客有病痞者，积于其中，伏而不得下；自外至者，捍而不得纳。从医而问之，曰∶非下之不
可。归而饮其药，既饮而暴下，不终日而向之伏者散而无余，向之捍者柔而不支，胸鬲导达，呼
吸开利，快然若愈。逾月而痞五作而五下，每下辄愈，然客之气一语而三引，体不劳而汗，股不
步而栗，肤革无所耗于前，而其中荣然，莫知其所来。嗟夫！心痞非下之不可已，予从而下之，
术未爽也，荣然独何如？
闻楚之南有良医焉，往而问之。医叹曰∶子无怪是荣然也。凡子之术固如是荣然也。坐，吾
语汝。且天下之理，有甚快于吾心者，其未必有伤；求无伤于终者，则初无望其快于吾心。夫阴
伏而阳蓄，气与血不运而为痞，横乎子之胸中者，其累大矣。击而去之，不须臾而除甚大之累，
和平之物不能为也，必将搏击振挠而后可。夫人之和气冲然而甚微，泊乎其易危，击搏振挠之功
未成，而子之和盖已病矣。由是观之，则子之痞凡一快者，子之和伤矣。不终月而快者五，子之
和平之气不既索乎？故体不劳而汗，股不步而栗，荣然如不可终日也。且将去子之痞而无害于和
也，子之燕居三月，而后与之药可为也。客归三月，斋戒而复请之。医曰∶子之气少复矣。取药
而授之曰∶服之，三月而疾少平，又三月而少康，终年而复常，且饮药不得亟进。客归而行其说。
然其初使人惫然而迟之，盖三服其药而三反之也。然日不见其所攻之效，久较则月异而时不同，
盖终岁而疾平。
客谒医，再拜而谢之，坐而问其故。医曰∶是医国之说也，岂特医之于疾哉？子独不见秦之
治民乎？悍而不听令，堕而不勤事，放而不畏法。令之不听，治之不变，则秦之民尝痞矣。商君
见其痞也，厉以刑法，威以斩伐，悍厉猛挚，不贷毫发，痛划而力锄之。于是乎秦之政如建瓴，
流通四达，无敢或拒，而秦之痞尝快矣。自孝公以至二世也，凡几痞而几快矣。顽者已圮，强者
已柔，而秦之民无欢心矣。故猛政一快者，欢心一已；积快不已，而秦之四支枵然，徒具其物而
已。民心日离而君孤立于上，故匹夫大呼，不终日而百疾皆起。秦欲运其手足肩膂，而瘫然不我
应。故秦之亡者，是好为快者之过也。
昔者先王之民其初亦尝痞矣。先王岂不知砉然击去之以为速也？惟其有伤于终也，故不敢求
快于吾心。优柔而抚存之，教以仁义，导以礼乐；阴解其乱而除去其滞。旁视而惫然有之矣，然
月计之，岁察之，前岁之俗非今岁之俗也。不击不搏，无所忤逆，是以日去其戾气而不婴其欢心。
于是政成教达，安乐久而无后患矣。是以三代之治皆更数圣人，历数百年而后俗成。则予之药终
年而愈疾，无足怪也。故曰∶天下之理，有快于吾心者，其末也必有伤；求无伤于其终，则无望
其快吾心。虽然，岂独于治天下哉？客再拜而传其说。（《张右丞文集》）
有一位客人患有痞证，病邪积聚在体内，潜伏在内无法排出；外来的邪气抵御在外，无法被接纳。他向医生请教，医生说：“非用泻下法不可。”客人回去服用药物后，服药后立即剧烈腹泻，不到一天时间，之前潜伏的病邪就消散殆尽，之前抵御的邪气也变得柔和而无法支撑，胸膈通畅，呼吸顺畅，感觉非常舒适，好像痊愈了一样。
然而过了一个月，痞证五次发作，每次发作都再次使用泻下法，每次泻下后症状暂时缓解。但是客人的元气却因此受到严重损伤，身体没有劳累却出汗，大腿没有行走却颤抖，皮肤外表看似没有损耗，但体内的精气却空虚匮乏，不知道根源在哪里。唉！心部的痞证难道真的非用泻下法不可吗？我顺从病情使用了泻下法，医术并没有失误，但这精气空虚的状况又是怎么回事呢？
听说楚地南部有位良医，便前去请教。医生叹息道：“你不要对这种精气空虚的现象感到奇怪。凡是你的治疗方法本来就会导致这种精气空虚的结果。坐下，我告诉你。况且天下的道理，有让你心里觉得痛快的事，未必不会造成伤害；如果追求最终不造成伤害，就不要指望它能让你心里痛快。阴气潜伏而阳气蓄积，气与血运行不畅而形成痞证，横亘在你胸中的危害已经很大了。用强力手段击破并去除它，不一会儿就能除去巨大的危害，温和平和的药物是做不到的，必须通过激烈的搏击和震荡才能做到。人的和平之气（正气）冲和而微弱，处于容易受损的状态，当搏击震荡的功效尚未完成时，你的和平之气就已经受伤了。由此看来，你每一次感到痛快，你的正气就受到一次损伤。不到一个月就痛快了五次，你的和平之气不是已经耗尽了吗？所以身体没有劳累却出汗，大腿没有行走却颤抖，精气空虚得好像活不下去一样。如果想要去除你的痞证而不伤害正气，你应该闲居修养三个月，然后才给你用药。”
客人回去修养了三个月，斋戒之后再次请求诊治。医生说：“你的气稍微恢复了一些。”取出药物交给他说：“服用这个药，三个月后疾病会稍微平复，再过三个月会稍微康复，满一年后恢复正常。而且服药不能急于求成。”客人回去按照这个方法执行。起初让人疲惫不堪且见效缓慢，大概服用了三次药，病情就有三次反复。然而每天看不出攻邪的效果，长久比较下来，每个月都有变化，时节不同效果也不同，大概经过一整年疾病才平复。
客人拜见医生，拜了两下表示感谢，坐下询问其中的缘故。医生说：“这是治理国家的道理，哪里仅仅是治疗疾病呢？你难道没看过秦国治理百姓的情况吗？百姓强悍而不听从命令，懒惰而不勤于事务，放纵而不畏惧法律。命令不听，治理不变，那么秦国的百姓曾经处于‘痞’塞不通的状态。商鞞看到这种痞塞，用严酷的刑法来震慑，用杀戮来立威，强悍严厉、凶猛坚定，毫不宽贷，痛苦地铲除并强力锄除。于是秦国的政令像从高壶中倒水一样畅通无阻，四通八达，没有人敢抗拒，秦国的痞塞状态曾经变得‘痛快’了。从孝公到二世，究竟经历了多少次痞塞和多少次痛快呢？顽固的人已经被摧毁，强硬的人已经被软化，但秦国的百姓已经没有欢心了。所以猛烈的政令每带来一次痛快，百姓的欢心就丧失一分；积累痛快不停止，导致秦国的四肢空虚无力，徒有其表而已。民心日益背离，君主孤立在上，所以一个平民大声呼喊，不到一天各种疾病都起来了。秦国想要运转它的手足肩背，却瘫软无力不响应我们。所以秦朝的灭亡，是喜欢追求‘痛快’的过错。”
“从前先王的百姓起初也曾处于痞塞状态。先王难道不知道迅速击破去除以图速效吗？只是因为这会对最终结果造成伤害，所以不敢在心中追求痛快。而是采取温和柔缓的方式安抚保存他们，用仁义教导他们，用礼乐引导他们；暗中化解混乱并去除滞碍。从旁边看似乎显得疲惫迟缓，但如果按月计算，按年考察，前一年的风俗不同于今年的风俗。不打击不搏击，没有违逆抵触，因此每天去除暴戾之气而不伤害百姓的欢心。于是政令成就教化通达，安乐长久而没有后患。所以夏商周三代的治理都经过了几位圣人的更替，历经数百年而后风俗养成。那么我的药方用一整年来治愈疾病，也就不足为奇了。所以说：天下的道理，有让你心里痛快的事，它的末节必定会有伤害；如果追求最终不造成伤害，就不要指望它能让你心里痛快。虽然如此，这哪里仅仅适用于治理天下呢？”客人拜了两下，传述了这个道理。（出自《张右丞文集》）
A guest suffered from *Pi* syndrome (a condition characterized by abdominal masses or fullness), where pathogens accumulated within, latent and unable to descend; external pathogens were repelled and unable to enter. He consulted a physician, who said: "It cannot be treated without purgation." Upon returning and taking the medicine, he experienced violent diarrhea immediately after ingestion. Within less than a day, the previously latent pathogens dispersed completely, and the previously resistant pathogens became soft and unable to sustain themselves. His chest and diaphragm became unobstructed, his breathing opened and facilitated, and he felt remarkably comfortable, as if cured.
However, after a month, the *Pi* syndrome recurred five times, each time requiring purgation. Each purgation brought temporary relief, yet the guest's vital energy (*Qi*) was drawn out three times with just a few words of explanation. His body sweated without exertion, his thighs trembled without walking. While his skin and flesh showed no prior depletion, his interior essence (*Ying*) was empty and depleted, and he did not know its source. Alas! Was it truly indispensable to purge the *Pi* in the heart region? I followed the treatment with purgation, and my medical technique was not flawed, but how could this state of internal depletion occur?
Hearing that there was a skilled physician in the southern part of Chu, he went to consult him. The physician sighed and said: "Do not be surprised by this state of depletion. Your method naturally leads to such depletion. Sit down, let me tell you. Moreover, in the principles of the world, things that feel satisfying to our hearts are not necessarily harmless; if one seeks to avoid harm in the end, one should not expect satisfaction in the beginning. When Yin is latent and Yang is stored, and Qi and Blood fail to circulate, resulting in *Pi*, the burden accumulating in your chest is significant. To strike and remove it requires no more than an instant to eliminate this great burden, which gentle and harmonious substances cannot achieve; one must employ forceful striking and agitation. However, the harmonious Qi of a person is subtle and weak, precarious and easily endangered. Before the work of striking and agitation is completed, your harmonious Qi has already been damaged. From this perspective, every time you felt satisfied, your harmonious Qi was injured. In less than a month, you felt satisfied five times; has not your harmonious Qi been exhausted? Therefore, your body sweats without labor, your thighs tremble without walking, and you feel depleted as if you cannot last till the end. If you wish to remove your *Pi* without harming your harmony, you should rest at home for three months before taking medicine."
The guest returned and rested for three months, purified himself through fasting, and then requested treatment again. The physician said: "Your Qi has slightly recovered." He took the medicine and handed it to him, saying: "Take this. After three months, the illness will subside slightly; after another three months, you will recover slightly; after a full year, you will return to normal. Moreover, do not administer the medicine too hastily." The guest returned and followed this advice. Initially, it made him feel weary and slow, and there were three relapses after three doses. However, daily observation showed no immediate curative effect; comparing over time, the changes differed from month to month and season to season. Ultimately, after a full year, the illness subsided.
The guest visited the physician, bowed twice in gratitude, sat down, and asked for the reason. The physician said: "This is the principle of governing a state, not merely treating disease. Have you not seen how Qin governed its people? They were fierce and disobedient, lazy and neglectful of duties, unrestrained and disrespectful of laws. Since orders were disobeyed and governance unchanged, the people of Qin were indeed in a state of 'blockage' (*Pi*). Shang Yang, seeing this blockage, imposed severe laws and penalties, using execution and slaughter to establish authority. He was fierce, strict, and merciless, showing no leniency, painfully cutting and forcefully weeding them out. Thus, Qin's administration flowed like water poured from a high vessel, reaching all directions, with no one daring to resist, and Qin's 'blockage' became 'satisfyingly cleared.' From Duke Xiao to the Second Emperor, how many times did they experience blockage and satisfaction? The stubborn were broken, the strong were softened, but the people of Qin had lost their joy. Therefore, each instance of harsh policy bringing satisfaction resulted in the loss of joy; accumulating satisfaction without limit left Qin's limbs empty and hollow, possessing only form. As the people's hearts drifted away, the ruler stood isolated above. Thus, when a commoner shouted loudly, various diseases arose within a day. Qin wanted to move its hands, feet, shoulders, and back, but they were paralyzed and did not respond. Therefore, the fall of Qin was the fault of those who sought 'satisfaction.'"
"In ancient times, the people of the Former Kings also once experienced blockage. Did the Former Kings not know that striking and removing it quickly would be swift? It was precisely because it would cause harm in the end that they dared not seek satisfaction in their hearts. Instead, they used gentle and soothing methods to care for them, taught them benevolence and righteousness, and guided them with rites and music; they secretly resolved chaos and removed stagnation. From the outside, it might seem sluggish and tired, but calculating by month and inspecting by year, the customs of the previous year were different from those of the current year. By not striking or fighting, avoiding conflict, they daily removed hostile energies without injuring the people's joy. Thus, governance was accomplished, education spread, and long-term peace was achieved without subsequent troubles. Therefore, the governance of the Three Dynasties required several sages and hundreds of years to shape the customs. Then, it is no wonder that my medicine takes a full year to cure the disease. Hence it is said: 'In the principles of the world, things that satisfy our hearts inevitably cause harm in the long run; if one seeks to avoid harm in the end, one should not expect satisfaction in the heart.' Although so, does this apply only to governing the world?" The guest bowed twice and transmitted this teaching. (From *Collected Works of Vice Minister Zhang*)