典藏书目

In the Dinghai year, I returned to Suzhou to visit my relatives. At that time, I was fifty-two years old. My fingers felt numb, my lips were tight, my neck and nape were stiff, there were scrofula-like lumps (luoli) in the tendons, I had tinea on my shoulders and back, my waist felt as if insects were crawling on it. Although my diet and daily life were normal, my sexual function was not robust. My elders ordered me to consult a famous doctor, who diagnosed Qi and Blood deficiency, stating that recovery would be difficult without heavily using Aconite (Fuzi) and Cinnamon Twig (Guizhi) to greatly tonify Qi and Blood, so he prescribed a formula. However, recalling that taking hot-natured medicines previously always caused bleeding from my teeth, I set the prescription aside. Reflecting that Qi and Blood must pass through the neck and nape, regardless of the underlying cause, I merely massaged my neck for temporary relief, unaware of the concept of meridians. Fortunately, there were no severe illnesses, but the middle of my neck remained flaccid, with no way to completely eliminate this issue. Furthermore, whenever I walked hurriedly, I heard a sound like wood or stone colliding in my chest and diaphragm, experienced pulling pain in the left hypochondrium accompanied by panting, suffered from coughing and expectoration in winter, developed chilblains on my ears and feet, and felt soreness and pain in my waist and legs. These were all results of long-standing accumulation spreading over time; at that time, I truly did not understand these connections. The fact that I could still support myself was perhaps partly due to the random massage. Later, due to waist and leg soreness, someone introduced me to sun-bathing therapy. In the Dog Days (Sanfu), I stood naked under the scorching sun, sweating profusely like flowing water. When the wind blew, it felt cool, and I did not feel the heat. However, the first few times I sun-bathed, my skin inevitably peeled, with the thickness varying according to the condition, even forming blisters. Healing was extremely fast, never exceeding two days, truly a work of nature's craftsmanship. From then on, I sun-bathed every Dog Day, and various accumulated ailments ceased to trouble me. Dampness and stiffness stopped abruptly, without relying on herbal medicine, for nearly twenty years. Now, regardless of winter or summer, I sun-bathe on sunny days, occasionally sweating slightly, because I am healthy. The efficacy of sun-bathing can be said to be great: it strengthens the Primordial Yang of the Pre-heaven, nourishes the True Yin of the Post-heaven, illuminates spiritual light thoroughly, leaves neither interior nor exterior neglected, dissolves hidden yin shadows, and ensures unimpeded Ying and Wei circulation. Even if there are large accumulations throughout the body, it can prevent latent pathogens from causing harm. Could this happen without sufficient Qi and Blood? When accumulation is latent, Blood is sufficient to nourish it; when accumulation is expelled, Qi is sufficient to move it. Expelling evil and supporting the righteous is truly miraculous! Seeing the maxims of Sun Simiao later, I understood and practiced them, feeling as if aided by spirits. Thus, I eliminated more than sixty years of accumulated pathology within a month, clearing all internal and external diseases. This was precisely due to the sufficiency of Qi and Blood. Without years of sun-bathing practice, could such speed be achieved? As the saying goes, "Heaven blesses him, good fortune comes without fail." If given more time, massaging to unblock Qi and Blood would dissipate masses; sun-bathing to differentiate Yin and Yang would clear the rising turbidity. Skin, bone, and muscles would renew themselves, making this life worthwhile. Here, since the theory of massage has been collected, I append my experience with sun-bathing. For gentlemen seeking easy self-improvement, this is truly the best method for treating disease. It can cure head wind, nasal discharge, toothache, ear swelling, athlete's foot, sores, pain in limbs, waist, back, bones, and tendons, as well as symptoms of wind-cold, damp-heat, weakness, and soreness in men and women. During the Si, Wu, and Wei hours of the Sanfu days, one should stand naked under the scorching sun, regardless of whether the illness is new or old, major or minor. All can be cured and rooted out. Even menstruation in women does not preclude sun-bathing. This aligns with the divine work of heaven and earth's generation, which is hard to fully describe. One must not cover up or wear clothes to avoid uneven heat absorption. The Wei and Shen hours of the moon correspond to the Sanfu season of the year; the Wei and Shen hours of the day correspond to the Sanfu period of the sun. Acute conditions can also be treated by sun-bathing at any time, yielding miraculous effects. Generally speaking, sun-bathing enhances human spirit, Qi, and Blood. Accumulations may coexist without harm, pathogenic factors can be dispersed, and accumulations resolve before manifesting, revealing the greatness of creation. Massage removes the roots and branches of accumulation. Humans regain vitality without excess, renewing both inside and out, becoming healthier. Thus, we see that tonifying methods can proceed together without fatigue, mutually benefiting each other, leading to twice the result with half the effort. I once observed lice sun-bathing under the scorching sun moving rapidly, their vital energy increasing, proving the principle of Yang generating Yin and endless cycles. Speaking of the small to illustrate the great, all things are born daily, how can words exhaust this? Some ask: Why do farmers who sun-bathe all day still get sick? I reply: They first have internal injury, then suffer external contraction; what does this have to do with sun-bathing? If they become strong after sun-bathing, wind and cold cannot invade, so why would they get sick? Those who cultivate themselves, why not try it? Do not let down my sincere offering of this rustic wisdom.