21. There’s a saying: “When inspiration strikes, plans come to mind.” If you truly comprehend this “inspiration,” your enlightenment is considered open. Teachers instruct and doctors heal, essentially guiding this “inspiration” to open up. This “inspiration” is sometimes referred to as the “key.”
Of course, the effectiveness of this “inspiration” is conditional, much like hydrogen needing a specific concentration to ignite with fire. Remember, others’ roles are external factors; you yourself are the true internal factor.
22. In fact, many true discoveries and inventions do not require so-called systematic textbook knowledge. Quite the opposite, individuals with high intuition and open-mindedness, without formal education, often truly grasp the truth.
23. Disorder is life’s greatest enemy; a restless mind causes external disorder and internal disturbances to qi and blood, disrupting normalcy. Anger, fear, joy, worry, confusion—all are disorderly and root causes of many diseases and shortened lifespans. Not only should disorder be avoided during illness, but it should also be avoided in everyday life.
24. Excessive anger harms the liver, excessive indulgence harms the kidneys, and overeating harms the spleen and stomach. Anxiety and worry harm the spleen, anger harms the liver, and overwork harms the spirit.
25. Illness originates from a weak heart and mind, inviting external evils. A weak heart and depleted qi lead to various discomforts due to disturbances in the soul. Excessive indulgence in food, victories, gains, pleasures, or relaxation can all lead to illness. Failure to attain desires leads to anger. Anger can cause mental instability, overstimulation of bile, overexcitement of the liver, disturbance of the six meridians, and boiling of the five internal organs, allowing external evils to enter simultaneously, the root cause of illness.
26. Those seeking longevity must first eliminate illness. To eliminate illness, one must understand qi. To understand qi, one must first cultivate one’s nature. The method of cultivating one’s nature begins with regulating the mind.
27. Humans are governed by the qi of the Five Elements in their life; the physical body is primarily governed by qi. Deficient qi leads to illness, stagnant qi leads to illness. To treat illness, one must first treat qi.
28. Qi promotes blood circulation, blood nourishes qi; the two are interconnected. Prolonged visual strain damages blood, prolonged lying damages qi, prolonged sitting damages flesh, prolonged standing damages bones, prolonged walking damages tendons; excessive emotions and desires harm the original qi and the heart and kidneys. When the mutual fire flares up, the true yang is exhausted.
29. When treating diseases of the five viscera, nothing is more important than supplementing qi. The kidneys are especially urgent. To supplement qi, the mind must remain undisturbed; disturbance of the mind leads to excessive liver activity, disturbance of all meridians, and depletion of true water. The heart serves as a fan, primarily attracting wind. Movement of wind leads to flaring of fire, flaring of fire leads to drying of water, and drying of water leads to depletion of the earth.
30. A calm mind and concentrated spirit, when both the healer and the patient trust firmly, can govern all illnesses with miraculous effects.