First, essence is the foundation of life.
The essence in Taoist health preserving theory is different from the essence in TCM theory. In the classics of traditional Chinese medicine, "essence" refers to various subtle substances that constitute human life and maintain life activities, including semen, blood and body fluids. However, the Taoist concept of essence has a narrow meaning, generally referring to the essence of kidney, that is, sexual physiology and sexual energy substances that promote human growth and development and have reproductive functions. The Record of Cultivating Nature and Prolonging Life says: "Tao takes essence as its treasure, giving it will give birth to people, and keeping it will give birth to people." If you are born, you will seek to be in the fairy position, and if you are born, you will retreat. " In order to distinguish it from doctors, Taoists often use terms such as meta-essence, true essence, congenital essence, acquired essence and sympathetic essence to name essence. As the "Stone Letters" said: "Yuanyang is the essence of Yuan, and metaphysics should be born. Jing yuan is invisible and exists in vitality. If you are moved by external factors and get rid of your vitality, you will become fine. " "The Secret Book of Baoyantang" also said: "The essence is hidden in the internal organs of the first day, and it is not formed; The thought of the day after tomorrow will become the essence of the day after tomorrow. " "Medicine Mirror" says: "A wife gets her spirit because of her essence, and God gets her life because of her study, so her fate lies in her essence. The essence is true, and biology is also nominal. Everything in the world is born in essence, its product is life, and its source comes from trance. " All of the above mentioned regards essence as the basis of life, that is, the fundamental function of life, which seems to be equivalent to endocrine or hormone, rather than physiological essence mentioned in medical books. Since essence is the function of life, its decline may lead to human aging and death. Its rebirth and exuberance can make people healthy and live longer, and it is the source of youthful vitality. Then preserving essence, replenishing essence and solidifying essence must be the first priority of Taoist health care.
The so-called sperm preservation is to prevent lewdness and leakage. "Three Essentials of Photographing Life" said: "Yuan Jing is in the body, while wood fertilizer is like his body, magic is like a duck to water, and qi leans like fog. Fang is a treasure, and the combination of unknown animals is rigorous and exquisite. Pure and complete, suitable for generosity; Clear and clear, combined without one. Sixteen is really full of essence, and the five internal organs forget the truth to have children. However, after the essence is drained, the true body has been lost and the yuan shape has been chiseled, but the essence and blood are nourished by diet. I don't know how to fill it, I don't know how to increase it, and my body has lost money and consumed endlessly. I haven't reached middle age, my five internal organs are exhausted, and my pulse is exhausted. It is based on health and pragmatism. " Therefore, the essence is the treasure of life, and you can't let it out. According to Taoism, a person can live a lifetime as long as he doesn't damage his life. Generally speaking, the most serious way to get lost in life is lust, and there is no festival in the room. Chen Nan in Song Dynasty said in Cui Xu Pian: "If you want to save the old and the disabled for a long time, you will live forever unless you try the elixir with fire. After 300 days of hard work, the magical elixir has made great achievements. Gather together to form, disperse to become gas, and heaven and earth are often the same. Instead of collecting Xue Jing by lewdness, it is better to seek ways for teachers to be happy. The ancient cloud belongs to heaven and earth, so you must learn the static tactic of inaction. "The True Solution of Internal Strength also says:" The enemy of Tao has the same word. Color is more harmful to people than tiger and wolf. As long as you stay healthy, you can live forever. If there is indiscretion, it will invade your age, devour your soul, and your true spirit will go away, that is, meditate day and night. What are the benefits? As the saying goes: oil is exhausted, marrow is exhausted, and people die. It's true. "The above theory is essentially warning people to pay attention to the preservation of sperm. When you are young and strong, you should be careful not to indulge yourself; Middle-aged and elderly people are already deficient in essence and kidney deficiency, so they should stick to it and stop leaking, so that the bone marrow will dry up.
The so-called tonic can be roughly divided into two categories. One is gathering and replenishing, that is, concentrating and replenishing essence; One is to collect and replenish essence, that is, to collect and replenish essence. The method of concentration is simple and easy, and you can learn by yourself. Yuan Lefan in the Ming Dynasty said, "The way to concentrate is to have no desire, to save effort, to calm anger, to abstain from abstinence and to be cautious. It is a big fallacy to talk about health preservation today, more about yin and yang, and not to let it go for a long time. Kidney is the essence of fu organs. All men and women will disturb their kidneys when they hand over. When the kidney moves, Jingxue moves with it. Although the exterior does not leak, the essence has left the palace, that is, it can strengthen the ninja, and it must have its essence, which flows out with the impotence of Yang. This is also a test. There is smoke in the fire, how can it be bad for wage earners? Therefore, concentration is the first. Essence in blood, not only atrial and ventricular intercourse impairs my essence, but also everything that impairs blood for daily use, should be deeply guarded. When the eyes are tired, the blood is consumed; When the ears are tired of listening, the blood is consumed by listening; If the mind is tired of thinking, the blood will be consumed by the axis. If I reduce things, my blood will be nourished and my essence will accumulate day by day. It is the way to concentrate, which is expensive and labor-saving. The husband is hidden, and the kidney is also; The teacher of fire is the liver. All zang-fu organs have fire, and the system belongs to heart, heart and monarch fire. Anger hurts the liver and moves with the fire, which makes evacuees do things, and those who hide are not allowed to perform their duties. Although not as good as people who live together, they are swallowed up by the undercurrent and should be calm. People's blood is always condensed in their own homes, and wine can promote blood circulation, while people's blushing and red hands and feet are also disturbing their blood and operation. People with weak blood gas will not have sex for several months, and their essence will be strong, but they will be drunk all night, and their essence will be thin. It is better to avoid alcohol when concentrated. " Neijing said, "Those who are deficient in essence should be supplemented with flavor. "The fragrance is rich and cannot produce sperm; Only a light taste can replenish essence. Everything has a taste, but harmony wins, and truth declines. When cooked lightly, the taste is refreshing and beneficial to the stomach. Therefore, light food can nourish essence and prolong life. " Yes, it's simple and clear.
The so-called solid essence, also known as "no leakage method." Taoism believes that when people pass middle age, their health will be broken. On the basis of preserving and supplementing the essence, we should also practice kung fu without leaking. No leakage and internal and external points: the essence of intercourse does not leak, the breath does not hurt, and the god of thinking does not want it, which is called external leakage, also known as external medicine. Congenital essence does not leak, innate vitality does not hurt, and congenital essence is not called internal leakage, but also called internal medicine. On the day when you don't leak your name inside and outside, "you don't leak your name." Refine this body without leaking, fill it with reality, and make it up with reality, so that it can return to its innate "childish body", which is called "leak-free body" and "complete body" The so-called whole body is full of essence and spirit. Perfect, no loss, no loss. This stage of cultivation is called "self-cultivation and self-cultivation" by Taoism. Then you can turn to practice refining gas, refining gas and refining spirit, and refining spirit is empty.
Second, qi is the driving force of life.
Taoism believes that qi is the basic substance that constitutes human life activities. "Difficult Classics" said: "Anger is the root of human beings, and if it is eradicated, the stems and leaves will wither." "Bao Puzi" also said: "People are in the air, and the air is in people. Everything in the world needs air and lives on it." So "physical fatigue leads to distraction, and exhaustion leads to death." If the roots are exhausted, the leaves will be numerous, and if the green leaves go, the trees will grow; If you are exhausted and want to win, the elves will leave. "The concept of qi in Taoist health preservation is different from that of doctors. The qi mentioned by doctors includes true qi, valley qi, clan qi, defensive qi, nutrient qi, triple energizer qi and second dirty qi. Qi mentioned by Taoism mainly refers to acquired breath and innate vitality.
The so-called acquired gas is the gas that exchanges gas with nature through breathing. People breathe through the nose and mouth, exhale the old and the new, and maintain normal life activities of the body. On the one hand, ancient health-preserving experts and later Taoists learned from the natural phenomenon that people stopped breathing when they died, and on the other hand, they were inspired by the breathing movements of long-lived animals such as turtles and snakes, and summarized and created qi-moving techniques such as breathing, refining qi, holding breath and exhaling, which made outstanding contributions to the physical health of the Chinese nation. "Dao Qi Pian" said: "The wife endows heaven and earth with qi, and the living also breathe in and out, and the internal and external qi should be sufficient. There are six kinds of qi, namely heart, lung, liver, spleen, kidney and triple energizer. Being able to serve is gas, which is passed down in one year, sought in two years, and achieved in three years, which embodies Zhu Xuan in Dantian. ..... So gasification begins with blood, which is essence and essence is marrow. In one year, its qi is easy to move, in two years, its blood is easy to move, in three years, its pulse is easy to move, in middle age, its flesh is easy to move, in five years, its tendons are easy to move, in seven years, its bones are easy to move, in eight years, its hair is easy to move, in nine years, its shape is easy to move, and its 36,000 gods are all turned into immortals. " The truth expounded in Daoism is actually to persuade people to promote the exchange and metabolism of qi through exercise, so that people's physiological functions and living ability can be improved and developed, and they can live a long and healthy life, even reaching the highest realm of Taoism-immortality.
The so-called innate qi, also known as vitality. Taoism believes that human life is a natural vitality, that is, vitality is passed on to future generations through parents. Its material condensation form is Yuan Jing (innate essence), and its gasification and energy form is Yuan Jing (weather first). This is the foundation of life. Wu Yun, a Taoist priest in the Tang Dynasty, said in On the Vitality: "Human life also embodies the vitality of heaven and earth and is shaped by God; Influenced by Yuan Yi's qi, the liquid is refined, the qi is weak, and God will disperse; If the earth and gas reduce consumption, the shape will be sick; If the vitality is reduced, the life will be exhausted. " Taoism believes that primordial qi is hidden in the kidney, and its basis is Tian Dan's life gate. The primordial qi originates from the kidney, is fumigated by the fire of Mingmen, and is hidden in the navel. It is nourished by the acquired essence, transformed into all kinds of Qi-qi on weekdays, and spread all over the body through triple energizer, realizing the activities of human life system. At the same time, through the transmission of sperm in male and female sexual activities, their reproductive function is realized and new life is produced. In this process, the innate essence, as the energy source of life, will be continuously exhausted, and when it is exhausted, life will be over. Therefore, in order to achieve the purpose of prolonging life, it is necessary to prevent or slow down the exhaustion of innate essence, and to supplement and restore the tired weather through various health preservation means such as "refining essence". If the innate essence can be restored to the level of children, it is "rejuvenation" and cultivation into a real fairy.
Third, God is the master of life.
God refers to people's spiritual activities, including perceptual, rational and intuitive thinking consciousness activities, and is the production and slaughter of people's life activities. Taoism believes that the rise and fall of God is directly related to the survival of human life. Spirit is weak when it is scattered, and it is dead when it dies. Therefore, the most important thing in health care is conditioning. Because "God is the mother of qi, and qi is Son of God", it can nourish qi, replenish qi and nourish essence, and concentrate. Therefore, if you want to cherish essence and nourish qi, you must first recuperate. "Seven Essentials of Language" says: "God's quietness means peace of mind, and peace of mind means peace of mind. If you are impatient, your heart will shake and your heart will hurt. Keep the whole shape in mind first. Therefore, if you are peaceful, you will be satisfied with yourself; If you live inside, you won't be tempted by the outside world. Those who have seven orifices are also spiritual; People with lofty ideals, the five internal organs make them wait. The eyes and ears are lured by sound, the mouth and nose are pleasing to Fang Fei, and the body is comfortable, so the spirit is relaxed. If you are unwilling to give up, your five internal organs will be restless. The lust is constant, and the heart is trapped inside. Man is derived from the tide of debauchery, and he stays in the realm of right and wrong. The undefeated, the wounded, are also poorly built and hurt. "
Taoism believes that god, like essence, is divided into congenital and acquired. Pre-gods, also known as meta-gods, meta-natures, true gods and true Tao, are innate thinking material noumenon and subconscious psychological energy. Post-God is also called knowledge and desire God, that is, perception, thinking and consciousness, which is of decisive significance to the state and development direction of life itself. Zhang Borui, a Taoist priest in the Song Dynasty, pointed out in the book "Secrets of Qinghua": "Those who love God have a monist and a desire for God. Shen Yuan, is a person who has a little light since birth; Those who desire God have the nature of Qi. Shen Yuan is born, then temperament. On the contrary, goodness is the nature of heaven and earth. " He also said: God is born from the heart, and the heart is the king of God. The noumenon of the mind is inaction and immobile, but it dominates everything. "If you cover your heart, you will be in the throne, and you will be governed by inaction, and you will be the mover and the ear of the Yuan God; Do something, move and desire, and desire is just. The heart of daily use is a person who does things, and the heart of the elixir is a person who does nothing. If you do something and do everything, and then do nothing and benefit from business, then you will introduce Jin Dan. " In other words, God is hidden in his heart, and exercise is God. Doing nothing is the yuan god, and doing something is the knowledge god. The way to live forever must be based on inaction. Therefore, we should be born to control the day after tomorrow, draw strength from Shen Yuan, and gradually eliminate temperament. Only "the gas is exhausted, and then the elements begin to see." See the vitality, and vitality is the essence of Yuan. In this sense, Taoist refining of gods is still empty, mainly because it is reasonable to refine the Yuan gods and make them form and live.
To sum it up. It can be seen that the practical basis of Taoist health preservation theory is based on the theory of essence, qi and theology. Due to the emphasis on this theory and some human factors, different health preservation method systems have been formed. For example, focusing on "fine" sex art; Pay attention to the technique of "Qi"; Emphasize the cultivation of "God", the art of thinking, and so on. Inner alchemy, which takes essence as the "medicine" for cultivation, is an advanced regimen that organically combines the three. As the Taoist classic "Gui Zhi of Life" points out: "In other words, the essence of sympathy should not be vented first, the breath should be slight, and the thinking god should be quiet. In the words of internal medicine, those who refine essence refine yuan essence, and yuan yang in smoke is also. Jing yuan is solid, so the essence of sympathy will not be revealed. Essence, essence, essence, tonic. When the vitality is alive, the breath will not come in and out. Those who refine the gods, refine the yuan gods, and recover from the body. Yuan Shen is condensed, and the god of thinking is naturally calm, so it is necessary to practice both inside and outside. "
Excerpt from "China Longevity Ceremony"