Maintain Mental Clarity and Few Desires
Maintain Mental Clarity and Few Desires
“Maintaining mental clarity and few desires” aims to control selfish desires, keeping the mind pure, tranquil, and free from unwarranted fantasies.
Human desires are boundless; if one harbors too many selfish thoughts and excessive ambitions, when unfulfilled, it leads to sorrow, sadness, and overthinking that harms the spirit and causes illness.
Mencius once pointed out: “Do not let the heart be moved—reduce desires—gather the mind”—ultimately achieving “cultivating my great righteous energy,” neither elated by gain nor distressed by loss, thus preserving inner tranquility. Conversely, an unsettled mind causes restlessness of spirit, instability of heart-energy, inevitable depletion of mental and physical vitality, and deficiency of essence and qi, allowing pathogenic factors to invade and trigger various diseases.
Maintaining mental clarity and few desires, living in simplicity and emptiness, is originally the core principle of Daoist health preservation. However, what we refer to as simplicity and emptiness is entirely different from being dull-witted or idle. The renowned physician Zhu Danxi of the Jin-Yuan period believed that “the yin of the human body is often deficient, while yang is often excessive.” To maintain balance between yin and yang, psychologically speaking, one should avoid excessive craving and live with few desires and calm emotions to preserve yin energy. In other words, act according to reality, refrain from chasing fame and wealth, avoid indulging in emotions, regard money, status, and beauty as external things, and focus your mind on normal work and career.
A broad-minded mindset and harmonious vital energy enable effective work and achievements in life; a cheerful mood and clear emotions ensure that the seven emotions remain undisturbed, organ functions coordinate and stay healthy, and life flourishes and endures long.