🌿 Folk Prescriptions

Emphasizing Moral Cultivation
To follow the path of health preservation, one must prioritize moral cultivation. Health preservation lies primarily in cultivating the mind, and cultivating the mind begins with moral development. Ancient scholars long ago proposed the theory of "the benevolent live long." Confucius in *The Doctrine of the Mean* stated: "Cultivate life through the Way, cultivate the Way through benevolence," and "Great virtue inevitably brings longevity"—meaning only those with noble moral character can attain long life.
Good moral character is a key indicator of mental health. Being kind to others and willing to help are essential aspects of health preservation. The *Song of Health Preservation by Sun Zhenren* says: "If people wish to know the way of health preservation, let them be happy and stable, rarely angry, sincere in heart, free from anxious thoughts, and live in harmony with reason, cultivating the body and eliminating worries." This is the ultimate truth of self-cultivation. Tang Dynasty physician Sun Simiao resisted temptations of fame and fortune, devoted himself entirely to medicine, and relieved countless people from suffering. Whenever patients requested medical visits, he never hesitated, disregarding his own safety or danger, nor fearing long or difficult journeys. Regardless of day or night, cold or heat, hunger or fatigue, he would "focus solely on saving lives," never considering social status, wealth, poverty, or personal grudges—he treated everyone equally. Not only did he endure hardships in his work, but he also pursued medical research tirelessly. At age seventy, he completed the *Qianjin Yaofang*; even at a hundred, his mind remained sharp, and he finished the *Qianjin Yifang* before passing away at 102. In contrast, those lacking moral cultivation—especially those trapped by the chains of fame and fortune—constantly worry, obsess over gains and losses, and often grow prematurely old, making it impossible to enter the realm of "benevolent longevity."