《彭祖摄生养性论》

Those whose spirit (Shen) is vigorous can attain longevity, whereas those whose qi (vital energy) is overly forceful tend instead to die young. Gentleness, humility, and a capacity for reverence are manifestations of a robust spirit; sudden rage and unrestrained willfulness are manifestations of excessive qi-force.

Whenever one laboriously ponders matters that exceed one's intellectual capacity, the mind's will is injured; whenever one forces oneself to undertake tasks beyond one's physical strength, the body is injured. Prolonged, unceasing worry harms the hun-spirit; grief that accumulates without dispersing causes the po-spirit to scatter. Excessive joy and anger make it difficult for the spirit to settle; inconstant likes and dislikes prevent the spirit from remaining within the physical form. Eagerly chasing after spiritual satisfaction agitates and disorders the heart-mind; excessive concentration on any one matter likewise damages the spirit.

Prolonged laughter and conversation injure the viscera; sitting or standing for too long damages the sinews and bones. Irregular patterns of sleep and rest injure the liver; overwork injures the spleen. Drawing a bow and shooting arrows injures the sinews; climbing heights and descending slopes injures the kidneys. Vomiting after drunkenness injures the lungs; lying down after eating one's fill injures the qi. Galloping on horseback or running at a rapid pace injures the stomach; loud shouting, quarreling, and cursing injure the gallbladder. When Yin and Yang fall out of balance, sores and ulcers arise; unrestrained sexual activity leads to depletion, strain, and emaciation.

A human lifetime, even if long, amounts to no more than thirty thousand days. It is impossible to pass even a single day without some injury, and equally impossible to repair every injury each day. If one merely faults the spirit for failing to remain settled or the body for lacking robust health, is that not extremely difficult? It is truly cause for lament. Therefore the method of nourishing life is as follows: do not spit saliva too far; do not suddenly walk quickly. Do not strain the ears by listening too intently; do not stare fixedly for long periods. Do not sit until exhausted; do not lie down and sleep to excess. Add clothing when you feel cold; remove clothing when you feel hot.

Do not allow yourself to become excessively hungry, for hunger injures the qi. After eating truly too much, do not wait until you are especially thirsty before drinking, nor drink too much. Overeating produces accumulations that give rise to illness; drinking too much water causes phlegm-fluids to accumulate and may also obstruct the circulation of qi. Do not overwork, nor indulge in excessive ease. Do not allow yourself to sweat profusely; do not run after becoming drunk; do not ride a horse after a full meal; do not talk excessively; do not over-adorn yourself; do not force yourself to eat rich, fatty, and savory foods; and do not wash the hair and then go without a cap, exposing the head to wind.

In winter do not over-wrap the body in warmth; in summer do not indulge in extreme coolness. Excessive warmth in winter may easily lead to fever and mania in spring; excessive cold in summer may easily lead to malaria and dysentery in autumn. Do not expose the body outdoors beneath the stars and moon; do not confront corpses when hungry. Do not fan yourself while sleeping; do not let the head be exposed to wind while eating. Do not drink cold water immediately after becoming hot; do not approach a blazing stove in severe cold. After bathing, do not face a strong wind; do not immediately remove clothing when dripping with sweat; nor douse the body with cold water right after becoming hot. Do not urinate or defecate facing the sun and moon or the Northern and Southern Dippers; do not expose the naked body beneath the stars; nor walk into frost, mist, or the damp, hot mountain vapors. All these practices injure the viscera and damage the hun and po.

The five flavors must not be craved to excess: too much sour injures the spleen; too much bitter injures the lungs; too much acrid injures the liver; too much sweet injures the kidneys; too much salty injures the heart. These statements correspond to the Five Phases (Wuxing) and also involve the body's endowment and its nourishment; they may be investigated according to principle. Those of aspiration should be especially cautious in this regard. Violating these taboos need not produce immediate damage, yet day by day and month by month the accumulation will eventually lead to gradual decline.

The heart is the ruler of the five viscera; qi is what drives the entire body. When moving the body, one should take harmonious qi as the guide; when making qi and blood flow freely, one should take stillness and composure as the foundation. When the joints grow weary, one should lie down to rest or practice Daoyin (a method of nourishing life that harmonizes the breath through stretching and moving the body). If one does not attend carefully to caring for the body and does not follow the way of balanced, harmonious nourishment, the breath will soon weaken, and the body will wither amid the pursuit of sensual pleasures. This only depletes the finite physical form and further haggards a heart already heavy with anxious thoughts. Upon hearing these methods of nourishing life, one ought to comprehend them deeply and practice them with care.

Therefore the Zhenren (Perfected Person)—one who has achieved cultivation—lives in ordinary times with simple, quiet tranquility and does not indulge in unrestrained dissipation. The foolish, by contrast, give free rein to their passions; before their desires are satisfied, the body is already damaged, and the spirit and hun-po are injured along with it. How truly lamentable!

The Pengzu Shesheng Yangxing Lun ends here.