Understanding nature is based on the cultivation of the scripture

Zhuangzi took a step further on the basis of Laozi's assertion that "it is in harmony with nature", believing that if people first understand nature, master its laws, and then act in accordance with objective laws, they will not be at the mercy of nature and will seize freedom. He vividly illustrated this philosophy with the fable of the ox being dissected by the ox, demonstrating that to maintain good health, one should follow the same pattern as the ox being dissected by the ox, handle it with ease and avoid any damage, thereby achieving the goals of preserving life, maintaining a remaining life and prolonging one's lifespan. If a bird in a cage loses its freedom, it is not conducive to immortality. In "The Master of Health Preservation", he said: "A chicken in a pond takes ten steps to peck at a mouthful of food and a hundred steps to drink a mouthful of water, but it does not pray to be raised in a cage with water and food." Although the bird kept in the cage looks vigorous, it is not at ease. The chapter "Tianyun" states: "The ultimate joy lies in first responding to human affairs, following the natural order, practicing the five virtues, and responding to nature. Then, it regulates the four seasons, harmonizes all things, and the four seasons rise one after another, with all things following their natural cycle." " It indicates that under the premise of grasping the laws of nature, living freely and at ease can lead to good health and a long life. As stated in "The Master of Health Preservation" : "By taking the Du Meridian as the scripture, one can preserve one's health, maintain a full life, support one's relatives, and live out one's years." " It means that by following the laws of nature, allowing the qi of the human body to flow through the Ren and Du meridians, and taking it as a constant practice, one can protect life, preserve one's nature, nourish the body, and enjoy a long life. Zhuangzi, with the idea of preserving the true nature of health preservation as its guiding principle, and guided by the theoretical requirements of understanding nature, seizing freedom, mastering laws, adapting to nature, achieving non-desire and non-action, purity and tranquility, and self-forgetting and detachment, thus gave rise to the self-cultivation method of "taking the meridian of the Ren and Du as the meridians", that is, the qigong health preservation method of qi flowing through the Ren and Du meridians. Zhuangzi's Qigong health preservation methods are divided into two types: static Qigong and the combination of static and dynamic Qigong. In the book Zhuangzi, it is falsely referred to as the following several exercises: 1. Nan Guo Ziqi's Sitting Meditation Exercise. The "Qi Wu Lun" records: Nan Guo Ziqi sat silently against a table, raised his head to the sky and inhaled slowly. Gradually, his mental activities were not controlled by his physical form, and he entered a state of forgetting his own existence. Later, the student Yan Chengzi swam over and asked in surprise, "What's going on here?" Can the stability of the body make it like a withered tree, and can the silence of the mind make it like the ashes that have vanished? Sir, why is your expression different from before when you were sitting today? Ziqi replied, "Yan, that's a good question!" I used to sit in seclusion, just to enter a state of tranquility. Today, I have reached a state of self-forgetfulness and samadhi, one with all things. That's why you see me as lifeless as a withered tree and my heart as cold as ashes. Do you understand? 2. Confucius' mental fasting is recorded in "In This World" : Yan Hui asked Confucius, "What is mental fasting?" Confucius said, "Concentrate your heart and mind. Do not listen to the sounds of all things with your ears, but feel them with your heart." Then, without using the heart to experience the sounds of all things but sensing them with the breath, one can achieve a state of mental fasting. The function of the ear is merely to hear external things, and the function of the mind is merely to sense phenomena. Qi is empty and clear and can accommodate external things. As long as you reach a state of emptiness and clarity, you will merge with all things and thrive ceaselessly. This kind of state of mind that is clear and empty is called "Xinzhai". Yan Hui said, "Before I heard the principle of Xinzhai, I really couldn't forget myself. But after I understood the principle of Xinzhai, I suddenly forgot myself and went back to myself. Can this be said to have reached a state of emptiness, clarity, emptiness and stillness?" Confucius said, "Absolutely right." 3. Yan Hui's Sitting and forgetting of his skills: "The Grand Master" records: Yan Hui said, "I have made progress." Confucius said, "How have you made progress?" Yan Hui said, "I have forgotten about rites and music." Confucius said, "Very good, but not enough." A few days later, Yan Hui saw Confucius again and said, "I have made progress." Confucius said, "How can one make progress?" Yan Hui said, "I have forgotten about benevolence and righteousness." Confucius said, "Very good, but not enough." A few days later, Yan Hui saw Confucius again and said, "I have made progress." Confucius said, "How can one make progress?" Yan Hui said, "I forgot to sit there." Confucius was astonished and said, "What is meant by sitting in oblivion?" Yan Hui said, "To forget the existence of the body, not to use the eyes and ears, to be detached from the physical form, to have no desires, and to be in harmony with the Great Way, this is what is called sitting in oblivion." 4. In the chapter "Zai You" of Guangchengzi on the Merit of the Supreme Way, it is recorded that Guangchengzi said to the Yellow Emperor, "Come, I will tell you the Supreme Way. The essence of the Supreme Way lies in its purity, emptiness, and tranquility, and its ultimate lies in its silence and depth." Neither seeing nor hearing, maintaining mental tranquility, one must calm the mind and relieve worries, not overwork the body, not be disturbed by the spirit. The eyes should not look at anything, the ears should not hear anything, and the heart should not want to know anything. The spirit guards the body, and only then can the body achieve immortality. ... I have been carefully preserving my true and pure primordial energy, keeping my body in a state of harmony between Yin and Yang. That's why I have been cultivating myself for 1,200 years, yet my body has not aged." 5. In the chapter "Da Sheng" of Guan Yin on the Practice of Maintaining purity, it is recorded that Liezi asked Guan Yin, "The most accomplished person will not be suffocated when diving into the water, will not feel hot when walking on fire, and will not be afraid when walking above all things." May I ask why it has come to this?" Guan Yin said, "This is due to a conservative and harmonious spirit, which cannot be achieved through wisdom, ingenuity and decisiveness." Sit down and I'll tell you: All people with appearance, sound and color are human beings. Why are there such big differences among people? Then why can human beings achieve the state of not showing any trace, remaining unchanged and unextinguished, and not being hindered by other things? This is because the sage's actions are always confined to excessive limits, but he conceals his mind in the realm of cyclical change, wanders in the origin of all things, focuses on his nature, nurtures his essence and energy, and integrates his virtue and nature into all things to reach nature. Such a person has a complete nature and a concentrated spirit. How could external things invade? For instance, when a drunk person falls from a car, although he gets injured, he won't die from the fall. His joints are the same as others', but the harm he suffers is different from others'. This is because of his mental concentration. He didn't know when he was in a car, nor did he know when he fell. The fear of life and death couldn't enter his heart, so he didn't feel frightened when touching external objects. If a drunk person is like this, how can he be a sage who has attained the way of nature? The sage is hidden in nature, so external things cannot harm him. 6. In the chapter "Deliberate" of Peng Zu's Regulating Breath and Guiding Exercises, it is recorded: Breathe 呴, exhale the old and take in the new, like an old bear climbing and hanging on branches, like a bird looking around and stretching its feet. This is merely to prolong life. This is what the long-lived Peng Zu, who guides the spiritual energy to nourish the body and prolong life, prefers. The various exercises entrusted by Zhuangzi mentioned above, in terms of Jingqi Gong, can be collectively referred to as Zhuangzi's Zao Wang Gong. This Zhuangzi Zao Wang Gong, which is based on the principle of "taking the Governor as the scripture", is similar to the Great and Small Zhou Tian Gong we talk about today, or it can be said that the Great and Small Zhou Tian Gong evolved from Zhuangzi Zao Wang Gong. It was truly astonishing to have reached such a superb level at that time. Especially the skills of the "sage" that Liezi saw, who could "move stealdidly without being held back, swim over fire without getting hot, and walk above all things without trembling", could be said to have reached the supreme realm of perfection. Zhuangzi not only advocated Laozi's Jingqi Gong but also advocated the combination of movement and stillness as Peng Zu did. This highly affirmed Peng Zu's Qigong and the fitness method of imitating the movements of beasts, which had a great influence on later generations. Hua Tuo's Five Animal Exercises, as well as later works such as Baduanjin and Yijinjing, cannot be said to have been inspired by Zhuangzi. Zhuangzi vividly revealed the mechanism by which the combination of movement and stillness is conducive to longevity: "The way of heaven operates without accumulation, and thus all things come into being." ... "Emptiness leads to stillness; stillness leads to movement; movement leads to gain." " The nature of water, when not mixed, is clear; when not moved, it is level. If it is blocked and does not flow, it cannot be clear either. This is the manifestation of the virtue of heaven. Therefore, it is said: "Pure and unadulterated, calm and unchanging, indifferent and non-actional, dynamic and following the natural course. This is the way to nourish the spirit." Of course, although it is called "non-action", it does not mean doing nothing. Instead, it is "In the marshes, in the leisure and open space, fishing in the leisure place, that is all about non-action." This is also meaningful for arranging the health preservation life of the elderly.