Probiotics are called auspiciousness; when the heart is driven by energy, it is called strength; when things are strong, they grow old. This is called not following the way; without the way, one is already old." " (Chapter 55 of the Tao Te Ching) It means that a baby cries all day long but does not have a hoarse voice. This is because his heart is peaceful, free of desires and full of spirit. ... The pursuit of life's pleasures is a disaster, and the domination of desires is showing off strength. When something grows strong, it will grow old. This is not in line with the "Way", and if it does not conform to the "Way", it will surely die soon. The Dao mentioned by Laozi mostly refers to the ultimate source that gives rise to all things, and is sometimes also called "the mysterious female". For human life, the "Dao" here actually refers to essence. When essence is excessively depleted, it will age. If essence dries up, a person will die very quickly. Therefore, Laozi incisively and profoundly pointed out that the root of health preservation lies in preserving essence. And how to preserve sperm? It lies in peace and desirelessness. But how can one be considered peaceful and desireless? That is to be like a baby. Therefore, in Laozi's books, it is repeatedly proposed to use infants as metaphors and standards. As the opening of Chapter 55 states: "The depth of one's virtue is greater than that of a pure child." This means that the depth of the primordial essence should be comparable to that of a peaceful and desireless infant. Chapter Ten states: "With the spirit of the camp embracing one, can there be no separation?" "Can a gentle and concentrated energy lead to a baby?" " Does it mean that the spirit and the body are united and cannot be separated? Can one be like a desireless baby by concentrating on essence and energy and striving for gentleness? Chapter Twelve says: "I am alone, and my future is like an infant's unborn child." It means that I am only indifferent and peaceful, unmoved, just like a baby crying all day long without a hoarse voice. This is Laozi's practical experience in preserving essence, attaining enlightenment and maintaining health. A baby has extremely strong vitality because he is completely pure and desireless. But people cannot remain in infancy forever. They have to grow up and eventually grow old and die. Laozi's experimental observation enlighten people that if one can pay attention to preserving essence and always maintain vigorous vital energy, they will be healthy and live a long life. But how to preserve sperm? That is the idea of health preservation proposed by Laozi, which is regarded as the fundamental scripture by later medical practitioners and health preservation experts. It is characterized by simplicity, emptiness, and a lack of thought and desire. This important thought is extensively discussed in the book Laozi. Chapter 19 states: "See simplicity and embrace plainness, think little and have few desires." It means to have a simple appearance, a plain heart, less selfishness and few desires. Chapter Twelve states: "The five colors blind the eyes, the five sounds deafen the ears, and the five flavors delight the mouth (delight, damage)." Racing and hunting drive the heart wild, and rare goods cause harm (meaning to harm one's character and harm one's health). It doesn't hurt. Therefore, the sage regards the belly as the belly and not the eyes, thus discarding the other and taking the this. This sentence means that the sage is dedicated to preserving the five natures, eliminating the six emotions, regulating one's spirit, nourishing the mind, and not looking blindly but taking what is in the stomach. Chapter 46 states: "No greater disaster comes than insatiability; no greater fault comes from the desire for gain." Therefore, contentment is always enough." This means that no disaster is greater than insatiability, and no sin is greater than insatiable greed. So knowing how to be content with such contentment means being content forever. This is the source of the later idea of contentment and happiness in health preservation. Chapter 67 states: "I have three treasures that I cherish and protect: the first is kindness (benevolence, loving the people as if they were children of their own), the second is frugality, and the third is not daring to be the first in the world (which means being humble and not striving to be the first in credit)." Kindness leads to courage (courage to be loyal and filial). Frugality leads to broad-mindedness. Not daring to be the first in the world, one can become a respected elder. Now, to give up kindness and seek bravery (to give up benevolence and seek martial prowess), to give up frugality and seek breadth (to give up frugality and seek luxury and peace), to give up the last and seek the first (to give up the last and seek the first for others), and to die (the result is only death)." This is a discussion from having few selfish desires to the moral cultivation of kindness, frugality and self-humility, and it puts forward the important idea that one must first cultivate virtue before maintaining good health, which was first emphasized by later health preservation experts. In the society of that time, Laozi was well aware that it was very difficult to achieve a state of having few selfish desires and reaching a state of tranquility and emptiness. Therefore, he particularly emphasized the need to strengthen social education. In Chapter Three, he said: "Do not value the virtuous (that is, do not advocate official positions or titles), so that the people do not contend." Do not value rare goods so that the people will not steal them. Not seeing what is desirable (not allowing oneself to see what can arouse desire) keeps the people's hearts from being disturbed. Therefore, the governance of the sage is to empty the mind (that is, to eliminate desires and get rid of restlessness), to fill the abdomen (that is, to embrace the way and the unity, and to strictly guard the spirit of the five internal organs), to weaken the will (that is, to be gentle and modest, and not to compete for power), to strengthen the bones (that is, to fertilize and apply more, making the marrow full and the bones firm), and to always keep the people ignorant and desire-free (that is, to return the people to simplicity and purity). Chapter 64 also states: "Therefore, the sage does not desire (what the sage pursues is to have no desires), and does not value rare goods (that is, does not be greedy for wealth)." To learn or not to learn (the learning of a sage is not to learn to seek personal gain), to make up for the mistakes of the masses (to remedy the faults that the masses often commit). To restore, to remedy, to assist the natural development of all things without daring to act (meaning that is, to assist the natural development of all things with the above principles, rather than forcing oneself to act). The above is Laozi's discussion on how to preserve essence. He put forward important theories of health preservation such as having few selfish desires, being content with what one has, opposing greed, and emphasizing the moral cultivation of kindness, frugality, and modesty, in order to achieve a state of tranquility and emptiness, and thus make the essence vigorous and the body strong.