Intermediate Health Preservation

Xuefeng

Humans are composed of two parts: the physical body and the spiritual body. Changes in the positive universe affect the physical body. Factors such as sunspots, the waxing and waning of the moon, ozone depletion, radioactive dust, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, geomagnetic forces, ultraviolet rays, gamma rays, beta rays, winds, clouds, rain, snow, fog, frost, cold, and heat all impact the physical body. Additionally, walking, sitting, lying down, eating, drinking, excreting, sounds, colors, tastes, living environments, and spatial structures influence the body.

Meanwhile, changes in the negative universe impact the spiritual body. The will of the Greatest Creator, conflicts among gods, the operation of the "Dao," the teachings and actions of Jesus, the doctrines of Buddhism and Islam, the god you believe in, thoughts such as liberalism, and spirits like the republican ethos affect the spiritual body. Furthermore, those alive or deceased who are connected to you—animals, plants, your thoughts, consciousness, ideas, dreams, and the information waves left by your actions and thoughts—also influence your spiritual body.

The physical body is the vessel for the spiritual body, which is the essence of the physical body. While the physical body merely carries the spiritual body, the spiritual body governs the life and death of the physical body. Physical disabilities have minimal impact on the spiritual body's perfection, but defects in the spiritual body can render the physical body an instinct-driven shell or even a vegetative state. A perfected spiritual body can optimize physical functioning, heal severe injuries, cure terminal illnesses, and even bring about resurrection.

The physical and spiritual bodies are interconnected yet independent. For instance, a vegetative state represents a physical body almost entirely separated from its spiritual body, whereas entities like the Greatest Creator, gods, and Buddhas represent spiritual bodies detached from physical forms. When the spiritual body's quality reaches a certain purity, it can leave and return to the physical body at will. In dreams, while the physical body rests, the spiritual body can traverse mountains and seas, meeting friends and family far away.

Primary health preservation focuses on protecting the physical body. Intermediate health preservation considers both the physical and spiritual bodies, while advanced health preservation prioritizes the spiritual body.

To maintain the physical body, it is helpful to understand its structure—knowing the functions of the internal organs, their interrelations, and their connections to muscles, bones, nerves, blood, skin, hair, and sensory organs like the eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and tongue.

The Five Organs

Heart:

· Houses the spirit and governs the mind, directing mental, conscious, and cognitive activities while controlling nerve impulses.

· Manages blood circulation, driven entirely by the heart's energy.

· Governs sweat and opens into the tongue, reflecting heart conditions.

· The heart is interconnected with the small intestine; the heart and kidneys assist each other. The heart supports kidney yang (warmth and energy), while the kidneys support heart yin (cooling and nourishing functions).

Liver:

· Stores the soul and blood, and governs regulation. Liver energy thrives on smooth flow and fears stagnation; emotional suppression leads to liver qi stagnation, causing irritability and fullness in the flanks.

· Governs the tendons and meridians, influencing the flexibility of joints and muscles, nourished by liver blood.

· Opens into the eyes, with eye issues often indicating liver problems. The liver and gallbladder are interconnected.

Spleen:

· Stores willpower, governs the transformation of food (including digestion, absorption, and transportation), regulates blood circulation, and enhances energy.

· Governs the muscles and is linked to the stomach.

Lungs:

· Store the corporeal soul (po) and govern qi (vital energy).

· Manage the water pathways and are responsible for the skin and body hair.

· Open into the nose and are reflected in the voice. The lungs are connected to the large intestine.

Kidneys:

· Store essence, govern bone and marrow production, capture qi, and regulate water and life force fire.

· Open into the ears; kidney deficiency can lead to deafness or tinnitus.

The Six Bowels

1. Gallbladder: Stores bile, aiding fat digestion, saponification, and absorption. Courage stems from the gallbladder.

2. Stomach: Receives and digests food.

3. Large Intestine: Conducts waste excretion.

4. Bladder: Stores and excretes urine.

5. Small Intestine: Separates the pure from the impure. It delivers the refined essence of nutrients, digested by the spleen and stomach, to various organs to nourish the entire body, while directing the useless residue to the bowels for excretion.

6. Triple Burner: Not an independent organ but a functional summary of other organs and their positions.

The human body functions as an organic whole, with each part fulfilling its own specific responsibilities while being interdependent and mutually regulated. Proper health preservation ensures balanced development across all bodily systems, resulting in a healthy physique. A healthy body leads to vitality; with abundant energy, bone marrow is produced. Sufficient bone marrow generates an adequate supply of blood cells, which transport oxygen and nutrients throughout the body, kill germs, and expel them along with other waste.

The above merely skims the surface of human knowledge from a material perspective. While modern disciplines such as medicine, biology, and anatomy have detailed descriptions of the human body, many of its mysteries remain beyond scientific explanation. For example, every earthly resource has a corresponding code within the human body, suggesting that all treasures of the Earth exist within us. To obtain wealth, one must first uncover these treasures within oneself. Once the corresponding code within your body is discovered, the related external resources will naturally come to you. Beyond these treasures, the human body also contains an infinite reservoir of toxins. The body is continuously undergoing not only physical but also chemical transformations. For instance, when you are angry, toxic "volcanic eruptions" (primarily from the brain marrow) occur. If unchecked, these toxins can poison your entire system, impairing the functions of your vital organs and disrupting the flow of blood and energy.

It is widely understood that when the Earth enjoys clear skies, gentle breezes, and favorable weather, plants thrive and flourish. Conversely, under the scorching sun, violent winds, and unrelenting heavy rains, plants break, wither, or die. Animals rely on plants for survival, and humans depend on both plants and animals. The prosperity or decline of plants directly affects the survival of animals and humans.

Similarly, when a person is calm, peaceful, kind, and compassionate, without significant emotional or physical disturbances, they can maintain a healthy and robust body. However, when jealousy, resentment, anger, sorrow, anxiety, fear, extreme joy, or deep sadness cause excessive emotional or physical fluctuations, illness, weakness, and even death can result. While the effects may not be apparent after one or two episodes, over time, the accumulation of small changes can lead to significant transformations. Gradually, health will deteriorate, potentially leading to severe illness that becomes difficult or impossible to cure.

External factors that cause physical injuries and illnesses require modern medical treatment, but any illness arising from internal causes can be self-healed. Conditions such as insomnia, excessive dreaming, forgetfulness, mental confusion, incoherent speech, loss of consciousness, vegetative nervous dysfunction, heart palpitations, emotional turbulence, dizziness, and neuroses can not only be prevented but also treated through health preservation techniques. Furthermore, even so-called incurable diseases, such as cancer, leukemia, AIDS, and total paralysis, can be cured through health preservation practices. The key lies in one’s mindset, confidence, faith, and consistent, strict adherence to health preservation principles over the long term.

Health preservation is a science, not superstition. For better health, reduced medical expenses, and prolonged life—with ample time for self-improvement and cultivation—let us dedicate our free time to practicing health preservation.

The following content is primarily extracted from the book The Book of Terrestrial Immortality. It is provided for your reference to use as you find beneficial.

1. The Mind as the Sovereign of the Body

When the body is calm, the spirit resides within it; when the body is restless, the spirit departs. Therefore, if one neglects the body but preserves the spirit, and maintains a focused, tranquil mind, the spirit will remain, aligning the body with the Tao and achieving longevity.

2. The Exhaustion of Essence

Overexertion of the eyes depletes essence through vision; overuse of the ears depletes essence through hearing; excessive thinking depletes essence through thought. Only by detaching from external distractions can the spirit illuminate the inner self. Without striving for tranquility, one naturally becomes serene, unaffected by praise or blame, good or evil. A calm mind leads to emptiness, and in emptiness, the Tao manifests.

3. The Spirit in Every Part of the Body

The body is nourished by the flavors of food, while the spirit is nourished by the essence of food. If one consumes the essence at the right times, the whole body will follow the natural order. Our body is inhabited by divine spirits: the spirit of brilliant light, the spirit of form and shadow, and the spirit of the pores, each numbering twelve thousand. The internal organs and the Three Essentials and Nine Palaces all have their spirits. If we do not see these spirits, we do not recognize their ability to bring fortune or misfortune, and thus we do not show proper respect or reverence. To be cruel, restless, or excessively greedy and deceitful is to harm these spirits; to speak falsehoods or insult others, believing it will go unnoticed, is to obscure these spirits. Our spirits are connected to the heavens; harming these spirits is to offend the heavens, and obscuring these spirits is to deceive the heavens. Offending and deceiving the heavens leads to premature death. By maintaining central harmony and unity, and refining the yin with the yang, the divine spirits will flourish. When the divine spirits flourish, one can ride the Eight Poles, ascend the Five Sacred Mountains, rise through the Nine Heavens, pass through the Jade Gates, and achieve longevity comparable to that of heaven and earth.

4. The Practice of Retaining Vital Fluids

During the day, swallow spiritual fluids; at night, absorb true energy. Over time, the energy wheel will naturally circulate within the three chambers of the body, resonating like the sound of waves.

5. Controlling Desires

Essence flows downward, and energy dissipates upward. When desires arise, these flows scatter; when desires are subdued, they stabilize. Love and lust cause essence to flow downward, anger causes energy to rise upward. Only when such emotions do not arise will essence and energy remain balanced.

6. The Five Injuries

There is no better way to maintain health than regulating qi. When qi is vitalized, blood circulation is enriched; when blood circulation is enriched, essence becomes robust; and when essence is robust, the spirit is nourished, making the entire body prosperous. The term "four seas" refers to qi, blood, essence, and marrow. It is essential to avoid the five injuries. Excessive salt harms the heart, excessive bitterness harms the lungs, excessive sourness harms the spleen, excessive pungency harms the liver, and excessive sweetness harms the kidneys.

7. Preserving Fluids

Avoid spitting unnecessarily; instead, swallow your saliva. Retained essence ensures vitality and enhances one’s complexion. Spiritual fluids are treasures of the body: accumulating them brings abundance; dispersing them leads to depletion.

8. The Treasure of Liquid Energy

In the fluid, there is energy; the interaction of fluid and energy forms the foundation of the Golden Elixir. It acts as a precious substance that nourishes the body, penetrating through every channel and joint, reaching every part. Furthermore, the base of the tongue (the Xuanying point) is the sea of fluids and the source of life, irrigating the entire body from this point.

9. Mastering Emotions

Suppressing anger preserves yin, while restraining excessive joy nurtures yang.

10. The Importance of a Clear Intestine and Still Mind

If one desires not to perish, the intestines must be free of impurities. If one desires longevity, the intestines must remain clear. Thus, one should nourish oneself with the essence of harmony and energy. To fill the belly, one must first empty the mind. The mind governs stillness, while energy governs movement. Those who are aligned with the Tao soar beyond the universe yet remain at peace, rest in the minutest space yet maintain unceasing energy. Only in stillness can one connect with the ultimate void. When the void is reached, clarity emerges. The vastness of heaven and earth cannot escape the measure of a single thought.

11. Breath and Movement in Harmony

Guide the breath to achieve harmony, and make the body supple through movements. When the breath is harmonious and the body is supple, longevity can be pursued. Physical movements are essential for guiding energy; with time, harmony and flexibility will naturally follow. The heart and mind should embrace stillness; over time, clarity and enlightenment will be achieved.

12. Facial Care for Radiance

Regularly Regularly rub your face with both hands until it feels warm. Follow the contours of the face, ensuring thorough coverage. This practice prevents wrinkles and spots, leaving the skin radiant, akin to a young maiden. This is known as “connecting the energies of mountains and waters,” indicating a state of harmony and circulation within the body.

13. The Eyes: A Gateway to Clarity

Human eyes see outward to perceive objects, and inward to perceive the spirit. Observing objects leads to dullness, while observing the spirit leads to clarity.

14. Strength and Stability Exercise

Lift both hands as if supporting a heavy weight of a thousand pounds. Keep both feet grounded, as steady as iron pillars. Exert all your strength while holding your breath, and release it slowly when short of breath. Practice this daily, whether in the morning or after meals, or at any time. It eliminates all illnesses.

15. Post-Meal Digestive Massage

After eating, rub both hands together until warm and massage the area around the spleen and stomach. Then, clench both fists and place them firmly against the chest, twisting your waist horizontally seven times, and rotating your abdomen to the left and right seven times each. Shortly, your stomach processes and digests the food completely.

16. Morning Massage for Vitality

Without regular massage, the body’s energy does not flow smoothly. In the morning, rub your hands together until warm, then massage the head, face, spine, and kidney points until they feel very warm. This will leave your entire body refreshed and invigorated.

17. Clearing Energy Stagnation Through Massage

Within the skin and membranes of the human body, there must be fluids to moisten the tissues, generated by energy and blood. When energy and blood stagnate due to emotional distress or injury, these fluids condense into phlegm, leading to tight skin, swollen face, thick neck, contracted cheeks, everted ears, uplifted lips, clenched throat, exposed teeth, numbness in the limbs, paralysis, lymph node swelling in the neck, hiccups, speech difficulties, facial asymmetry, hearing and vision loss, blurred eyesight, a hunched back, raised shoulders, stiff legs and hips, and weak, numb extremities. The best solution is to massage the affected areas consistently. With continued massage, stagnation in energy and blood will be cleared, accumulated blockages dispersed, and ailments healed.

18. Tongue Placement for Energy Flow

During energy practice, it is essential to press the tongue against the roof of the mouth, which opens the Xuanying point beneath the tongue. When this point is open, true energy flows throughout the body’s joints and channels. If it remains closed, the practice will be ineffective.

19. Teeth and Energy Circulation

If the teeth are not firm, the meridians do not flow smoothly. During energy practice, the mouth should remain tightly closed, and the teeth firmly clenched.

20. Proper Posture for Energy Practice

The body must be upright, the head straight, and the spine aligned like an iron pillar. Sit cross-legged with a stable posture, and let the eyes droop slightly while focusing on the nose or navel. If the body is bent or the head tucked, energy flow will be obstructed.

21. The Role of Closed Eyes in Practice

Keeping the eyes open while sitting scatters the spirit, so it is advisable to close them. When cultivating the great Tao, the eyes should droop; for healing illnesses, it is beneficial to close the eyes and store the spirit. Only then will the practice yield positive results.

22. Cross-Legged Sitting for Agility

Sit in a cross-legged position daily, with the soles of your feet facing each other. Close your eyes, clench your fists with the thumbs pressed inside, and contract the anal area. With one hand grasping your toes and the other rubbing the soles of your feet, continue until you feel utmost comfort or relaxation. Rest briefly and repeat this practice five to six times a day to make your steps light and agile.

23. Firm Hands for Heart Energy

If the hands lack firmness, the heart’s energy will not be generated. During energy practice, the thumbs must be pressed against the base of the other fingers, forming a firm grip.

24. Exercises for Hand Dexterity

Without regular movement, the hands lose dexterity. Each morning, twist and rotate the joints of both hands repeatedly or soak them in warm water while twisting the joints for better results. Perform this exercise daily without interruption.

25. Foot Exercises for Strength

Without regular exercise, the feet lose strength. While walking, lift the toes as though kicking a soccer ball. Regularly practicing this for hundreds of steps will ensure strong, healthy feet.

26. Tooth Clenching for Oral Health

Every morning upon waking, clench your teeth together thirty-six times to prevent tooth decay.

27. Clearing the Mind Before Sleep

Before going to sleep, clear your mind of all thoughts, close your mouth and eyes, and lie on your side with calm, even breaths. This practice greatly benefits your health. If troubled by persistent thoughts, sit upright, remain dressed, and turn on a light to address them. Avoid overthinking while lying in bed, as it drains vital energy.

28. Restoring Energy Through Stillness

Each thought or emotion drains vital energy. At midnight or noon, calm your mind by sitting quietly, regulating your breath, and focusing inwardly on the Guanyuan point (located about 4.3 cm, or 1.7 inches, below the navel). This practice helps gradually restore vital energy.

Moderation and Discipline

Regulate your diet and exercise caution in daily life. Perform virtuous deeds and avoid actions that leave grievances or regrets after your passing.