🌿 Folk Prescriptions

Written by author Liang Xiaosheng, numerous literary works stand as monuments: *Tonight There Is a Blizzard*, *This Is a Magical Land*, *Snow City*, *Floating City*, *Year Rings*, *Father*, *Mother*, and dozens of other novels and screenplays totaling over 7 million words. Liang views society through moral standards, hoping to be a proponent and celebrator of truth, goodness, and beauty.
Beyond writing and reading, Liang frequently engages in alternating physical and mental activities such as tennis and swimming. Listening to music, collecting items, and appreciating flowers or artworks serve as spiritual therapy for him—helping relieve fatigue, clear distractions, and enhance appetite. Tea drinking is another of his passions. He believes tea drinking and health preservation are interconnected; tea can invigorate the brain and calm the spirit—exactly what health preservation requires—but tea consumption should not be excessive.

Health is the foundation. Liang places great importance on health and is skilled in self-cultivation and nurturing the mind. He distinguishes between “self-cultivation” and “nurturing the mind”: “Self-cultivation” pertains to health preservation in a literal sense. Though middle-aged people understand the importance of health preservation, they often lack time to implement it—only after retirement can they devote ample time to various health practices. “Nurturing the mind” emphasizes a particular way of thinking—using thought and spirit to nourish the soul, employing different mental approaches for self-comfort, learning to perform a kind of mental wellness exercise. He often does this: when encountering setbacks or obstacles, he feels extremely sensitive, believing himself the unluckiest person alive. But when he broadens his perspective, he realizes this feeling is insignificant—quickly regaining clarity.
Being able to “nurture the mind” depends on certain prerequisites. Liang says: first, one must be someone with a reading habit. Timeless wisdom from classic literature worldwide serves as indirect education. No one is naturally skilled in self-cultivation and nurturing the mind. Second, one must be someone who pays attention to life and cares about others’ fates—by comparing oneself to others, one concludes that one is neither the greatest nor the weakest, neither the most tragic nor the happiest. Third, it suits those who can restrain their desires—those with intense, unrestrained desires cannot practice self-cultivation and nurturing the mind. Conversely, this reminds people of the importance of self-restraint. For instance, regarding money, luxury consumption, and indulgence, even a wealthy and successful person should understand that excessive ambition and desire are harmful and futile. Liang strongly endorses traditional health preservation methods such as quieting the spirit, pleasing the spirit, and nurturing the spirit—because they not only maintain mental balance, keeping the nervous system in a relaxed, harmonious state, but also promote smooth qi and blood flow, nourish the skin and muscles externally, and nourish the internal organs, offering preventive and anti-aging benefits. Liang’s self-cultivation and nurturing of the mind are largely focused on considering others. His work involves others—for example, meeting deadlines for manuscripts or articles; if a novel or article isn’t delivered on time, how will the editor cope? Seeing critical articles, can he remain unaffected emotionally or avoid being swayed by criticism—even if the language is aggressive? He believes writers must maintain a normal mindset toward external reviews, viewing criticism as a normal part of life—just as athletes accept reasonable and unreasonable collisions on the field. Dark emotions are the enemy of mental health. Worries, loneliness, resentment, jealousy over fame, status, wealth, and vanity—all can trigger anger or depression, leading to premature aging and illness. Only by cultivating joy and wellness can one truly experience the transcendent vitality of nature. Thus, Liang says: “Self-cultivation and nurturing the mind emphasize the quality of inner experience, aiming to shape the ideal self-image in the heart. No one who cannot practice self-cultivation and nurturing the mind can be a true thinker.”