The "yang" in nourishing qi means protecting and cultivating. "Qi" is inseparable from the human spirit. "Nourishing Qi" means protecting and cultivating spiritual Qi. This article talks about the issue of maintaining a strong creative spirit and the principles and methods to keep the vitality of creation alive.
The whole article is divided into three parts: 1. Explain the necessity of "nourishing Qi" from two aspects: general rules and actual creation. 2. On the dangers of mental failure and qi injury. Human energy is limited, and if it is used excessively, it will cause mental decline and Qi damage. 3. Discuss the principles and methods of "nourishing Qi" according to the characteristics of literary creation.
The "Shensi Pian" once put forward the idea of ??nourishing qi, and the "Yangqi Pian" further elaborated on this. His principle of "nurturing qi" is to "follow one's will and make peace" and oppose "excessive polishing", that is, writing should be natural and should not be overly polished and hurt the qi. His specific proposition is that writing should "clear his mind, regulate his Qi, let go of troubles immediately, do not let stagnation occur, use the pen to feel comfortable when the meaning is clear, use the pen to curl up the arms when reasoning, feel free to work with acupuncture, talk and laugh. Tired of taking medicine." But at the same time, it affirms the spirit of "self-motivation" and advocates that study should be done diligently. Because only by studying hard at ordinary times, you will be "calm and forthright, gentle and adaptable" when writing.
It is Qi, which is extremely large and strong. If it is maintained directly and does no harm, it will be blocked between heaven and earth. It is Qi, which is matched with righteousness and Tao; it is discouraged if it is not right. This is what is born of gathering righteousness, and is not taken by righteousness. If you don't keep your heart in mind, you will be discouraged. Therefore, I say, Gao Zi has not yet understood the meaning, and it is based on other things. There must be something going on, don't do it right, don't forget it, don't encourage it.
The righteousness between heaven and earth exists, giving various forms. The rivers and mountains on earth, the sun, moon and stars in the sky. A person with righteousness is called Haoran, filling the world with abundance. He was born in the Holy Age of the Qing Dynasty, and he lived peacefully and served the imperial court. In times of national calamity, integrity is shown and will be remembered forever in history. The Taishi of Qi State was not afraid of death, and Cui Zhu killed the emperor and recorded it in the history books; Dong Hu of Jin State was a good historian, holding the "calligraphy is not hidden" pen; South Korea's Zhang Liangxue was a national humiliation, and he killed the Qin Emperor and was punished; Su Wu stayed in Hu for nineteen years, and lived all day long Holding the festival of the Han Dynasty; Lao Yanyan, the governor of Bajun, was willing to behead his head without compromise; Ji Shao, one of the servants of the Jin Dynasty, drank blood to save the king; Zhang Xun guarded Juyang in the past, gritting his teeth against the rebels; Yan Gaoqing, the governor of Changshan, He cursed the enemy and cut off his tongue; Guan Ning of Liaodong "wears a soap hat" and is as pure and self-motivated as ice and snow; Zhuge "departs the army" to restore the Han Dynasty, how heroic it is to devote himself to death! Ancestor Ti crossed the river and swore to hit the hujie, and swallowed Hu Jie with great force; Xiu Shi took the hut and struck the crazy bandit, and the bandit's head was broken and bleeding. The awe-inspiring spirit is so majestic, and the names of heroes with lofty ideals will last forever. Whenever righteousness shines through the sun and moon, who cares about life and death?
The earth relies on righteousness to stand, and the sky relies on righteousness to become supreme. The Three Cardinal Principles are maintained by this, and morality is based on this. It's a pity that I am living in troubled times and have no ability to save people from danger. When I was captured, I still wore a southern hat. I was taken to the north in a prison car. There is nothing to fear from torture. Torture is just like drinking syrup. The cell is deathly silent with will-o'-the-wisps visible, and when spring comes, it is closed and dark. The old ox and the fine horse feed in the trough, and the phoenix roosts in the chicken coop. Once infected, they will die, and it will be desolate to abandon the dead bones in the field. Being imprisoned in such a bad environment for two years, all kinds of poisons cannot harm him. The cell was a dark and sad place, my haven of peace and happiness. How can there be wisdom and cunning tactics to prevent evil poisons from harming the body. With an upright and loyal heart, I regard life and death as floating clouds. My heart is filled with endless sadness, as if there is no limit to the sky? Although the sage has gone far away, his example makes my heart stronger. I read the sages' books with my heart open, and the brilliance illuminates my face.
Mencius said: "Shun grew up from working in the fields, Fu Yue was selected from the work of building walls, Jiao Ge was selected from the fish and salt trade, and Guan Zhong was promoted to the position of a prisoner. In the book, Sun Shuao was discovered from the seaside, and Baili Xi was selected from the market. Therefore, when God is going to place a major mission on someone, he must first temper his will, tire his muscles and make him tired. His body is starving, making him suffer from poverty, and things are always not going smoothly. This shakes his mind, strengthens his temper, and increases his talents. People always have to make mistakes before they can correct them. . Only when the heart is depressed and thoughtful can one rise up; when it is revealed in the face and expressed in the voice, then it can be understood by others. A country does not have law-abiding ministers and auxiliary wise men inside, and there are no worries about hostile countries outside. , It is often easy to perish a country. From this we can know that sorrow and hardship are enough to make people survive, but comfort and enjoyment are enough to destroy them." Mencius said: "Shun was born in the countryside, and Fu Shuo was built in it. During this time, Jiao Ge was lifted into the fish and salt, Guan Yiwu was lifted up into the earth, Sun Shuao was lifted up into the sea, and Baili Xi was lifted up into the city.
Therefore, when Heaven is about to entrust a person with a great responsibility, he must first strain his mind and will, strain his muscles and bones, starve his body and skin, deplete his body, and confuse his actions. Therefore, tempting his heart and forbearance will benefit him in a way that he cannot do. People always make mistakes, and then they can change; they are trapped in the heart, weighed by considerations, and then act; they are marked by color, produced by sound, and then metaphor. If you enter, you will be unable to control the people at home, if you leave, you will be invincible to foreign patients, and the country will be permanently destroyed. Then I know that I was born in sorrow and died in happiness. ”
Mencius said: “How can one be a man?” Have you not learned etiquette yet? When a husband is given a crown, his father orders it; when a woman is married, her mother orders her, and she goes to the door where she is sent off, and warns her: "When you go to your daughter's house, you must respect her and take precautions. There is nothing against the master!" ’ Taking obedience as the right thing is the way of a concubine. To live in the broadest place in the world, to establish the right position in the world, to walk on the great road of the world; to achieve the will, and follow it with the people; to fail to achieve the ambition, walk alone. Wealth and honor cannot lead to sexual immorality, poverty and lowliness cannot change, and power and authority cannot yield. This is called a true man. ”
Said: “Know what you are covering up with edicts, know where you are trapping with obscene words, know where you are leaving with evil words, and know where you are poor with evasive words.” ——It arises from his heart and harms his politics; it originates from his politics and harms his affairs. When the saint rises again, he will follow my words. ”
As Mencius said: “There are only a few people in the world who do not help the seedlings grow.” "Throughout the ages, under the heaven, there are too many people who can't be eager for quick success and encourage things to grow." I remember when I was a child, the teacher often told everyone this truth: Even if you stand in front of the crops in the field and observe them at any time, If you keep an eye on it, you will never see it grow with your own eyes; but over time, if you look at it from time to time, you will find that it has grown taller. The same goes for the human body growing taller. At that time, the teacher told everyone this truth to encourage everyone to study diligently. Just focus on hard work, not on harvest. Don’t be impatient and swallow your jujubes without hesitation. Now that I think about it, of course it also includes the teacher’s painstaking efforts to encourage the students to grow.
In fact, this is true not only for the accumulation of knowledge, but also for the learning of skills. It is also true for everyone's moral cultivation and every aspect of their life.
The key lies in the absorption of nutrients and the enhancement of youthfulness. Everything has its own rules, and it is not just wishful thinking that will bring you what you want.
Looking at the world, the world of mortals is billowing. Look around again, those people who are chasing fame and fortune, as anxious as laws and orders, are all Song people who "return with a bright light".
From this, it is not difficult for us to understand that the so-called awe-inspiring spirit is the righteous spirit, which is the righteousness of the world. It is the great righteousness and great virtue that creates a righteous spirit. Mencius believed that a person with lasting spiritual power can remain calm and calm in the face of all great temptations and threats from the outside world, and achieve the state of "not being tempted". That is to say, Mencius once said that noble sentiments cannot be corrupted by wealth, cannot be moved by poverty, and cannot be subdued by force.
There was once a long poem that gave a vivid literary description of the great righteousness mentioned by Mencius. This is the "Song of Righteousness" written by Wen Tianxiang, a national hero with righteousness. The poem writes: "The heaven and earth have righteousness, and they are mixed and endowed with manifolds. Below are the rivers and mountains, and above are the sun and stars. The moon and the people are so vast, so abundant that they fill the sky...." This means that the awe-inspiring righteousness resides in the sky. Among the various ever-changing forms in the universe. In nature, it is the vitality that constitutes the sun, moon, stars, mountains and rivers; in human society, when the world is peaceful and the politics are clear, it manifests as the aura of peace, and when the country and nation are in crisis, it manifests as people with lofty ideals. An upright and unyielding character who would rather die than surrender. Social order relies on it to maintain and survive forever, and morality is the basis for its emergence. He also listed many touching historical figures in Chinese history, such as Dong Hu, the historian of the Jin Dynasty who was not afraid of beheading but still wrote straightly; Su Wu, who was unyielding and refused to surrender, and shepherded sheep with the Xiongnu for nineteen years; after being captured, he shouted: " There are only beheaded generals in Shu, but there are no surrendering generals with Yan Yan; Zu Ti, a famous Eastern Jin general who led his troops to cross the Yangtze River and attack in midstream, vowing to regain the Central Plains, and Zhuge Liang's "Departure List" full of loyalty and integrity...etc. etc., as an example to illustrate that the awe-inspiring Qi always exists between heaven and earth.
"Tai Shang Yin Shu" says: Heaven and earth are made of pure and turbid matter, and non-qi is not enough to transport yin and yang; Qi is not enough to transfer to the soul.
It is the use of the spear and the principle of breathing that make it happen. The bird is controlled by Qi when it rushes, and its belly is empty. The fish is controlled by water when it jumps. When passing through water, it is like nothing.
If all the plants are withered, but only pines and cypresses are always luxuriant, the Qi is strong; if the crowd is moving and silent, but the turtles and cranes are not withered, the Qi is left. She, Qi is the talisman for preserving the form. If you want to keep the form and live in the world, you must first nourish the Qi. It must be strong and strong, filling the space between heaven and earth. Those who are good at nourishing their health must nourish their form. , nourish his energy.
"Xishan Ji" says: People who maintain health in ancient and modern times are not immune to disease and death, and they don't know the way. In the past, people used the silent treatment of lofty ideals as nourishing qi. This is to maintain qi, and if it is lost, it will be faint. For those who are fainting, their energy is scattered and their spirits are crazy. Their true spirit is tired of the day and has nowhere to go. If it is empty, there will be no reality in the Dantian. If you exhale and exhale in vain, you will never get better. More input and less output can attack diseases; it is wrong to think that fetal breath is caused. It is possible to accumulate Qi by swallowing it up and down, but it is wrong to refer to it as a Huan Dan. If it persists, if you don't use it diligently, you will lose your temper and harmonize your spirit. The breath must be held, the breath cannot be taken out, and the breath must be held while refining the body. Swallow one after another, close the two clamps, and use the method of pharynxing, which is the technique of borrowing air to draw water for irrigation. Sitting upright and raising the body, the four elements are filled with Qi, the blood path is clear, and the body is peaceful and smooth. This is the method of spreading Qi to burn the body. If all of this is not nourishing Qi. The way to nourish Qi is to nourish it during birth so that it does not weaken. Time nourishes it so that it will not fall apart. For example, in ancient times, when people went to the garrison, the yang was born, but it was bent but not stretched, so it was taken toward the garrison to nourish the luxuriance of Qi. For example, in ancient times, those who practice monstrosity have one yang in a group of yin, which is dark but not clear. Therefore, it is taken at dusk to seek the meaning of Yang. It’s not just that, it’s because the talent is insensitive, it’s hurt by strong thinking; it’s hurt by forceful lifting when it’s beyond the power; it’s hurt by being sad and haggard; it’s hurt by being overjoyed; it’s hurt by being obsessed with desires; it’s hurt by being pregnant with sorrow. Or they talk and laugh for a long time, lose time to sleep or rest, and draw the bow and crossbow.
If you drink too much and vomit, if you are full after eating, you will lie down, jump around and pant, cheer and cry, if the yin and yang are not in harmony, and the accumulated injuries will be exhausted, you will die early. Therefore, those who are good at nourishing themselves are indifferent and have no desires. They are in a lonely state and have a sense of wonder. In winter, Yang is born, and after the spring equinox, Yang is strong and Yin is dispersed, preventing the remaining Yin from entering the abdomen and causing bitter cold disease. In summer, yin arises. After the autumnal equinox, yin flourishes and yang disperses, preventing the remaining yang from entering the abdomen and causing severe heat. Do not look at the dead to prevent the death energy from touching the vitality; do not go near dirty places to prevent the dirty air from touching the true energy. When the true Qi is not strong, if you don't eat enough in the morning, your mouth will always be full; when the true Qi is exhausted, but if you don't eat enough in the evening, your mouth will always be full. However, regulating qi, harmonizing qi, distributing qi, pharynxing qi, gathering qi, moving qi, maintaining qi, and changing qi are all the same as nourishing qi. Qi is like a thread, if touched it will break; Qi is like smoke, if disturbed it will disperse. Those who cannot be nourished will lose their shape. However, nourishing Qi is not as good as gathering Qi, and gathering Qi is not as good as refining Qi. Gather the Qi and return it to its original form, forming a golden elixir. It emerges from the shell through refining and transforms into a feather guest. Pick it before refining it, raise it before refining it.
The ancients said: "Qi is the foundation of human beings." This shows that "Qi" plays a very important role in the human body. This role refers to both the "Qi" expressed in physiological functions and the "Qi" expressed in the spiritual level. The two are not independent and isolated from each other, but have a magical relationship that is interoperable and complements each other.
In his poem "Farewell to Dong Chuan", Su Shi wrote in the first two sentences: "My career is wrapped in a thick silk cloth, and I have the spirit of poetry and calligraphy in my belly." The meaning is that "although the clothes are crude and simple, but with profound knowledge and profound knowledge, the temperament will naturally be elegant and radiant".
Cao Pi said: "Articles are dominated by Qi, and Qi is clear and turbid with body." That is to say, whether reading or writing, Qi can be nourished. Nourishment of qi itself is a way to maintain health. When a cook eats an ox, "he will have enough room to be at ease with his skill!" What is it like? In fact, the methods of maintaining health are different, but they all lead to the same goal. It is just that cultivating Qi through culture is a profound state that is not easy for others to achieve.
If the articles are compared to the universe opened by Pangu, then a kind of pure air floating up can be like the sky. When reading these articles, you will have an open mind, the eight meridians will be like a swimming dragon, and your mind will be clear and agile. , there is a romantic feeling of "the sky is moving vigorously, and a gentleman is constantly striving for self-improvement" and "one who can soar upward ninety thousand miles", such as "Guan Ju" in "The Book of Songs", "Ode to Orange" in "Songs of the Chu", Li Bai's "Dream Wandering in Heaven and Yin Leaving Farewell" and so on, these articles are all beautiful articles about cultivating fresh air; another type of article is like the time when the heaven and earth were first divided, and the turbid air was sinking. The "turbidity" here is not the "turbidity" we usually understand. "Meng Chaos", it is an all-inclusive spirit of "the terrain is Kun, and the gentleman carries things with great virtue". When reading them, it can make people calm, the spirit calm and restless, the lungs moist and the liver clear, like Emperor Wu of Wei's "Guan Cang Hai" ", "The Turtle is Longevity", Yu Xin's "Ode to the Dead Tree", and Ouyang Xiu's "Ode to the Sound of Autumn" are all fine works that condense the rich "turbidity". Therefore, if you can distinguish the pure and turbid nature when reading an article, you can combine the pure and turbid qi, softness and hardness in the process of appreciation, repair the gaps and eliminate disadvantages, so that the qi of all bones can roam freely in the two meridians of Du and Ren. As time goes by, you can feel your appetite greatly increased, your mood happy, your complexion rosy, your body light and healthy, and the foundation of longevity is naturally established. This is called the energy of reading.
If you are writing an article, it is best to choose a pure and elegant place, with a calm mind and no distractions. Meditating on the manuscript is the first step. At this time, you can learn the meditation method of the eminent monks, and then be gentle. Lean on the back of the chair and take Qi into the Dantian. In your mind, you can imagine that a line of burning hot Qi rises from the "Baihui" on the top of your head, passing through the Yufu, Shenzang, Pylorus, and all points in the middle, allowing the kidney meridian to pass through naturally, and then you can clear up vomiting. The spirit of Dantian is ready to start writing the manuscript. During the creation process, be careful not to be impatient or to be exposed to the cold. The successful process of a beautiful article is like brewing Maotai Xinghua Village. It requires a careful and logical process. Generally speaking, the writings of famous writers can be freely unfolded. , or neither urgent nor slow, as if the breeze is blowing on the face and the water waves are not stirred; or it is wide open and closed, and the ocean is unbridled, "coming like thunder and condensing its wrath, and ending like a river and sea condensing clear light." At that time, the two qi of yin and yang can be in When writing, they appear and disappear between the lines. "When emotions move, Qi moves." If an article wants to move readers' hearts, it must first move their own emotions. When one's own emotions are touched, the stagnant and stagnant evil energy in one's body can be unblocked and open-minded. Since ancient times, there has been a saying: "Read more than ten thousand volumes." "If there is a spirit in writing," this "spirited" writing is derived from Qi Chang. How can such an article not make readers moved and change their color? This is called the spirit of composition.
However, the spirit of the article is also related to age. "When a child is young, his knowledge is shallow but his ambition is strong; when he is young, his knowledge is strong and his energy is weak." This is the truth. Therefore, you must arrange your time reasonably for reading and writing. If it is just If you blindly pursue nourishing qi, to the point where reading literature will hurt your life, and thinking will make you sleepy, you will have no choice but to lie on the hospital bed to take care of your life. This will really lose the progressive meaning of "literary to nourish qi".