There was a carpenter named Zi Qing in the state of Lu. He was a master at making cups. People who saw his work were amazed, thinking that it was an uncanny workmanship and a carpenter made by a fairy.
King Lu was very curious, so he called Ziqing and asked him, "How did you make the plum?"
Qing Zi replied: "I am a craftsman, and I don't mention any skills, but only pay attention to spiritual cultivation." When you are ready to stand the clock, you dare not dissipate your spirit. You must fast to calm your nerves.
On the third day of fasting, I didn't dare to celebrate, seal the official position and pay my salary. On the fifth day, don't take others' criticisms and praises to heart. On the seventh day, I have entered the realm of selflessness and stopped thinking about my limbs.
At this time, the extravagant hope of seeing the monarch in my heart no longer exists. I made a reward for the court, neither seeking reward nor fearing punishment. "
Zi Qing went on to say, "I went to the forest to observe the texture of trees and look for trees with perfect shapes." The shape of the tree must be similar to that of the tree. Otherwise, I would never do it easily. "
Zhuangzi used this story to tell us three ways of keeping in good health: fasting, forgetting and conforming to nature.
Why fast? Because people can only calm down if they sit down quietly first.
Fasting is divided into body fasting and heart fasting. Those who don't eat meat or drink alcohol are called fasting. Applying this fasting to the mind, getting rid of selfish distractions and emptying the brain is the fasting of the mind.
Ziqing in the story is to calm one's heart by abstinence and fasting. It takes three days to put down the award, two days to put down the reputation, and then two days to put down your personal physical condition, so that you can collect your heart and concentrate.
In the process of fasting, there are three things to forget, that is, forget fame and fortune, forget honor and forget health.
Because you want too much, you will forget your initial heart. Frequent pursuit of fame and fortune will lead to ignorance of the whole body health care, which will lead to mental fatigue and injury.
Therefore, indifferent and nameless behavior can nourish the true nature of life.
On the basis of fasting and forgetting, we should "conform to nature" Adapting to nature is the basis of the life operation of all things in the universe, and everything in the world can be transformed and educated, all of which conform to nature.
Therefore, in the material world, following "nature" is the policy of treating people and things, and it is also the guarantee of health preservation.