Childlike innocence remains
"Childlike innocence" refers to the heart of a child. It is pure and innocent: because innocence allows the heart to be spacious and free from worries. With an innocent heart, there are no thoughts of harming, deceiving, teasing, or hurting others. "Respecting others will earn their respect." With so much warmth and affection around, the mood becomes more relaxed, easy, and joyful. It is also simple: not indulging in excessive thinking and focusing solely on one's career. Being helpful to others brings boundless joy, while calculating and manipulating others only brings trouble. It is optimistic: childlike innocence is carefree and unaffected by worldly emotions. By remaining in a state of "forgetting oneself in harmony with nature" for a long time, one can achieve the state of "body and mind in perfect harmony, becoming one with heaven" and attain longevity.
Eating like ants without harming longevity
"Eating like ants" means not being picky about food, like ants that can eat anything as long as it is harmless to the body and mind. There is no need to excessively pursue cold, hot, refined, elaborate, or delicious food. Of course, hygiene should be considered, but there is no need to be overly demanding. Eating less is also important, just like ants. It is well-known that overeating and gluttony are harmful. As Liang Zhangju wrote in his book "Retreat Essays on Health Preservation," "The less one eats, the more open-minded one becomes, and the longer one lives. The more one eats, the more closed-minded one becomes, and the shorter one's life becomes." This is a perfect summary of the pros and cons of eating too much or too little.
A turtle's mind is at ease
"Turtle's mind" refers to the turtle's characteristic of being a symbol of longevity and having the qualities of "not contending with the world" and "having no desires." First, it means not acting rashly and prioritizing retreat when encountering problems, using softness to overcome hardness. Confucius emphasized the importance of "avoiding conflict" in a profound way. However, it should be pointed out that our "retreat" refers to fame, wealth, status, and fortune. When it comes to matters of right and wrong, one must stand up and speak out; otherwise, this kind of health preservation is just "surviving"! Second, turtles have no desires and never engage in disputes. From lions and tigers to ants, there are fights, but it is rare to see turtles fighting. Confucianism emphasizes "contentment brings happiness," Taoism talks about the "six realms of desire," and Buddhism emphasizes the harm of "greed" and "desires" to human beings. The foundation of "greed" and "desires" is "attachment." If you don't have any "attachment," then there won't be thoughts of "greed" or "desire." If you accept things as they are and have few desires like a turtle, your mind will be at ease and joyful.
Monkey-like agility in actions
"Monkey-like agility" refers to the quick reaction and nimble movements of monkeys, which symbolize vitality and energy. To achieve this, the key is to be diligent and not lazy. Monkeys have two strengths:
First, they are active. Being active doesn't necessarily mean running or doing physical exercises. In daily life, try to walk instead of taking a car or elevator. Another meaning is to be mentally active, especially in one's own career. When the brain is active, brain cells develop better.
Second, they avoid laziness. Gan Zuwang's advice on avoiding laziness is to sit less and stand more in daily life, be willing to sit on hard benches, sit up straight, and maintain a vibrant and energetic posture.
Health preservation requires the right methods and principles, and putting them into action; abandoning the enemies of health preservation. Firstly, smoking is the most harmful to the body. The harmful effects of smoking are well-known and need no further explanation. Secondly, alcohol. Alcohol has some benefits, but for those who can't go a day without it, it is like slow suicide. As Gu Songyuan wrote in his book "Gusuanyuan's Medical Mirror": "Tobacco is the leader of hot and pungent substances, and wine is the most damp and hot... It greatly damages the yin and should not be used." This insight into the harmfulness of these two substances dates back to ancient times. Thirdly, the misuse of drugs. Drugs are meant to treat illnesses and provide emergency relief, not for health preservation. It is harmful to one's physical health to use excessive medications for minor ailments, shallow illnesses, or no illness at all.
