《保生要录》

Baosheng Yaolu

Preface

I have heard that pine trees can stand tall for a long time, yet snow cannot withstand even a moment of melting. If a pine is planted in rotting soil, it will surely wither within a month; if snow is stored in a cold, shady mountain, it will not melt even after many years. When one goes against the nature of things, even the most solid can become fragile; when one follows the principles of things, even a short lifespan can be extended. If this is true of things, how could the principles of human life be any different? That being so, how can the methods of regulating and nourishing the body and mind be neglected?

I have privately read the books on yangsheng compiled by predecessors, and often found that they contain too many taboos and overly numerous items, making them difficult to put into practice. The methods they emphasize are especially hard to accomplish. In my youth I was frequently ill, and thus paid attention to yangsheng, studying it over a long period; recently I have arranged this into a book. These methods are simple and convenient, and can be practiced even in leisure time. First one must consolidate the body’s Zhengqi (upright Qi), then regulate the four limbs and the body. As for clothing, dwelling, medicinal formulas, as well as the properties of vegetables, fruits, poultry, and fish, I have included whatever is beneficial and omitted whatever is of no help. Where ancient formulas contain errors, I have provided new explanations; where folk usages are inappropriate, I have also corrected them. I have named this book Baosheng Yaolu.

Although this book is of no help in comprehending the Great Dao, it can roughly provide some reference for yangsheng. I presumptuously present this book, feeling extremely apprehensive and uneasy in my heart.

Respectfully prefaced by Pu Qianguan, Siyi Lang.

Nourishing Shen and Qi

Ji Shuye (Ji Kang, courtesy name Shuye) said: “When taking medicine in hopes of inducing perspiration, sometimes one still cannot sweat. Yet once emotions accumulate, sweat immediately flows without cease.” Inner emotions manifest on the outside; from this we can know, how could joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure not harm a person?

Therefore, if the mind-spirit remains undisturbed, the Shen (spirit) will not become exhausted; if the Shen is not exhausted, the Qi (vital energy) will not become disordered; if the Qi is not disordered, the body can be at peace, and lifespan will be extended.

Regulating the Limbs and Body

Those who practice the cultivation of health should keep the body moderately active and never overexert themselves. Flowing water stays clear through constant movement, while stagnant water grows turbid. Practitioners of health cultivation must keep qi (vital energy) and blood circulating regularly, just as water flows: one should not sit until weary, nor walk until exhausted. Frequent walking is beneficial so long as the steps are taken a little more slowly—this is the method of moderate activity.

The hands and feet may be flexed and extended from time to time. The arms may be drawn left and right as if drawing a bow; both hands may be pushed forward as if shoving a stone; or the fists may lightly strike the empty air in front while the arms swing gently forward, backward, left, and right. The head and neck may be turned to either side, the waist and hips rotated left and right, and the torso alternately bent forward and arched backward. One may also clasp the hands and twist them gently as if washing them, or rub the palms together until they grow warm, then cover the eyes and massage the face. These movements can be performed at any idle moment as one pleases, repeating each about a dozen times. All should be done lightly and slowly, without strain.

Practicing these activities daily brings a feeling of bodily ease, brightens the eyes, and keeps the sinews, bones, joints, and the flow of qi and blood unobstructed; food is digested more readily and does not stagnate. Slight discomfort in the body is often relieved simply by performing them. Traditional daoyin methods (exercises that nourish the body through physical movements) are excessively elaborate and difficult for persons of high rank to carry out. The methods presented here impose no restrictions of time or number of repetitions; they may be practiced whenever a spare moment arises and produce results relatively quickly.

After lying down at night, one can rub the four limbs, chest, and abdomen with the hands a dozen or so times. This is called “dry bathing” (a form of self-massage without water). When sleeping, it is best to lie on one’s side with the knees bent, which helps enhance Qi (vital energy) and physical strength.

Ordinarily, turbid saliva should be spat out, while clear and moist fluids may be swallowed. Frequently press the tip of the tongue against the upper palate to gather saliva in the mouth and then swallow it. According to Daoist theories of nourishing life, this moistens the five viscera, lubricates the skin, and benefits longevity. The Huangting Jing (Yellow Court Scripture, a Daoist classic) states: “The mouth is the Jade Pool and also the official of Great Harmony; rinsing and swallowing the numinous fluids makes it difficult for disasters to invade.” It further says: “Closing the mouth, curling the tongue, and swallowing the embryonic fluids enables one to cultivate continuously and ultimately become a flying immortal.” Regularly tapping the teeth can make them firm and also helps ward off evil.

In spring and the hot summer season, one should go to bed late and rise early; in autumn, go to bed early and rise early; in winter, go to bed early and rise late. One should not rise earlier than the singing of birds, nor later than sunrise. When the weather is hot, the body should be stretched and kept unobstructed; when cold, it should be contracted and kept warm. This is the method of according with the Qi of the four seasons, nurturing the body, and promoting longevity.

The heading Lun Yifu Men (Treatise on the Clothing Gate) is the title of this chapter on “Discussing Clothing.”

The thickness of clothing should be adjusted according to the season and the temperature so as to be suitable. In summer one should not dress too lightly, nor in winter too warmly. In times of intense heat one may wear a single layer, with thicker garments underneath and a thick curtain for shielding on the outside; alternatively, covering the waist, abdomen and the area below the knees with a quilt is quite appropriate.

When wearing cotton-padded clothes in winter, do not put them on too thickly from the outset; add layers gradually when you feel cold. This prevents the body from being suddenly exposed to cold or heat. When the weather is cold one may wear somewhat fewer clothes; when it is hot one may add clothes gradually, and in this way it is not easy to suffer from cold or heat. If one takes off or puts on clothes at will according to changes in the weather, it is easy to catch a chill or become overheated. In cold weather clothes should be added gradually; in hot weather they should be reduced gradually.

From the waist and abdomen down to the feet one should always keep warm; from the chest up to the head it is better to remain slightly cool. The coolness should not freeze one, and the warmth should not make one feel dry and hot. Clothes soaked with sweat must be changed at once. Clothes just dried over a fire, while the residual heat of the fire has not yet fully dissipated, should not be put on immediately.

When cold and heat are in harmony, the body and spirit are at peace, illness does not easily arise, and longevity comes of itself.

On Diet (the chapter discussing diet)

Diet is used to nourish a person's blood and Qi (vital energy). When blood and Qi are abundant, the body has luster; Qi can protect the four limbs. The most refined portion of the dietary essences transforms into bone marrow and Jing (essence) Qi, while the secondary portion nourishes the muscles.

In ordinary times, do not wait until hunger becomes unbearable before eating, nor wait until one is extremely full before stopping. It is best to eat until a little hunger still seems to remain, or when hungry, to already feel somewhat satiated. The Green Ox Daoist said that a person should first feel hungry before eating and first feel thirsty before drinking, and should not force food or drink. One should also not eat hot food first and then immediately follow it with cold food, lest the clash of cold and heat cause discomfort. When eating, first consume hot food, then warm food, and only afterward a small amount of cold food.

Food that is too hot injures the bones; food that is too cold injures the sinews. Even hot food should not scald the lips, and even cold food should not freeze the teeth. Diet is best when warm; eating less is better than eating too much, cooked food is better than raw, and bland flavors are better than salty ones. If eating hot food causes one to sweat, do not immediately wash the face, or the complexion will lose its luster and there may be a sensation of insects crawling on the face. Washing the hair after eating to fullness easily induces head wind (headaches and similar symptoms after the head is affected by wind).

Do not overly prefer the foods one likes; excessive craving for a particular food easily leads to harm and illness. Flavors one dislikes should not be completely avoided either, or the five viscera will become unbalanced. For example, completely abstaining from bitter flavor weakens the heart; completely abstaining from salty flavor weakens the kidneys.

Heaven has the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water), humans have five viscera, and food has five flavors. The liver corresponds to Wood, the heart to Fire, the spleen to Earth, the lungs to Metal, and the kidneys to Water; sour flavor belongs to the liver, bitter to the heart, sweet to the spleen, pungent to the lungs, and salty to the kidneys. The Five Phases have generating relationships: Wood generates Fire, Fire generates Earth, Earth generates Metal, Metal generates Water, and Water generates Wood. They also have controlling relationships: Wood controls Earth, Earth controls Water, Water controls Fire, Fire controls Metal, and Metal controls Wood.

Therefore, in the diet of all four seasons, do not consume too much of the flavor corresponding to the viscera that is vigorous in that season, nor too much of the flavor that restrains it, or both will damage that viscera. Appropriately consuming the flavor that generates with the seasonal Qi helps support the Qi of the seasonal viscera. When the viscera remain undamaged, the vigorous Qi receives supplementation, diet is moderate, and cold and heat are suitable, various diseases do not easily arise, and the person can thus attain longevity.

The Commentary states: “In places where the soil is deep and thick and the water sources far-reaching, those who dwell there will not easily fall ill.” Therefore, when choosing a place to live, no matter which direction the dwelling faces, one should select a site with deep soil layers and distant water sources. The soil should be firm, moist, and yellow in color, and the water should be sweet and clear.

Houses for regular habitation should be built as tightly sealed as possible, leaving no tiny crevices that allow wind to enter. Prolonged exposure to wind readily injures people. Wind is the breath of Heaven and Earth; it enables the growth of all things yet can also damage the human body. Wind Qi first invades the body’s couli (the interstices of the skin’s texture), gradually penetrating the muscles and flesh, then traveling along the meridians to the zang-fu organs. The wider the area affected, the more serious the illness becomes. Thus the ancients said, “Avoid wind as you would avoid arrows.”

In the height of summer, sitting for long periods in a house open to drafts at both ends easily invites strong winds; the wind in narrow alleyways is especially fierce. Do not sleep in the open air during midsummer. When sleeping, from the Beginning of Spring until before the Beginning of Autumn the head should face east; from the Beginning of Autumn until before the Beginning of Spring of the following year the head should face west.

Regular use of a medicinal pillow is preferable to a precious jade pillow. Jade is excessively cold and cool and can damage the head. If the herbs in a medicinal pillow are too heating in nature, hot Qi will rush upward; if too cooling, they will likewise injure the head. Only herbs that can regulate wind pathogens and harmonize cold and heat are suitable for making such a pillow.

Medicinal Pillow Formula

Used over a long period, this pillow treats head wind, dizziness, heaviness of the head, headache, dim vision, and nasal congestion, and it also has the effect of warding off pathogenic influences. Combine eight fen of Vitex seeds, eight fen of sweet chrysanthemum flowers, six fen of Asarum, six fen of Wu angelica, four fen of Atractylodes, six fen of peony, eight fen of Tetrapanax pith, eight fen of Saposhnikovia, six fen of Ligusticum, eight fen of antelope horn, eight fen of rhinoceros horn, eight fen of stone-grown Acorus, and five ge of black soybeans. Select the ingredients cleanly, pound them until broken, allow them to cool, and then fill them into the pillow.

Finely chop the medicinal materials described above, sift out the powder, mix them evenly, and pack them into a bag of raw silk. To let the medicinal Qi permeate, enclose it further in a bag of green gauze, sew the whole into the shape of a pillow, fill it with the herbs, and pack them tightly. Place this medicinal pillow inside a box shaped like a pillow, allowing the medicine bag to protrude about an inch and a half from the opening of the box.

When using it as a pillow, lift the lid of the box; when not using it, cover the box so that the herbs do not become damp and lose their potency. After prolonged use the herbs gradually diminish, so add more medicine to pack it firmly again; black beans may also be added to restore its original fullness. After three to five months, when the medicinal Qi has weakened, replace it with fresh herbs. In the first ten days or one month of use there may be a slight ringing in the ears; this is a sign that the medicine is dispersing pathogenic wind.

On Medicines and Foods

Distinguishing the Ingestion of Mineral Drugs

Some mineral and stone medicines can be ingested while others cannot. To investigate the way of nourishing life one must clarify the natures and origins of the medicines. The principles are set forth here through questions and answers.

Someone asked: Mineral and stone medicines do not decay when buried in the earth and do not rot when boiled in water; by using them one can stabilize the Qi mechanism and prolong life. Plant medicines, however, inevitably decay; how then can they possess the power to firm the body and extend longevity?

The reply: Mineral and stone medicines are fierce and rigid in nature and lack fluids. Even if taken while the body is still robust they may not prove beneficial; once the body weakens their toxicity may erupt. In the years of vigor, Qi and blood are abundant and circulation is unobstructed; abundant Qi can restrain the mineral medicines and unobstructed flow allows them to pass through smoothly, so toxicity does not readily arise. When one declines, the nutritive and defensive Qi circulate sluggishly: obstructed circulation cannot expel the mineral medicines, and a weak body cannot restrain them. Unrestrained, the medicines stagnate and accumulate within, bringing great harm. One originally sought benefit but instead incurs injury; how can this be called firming the body and extending life?

Someone further asked: Are there people in whom the toxicity of mineral and stone medicines erupts even before the body has weakened?

When worry and melancholy accumulate in the heart without being able to be relieved, they impede the circulation of nutritive Qi (Yingqi) and defensive Qi (Weiqi)—forms of Qi (vital energy)—within the body. The fierce Qi of mineral medicines also stagnates and fails to disperse; as it accumulates it gives rise to ailments such as paralysis and sores. Some who take mineral medicines rely on the drugs’ potency to indulge in pleasure and dissipation. When the medicinal nature takes effect they contract the illness of “strong center” (a condition of hypersexuality and persistent penile erection). Those who do not understand this mistake it for a remarkable medicinal effect, with the result that Jing (essence) is exhausted, the body withers and is damaged, and fierce heat syndromes then erupt, just as if one continued to add firewood to an already heated stove; few escape being burned.

Question: The harm of mineral medicines (jinshi drugs) is so severe; why did Shennong still include them in the Bencao Jing (the Shennong Bencao Jing, a Jing or scripture/classic)?

Answer: Those whose bodies are extremely deficient and in whom cold has accumulated may take them temporarily; once the illness is cured, stop the medicine, and thus there will be no harm.

Further question: It was said earlier that mineral medicines are fierce and unyielding, so that when the zang-fu viscera are weak the medicinal nature will erupt. Can people who are innately or originally weak really suppress the drugs’ potency by taking mineral medicines? And why do some people experience no harm after taking them?

Answer: At the beginning of taking the medicine the medicinal nature has not yet accumulated, and it happens to encounter a body of extreme deficiency and cold, so it does not erupt. From this it can be seen that when the body is extremely deficient and cold Qi has accumulated heavily, mineral medicines may be taken for a time; if one wishes to prevent illness and nourish the body over the long term, herbal medicines of plant origin are more suitable.

Further question: The potency of herbal medicines cannot last by nature; how can they make a person strong and healthy for a long time?

Answer: Persistent use allows the medicinal potency to accumulate gradually; after a long time there will certainly be great benefit. Medicines that treat illness take effect when the disease is cured; formulas that consolidate and nourish the body and delay aging take effect when one feels the body is settled and at ease. When both physical form and Shen (spirit) are at peace, lifespan naturally lengthens.

Fruits

Lotus-seed powder (powder ground from lotus seeds) tonifies the spleen and stomach, calms and nourishes the Shen (spirit), increases Qi (vital energy) and strength, and dispels various diseases. Taken over a long period it makes the body light and vigorous and prolongs life.

Lotus seed powder is made in the eighth month by selecting lotus seeds whose outer skins have already turned black. The skins and lotus hearts are removed, after which the seeds are sun-dried, pounded, and sieved into powder. It is taken at dawn mixed with wine or white porridge and should not be consumed together with Rehmannia. Eating the seeds raw while still tender easily obstructs the flow of qi; prepared as powder, however, they benefit the body.

Chestnut powder helps thicken and fortify the intestines and stomach while replenishing kidney qi. The chestnuts are sun-dried until their shells split open naturally, then shelled, sliced thinly, dried until thoroughly dry, and pounded into powder. It is taken in the same way as lotus seed powder. Eating chestnuts raw readily disturbs the intestines and produces gas; even when cooked they easily cause abdominal distension. The text regards it as more beneficial to dry them only halfway, warm them inside clothing next to the skin, and then eat them.

Although grape slurry is a common preparation, its tonic effects are excellent. It may be used for numbness and aching of the sinews and bones caused by damp pathogens, and it also increases strength and fortifies the body. Taken over a long period it is said to lighten the body and delay aging.

Before the grapes ripen, one dou of mutton broth and one dou of rice-washing water are poured over the roots of the vine and left overnight. Ripe grapes are then picked, packed into a new white bottle, pressed down slightly, and sealed for one hundred days. They naturally ferment into a slurry; after the dregs are strained off it is drunk. The flavor is mellow and rich and is said to be of great benefit to the body.

Pomegranate-pear slurry treats dizziness and oppressive restlessness in the chest caused by wind-heat. Twenty large green pears, ten pomegranates, and three sheng of pale bamboo sap are used. The pomegranates and pears are pounded, their juice squeezed out, clarified and filtered, then mixed evenly with the bamboo sap. Five ge are taken each time, three times a day. The pears must be especially large; if smaller, thirty are used.

Grains and vegetables.

Sesame, known as huma (that is, sesame), possesses nourishing properties. It can regulate weakness of the intestines and stomach, benefit the five viscera, enhance Qi (vital energy) and physical strength, promote muscle growth, and also brighten the eyes, replenish bone marrow and brain marrow, strengthen the sinews and bones, and relieve deficient heat. Huma is also called jusheng. The text states that the pods of huma have four ridges; among the eight kinds of grain, huma is the finest. Tao Hongjing likewise held that, of the eight grains, only huma is the best.

The text further distinguishes true huma from another plant popularly known as “jusheng” at the time. The author explains that genuine huma is black sesame, or black oil sesame, which is sweet in flavor and suitable for nourishment. Certain plants referred to as “jusheng,” although their stems and pods resemble hemp, have large leaves, a bitter taste, and a cold nature. Their leaves droop in shade and stand erect under strong sunlight, and they also differ from hemp leaves, so they are not true huma. The author considers that huma pods have four ridges, while those of the so-called jusheng have eight ridges. According to the records of the Bencao Jing, one should use the sweet-flavored black oil sesame and should not regard the bitter, cold-natured plant as a tonic.

Regarding meats, the flesh of the duanli sheep, when eaten by men, damages yang Qi and, when eaten by women, damages yin Qi. Among northern sheep, those with long horns are the duanli yang mentioned in the text. Sheep marrow can nourish depletion and weakness, whereas sheep brain marrow confers no benefit. Deer meat is warm in nature and can regulate and nourish the body, strengthen the five viscera, and enhance Qi and strength. Hu Jushi observed that deer are by nature alert and fierce; they regularly consume fine grasses, dwell on hillsides, and choose moist places even when giving birth. Thus deer may be used in sacrifices to the gods because they are regarded as pure. Deer commonly eat nine kinds of plants: deer onion, deer medicine, white mugwort, water celery, licorice, shancang, kudzu leaves and kudzu root, qitouhao, and jiwei. These plants are believed to detoxify, treat wind pathogens, and alleviate discomfort caused by taking mineral elixirs. If a person who has taken aconite consumes a large amount of deer meat, the medicinal potency of the aconite will be reduced. Deer meat should not be eaten in the fifth lunar month, and deer velvet ought not to be brought close to the nose. The meat of the river deer is warm in nature and can nourish the five viscera. Eating it between the eighth and eleventh lunar months is considered superior to eating mutton; after the twelfth month, however, consuming it may stir wind pathogens and darken the hair, making it unsuitable for consumption.

Eel is of a warm nature and is suitable for application to affected areas near the nose.

Muntjac meat is warm in nature and can tonify the five viscera. Consumed from the eighth to the eleventh month of the lunar calendar, it is more beneficial than mutton; after the twelfth month, eating it may provoke wind diseases and darken the complexion, making it unsuitable.

Eel is of a warm nature. It treats the five hemorrhoids, expels all manner of worms from the body, and tonifies Yang Qi (vital energy). After three to five servings, various ailments in the region of the waist and kidneys will resolve of themselves. Five-colored eel can also address various disorders of the Belt Vessel in women. Prepare it by mincing the flesh, removing the bones, seasoning with various condiments, packing it into a sheep intestine, tying both ends firmly, roasting until cooked, cooling, and slicing for consumption.

Female yellow parrots are warm in nature. They treat vacuity thirst, frequent urination, and diarrhea, while tonifying the five viscera and increasing strength. Black parrots treat wind diseases.

The round fish is of a neutral nature and can tonify the body. It eliminates congested heat between the joints and black stasis. It is unsuitable to eat in the fifth and sixth months of the lunar calendar. In one instance, turtle shell was made into a powder; during the fifth and sixth lunar months, under the influence of yin-damp Qi, it suddenly transformed into small turtles.

The phrase “the du has no tendons, the parrot has no marrow” means that the du lacks sinews and the parrot lacks marrow; many such implausible assertions exist among medicinals and foods.

The magpie is of a neutral nature and can tonify the body. It should not be eaten with mushrooms. Frying it in butter is preferable.