Laozi's health preservation - The Dao follows nature

Human selfishness and greed are acquired later in life rather than innate. They depletes one's essence and energy, and even shorten one's lifespan. Therefore, Laozi, on the one hand, put forward the way of health preservation that emphasizes "whether to desire or not", "whether to learn or not", and "to assist the natural nature of all things without doing anything", which aims to eliminate selfishness and greed, return to simplicity and truth. On the other hand, it examines the way of longevity and long-term vision of human life from the overall and systematic view of the universe and all things, namely "The Dao gives birth to one, one gives birth to two, two gives birth to three, and three gives birth to all things", and thus puts forward the important health preservation viewpoint of "following nature". This important viewpoint was highly valued by later medical and health preservation experts. Chapters such as "The Ancient Theory of the True Nature" and "The Great Theory of Regulating the Four Qi and the Spirit" in the "Huangdi Neijing" all expounded it as the fundamental guideline of health preservation science, which fully demonstrates the profound scientific significance of this viewpoint. Chapter Twenty-five states: "All things come into being before heaven and earth." So quiet and desolate! Independent and unchanging, moving in circles without ceasing. She can be the mother of the world. I do not know its name, but I call it Dao and force it to be called great. Great is called passing, passing is called distance, and distance is called rebellion. Therefore, the Dao is great, the heaven is great, the earth is great, and so is human beings. There are four great elements in the domain, and human habitation is one of them. Man follows the earth, the earth follows the heaven, the heaven follows the Dao, and the Dao follows nature. The meaning of this passage is that there is something that is integrated as one, and its emergence preceded that of heaven and earth. It is silent and formless! It is independent and unique, not relying on external forces, and keeps running in a continuous cycle forever. It is the mother who nurtures the essence and energy of all things in heaven and earth. I don't know its name, so I gave it the character "Dao", and then forced myself to name it "Da". The conference becomes the past, the past becomes the distant future, and the distant future will return to its original state. So it is said that "great" (encompassing heaven and earth, embracing everything), "great Heaven" (covering everything), "great earth" (carrying everything), and "great man" is also great. There are four great elements in the universe, and human habitation is one of them. Man should imitate the quietness and gentleness of the earth, the earth should imitate the serenity and impermanence of the sky, giving without expecting anything in return, nurturing all things without seeking anything in return, and the sky should imitate the purity and silence of the Tao, its Yin energy and essence, enabling all things to come into being on their own. When the nature of the Tao is natural, one should imitate itself. Laozi's theory that "man follows the earth, the earth follows the heaven, the heaven follows the Dao, and the Dao follows nature" constitutes Laozi's view of the Heavenly Dao. This concept of the Heavenly Way is dedicated to explaining the principles of the generation and transformation of all things in the universe. By following these changes, one can achieve longevity and long-term vision. This is the theoretical origin of the later health-preserving experts' concept of following nature in health preservation. Chapter 51 also states: "The Dao gives birth to it, virtue nurtures it, things shape it, and momentum completes it." Therefore, all things respect the Dao and value virtue. The dignity of the Tao and the preciousness of virtue are not predestined but always natural. This means that the Dao enables all things to grow, and virtue (a part of the Dao) enables all things to reproduce. This is not commanded by anyone but is a natural law. Laozi sometimes referred to the laws of nature as "one". Chapter 39 states: "In the past, one thing was achieved: the sky was clear with one thing, the earth was peaceful with one thing, the spirit was spiritual with one thing, grains were full with one thing, and all things were productive with one thing." " In Chapter Seven, Laozi explains more clearly the principle that following the laws of nature and eliminating selfishness and greed can lead to longevity: "Heaven and earth last forever. The reason why heaven and earth are long-lasting is that they do not generate for themselves (they do not survive for themselves), and thus they can live forever." Therefore, the sage places himself last (that is, not craving) before his own life (and thus lives longer than others), and disregards his own life to ensure its survival. It is not because he has no children (isn't it precisely because he is not selfish)? Therefore, one can achieve selfishness (and instead reach a selfish goal). Note: Selfishness refers to longevity. The above discussion on the essence of treasure and the principle of following nature can be regarded as the grand outline of Laozi's theory of health preservation. Later generations of medical practitioners and health preservation experts all held it in high regard.