The Essence of Health Preservation by Masters of Traditional Chinese Medicine: Zhu Liangchun, He Ren, Wu Xianzhong, Zhang Canli

Zhu Liangchun practiced a healthy lifestyle based on both active and passive activities, and maintained a balanced diet.

(1) Movement can prolong life, and joy can extend lifespan.

Since the reform and opening up, people's material and cultural lives have improved year by year. After retirement, many senior citizens hope for health, longevity, and a joyful old age. Master of Traditional Chinese Medicine Zhu Liangchun, now over ninety, receives an increasing number of inquiries about his secrets to longevity. He always presents them with the eight-character motto: "Movement prolongs life, joy brings longevity." He believes that to live is to move; exercise promotes blood circulation, enhances physical strength, and strengthens the body's disease-fighting mechanisms, thus achieving the goal of prolonging life. However, exercise should be moderate and not excessive. Confucius said, "Joy makes one forget worries, unaware of the approach of old age." The French philosopher Rousseau also said, "Teach him how to live, not how to avoid death." To prolong life, one must love life and maintain optimism.

Life lies in movement, and movement can prolong life. The principles of exercise advocated by Zhu Liangchun, a master of traditional Chinese medicine, are: do what you can, keep it easy, and emphasize persistence. His daily life is quite hectic, leaving little time for qigong or tai chi, but he consistently commutes by bicycle and uses it for outdoor activities-a time-efficient form of exercise. Every morning or evening, he does 5-10 minutes of free-movement exercises for his limbs, such as swinging his limbs from side to side, combing his hair with his fingers, rubbing his face and ears with his hands, and slowly rotating his head and neck from side to side. This helps to clear his mind, lighten his legs, reduce facial wrinkles, and control cervical spondylosis. Exercise should be done in a way that makes the body feel relaxed; if you feel fatigued after exercise, it means you have overdone it.

"If people wish to know the way to health, they should cultivate constant joy and minimize anger; with a sincere and upright heart, they should eliminate worries; and by following reason and cultivating themselves, they can rid themselves of troubles." Humans live amidst social contradictions, frequently encountering unpleasant things, yet they never become frustrated or resentful; they laugh off the struggles for fame and fortune, remaining calm and composed, truly achieving "tranquility and emptiness, from which true energy flows." The elderly should maintain an optimistic outlook, a relaxed and open-minded attitude. A Japanese scholar proposed that for the elderly to live long lives, they should "forget their children and grandchildren, forget money, and forget death," a point that Master Zhu Liangchun, a renowned traditional Chinese medicine practitioner, found very insightful.

(2) Sleep less and use your brain more to keep your brain healthy and fight aging.

National Master of Traditional Chinese Medicine Zhu Liangchun sleeps six or seven hours every night. He also insists on taking a "midnight nap," resting before 11 p.m. (midnight) and taking a 15-30 minute nap at noon. This is a way of maintaining health by following the natural balance of Yin and Yang.

He developed the habit of "gaining something every day." He wrote more than 10 books and over 170 medical papers, most of which he wrote in his spare time, finding joy and spiritual sustenance in the process.

(3) Eat in moderation and take six kinds of medicine.

National Master of Traditional Chinese Medicine Zhu Liangchun believed that diet should be moderate, with three meals a day at regular times to ensure regular digestion and absorption. Meals should be in measured portions; "overeating or going hungry easily damages the stomach and intestines." He also advised against eating spicy or greasy foods, and to chew each bite slowly and thoroughly, 7-8 times. For the elderly, smaller, more frequent meals were recommended. Master Zhu Liangchun also frequently decocted raw astragalus root, strained it, and then added coix seed, goji berries, lily bulbs, red dates, white fungus, white lentils, and mung beans to the decoction, cooking it together morning and evening. This was believed to invigorate qi, strengthen the spleen, detoxify, and prevent disease.

Zhu Liangchun, a master of traditional Chinese medicine, also took Liuwei Dihuang Pills for a long time and felt that they had a certain effect on delaying aging.

When discussing the principles of health preservation, the Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic states, "Tranquility and emptiness allow true qi to flow, and when the spirit is guarded within, how can illness arise?" This statement is both concise and specific, truly a profound truth. Master of Traditional Chinese Medicine Zhu Liangchun believes that regardless of the method used, the key is persistence; one must persevere to achieve results.

He Ren's Health Preservation and Ethnic Music

He Ren, a master of traditional Chinese medicine, has rich and multifaceted experience in health preservation. He has a deep understanding of music-based health preservation, believing that music, especially folk music, can uplift the spirit, relieve depression, strengthen the spleen and stomach, and harmonize qi and blood, thereby delaying aging.

Master of Traditional Chinese Medicine He Ren enjoys listening to classical music played on Chinese folk instruments, Cantonese music, and Jiangnan silk and bamboo music. Such as "Pipa Xing", "General's Command", "Rain on Banana Leaves", "Moon Reflected in the Second Spring", "Fisherman's Song at Dusk", "Autumn Moon over the Han Palace", "Wild Geese Descending on the Sandbar", "Flowers Bloom and the Moon is Full", "High Mountains and Flowing Water", "Listening to the Pines", etc. He especially loves listening to the masterpiece of Chinese folk music "Spring River Flower Moon Night".

Wu Xianzhong: The benevolent live long, the wise find joy.

(1) He lived a simple life and had a regular daily routine.

"Frugality cultivates virtue." He lived a simple life, eating mostly whole grains and less meat and rich, fatty foods for his three daily meals. He went to bed around 11:30 PM and woke up before 6:30 AM every morning. Even at 80 years old, he insisted on taking a half-hour walk every morning.

(2) Prioritize your career, and find joy in it.

The greatest joy in the life of Wu Xianzhong, a master of traditional Chinese medicine, was his success in his career.

(3) Cultivate new interests and regulate life

After turning sixty, in order to enrich my life, I consciously cultivate some new interests:

Collect keychains;

Collecting modern Chinese scroll paintings;

Learn to use computers, take photos, and record videos;

Try raising and training birds.

(4) Remain calm and composed in the face of both honor and disgrace.

After being elected an academician in 1996, he received a series of honors, including being named a National Master of Traditional Chinese Medicine in 2009. However, he had already suffered unfair treatment during the "Ten Years of Turmoil." He remained calm and composed in the face of both honor and disgrace.

Zhang Canli follows the natural order, nourishing both body and spirit.

(1) He received early family instruction and followed the example of his ancestors.

Throughout his life, Zhang Canli, a master of traditional Chinese medicine, followed the example of his predecessors: treating patients without seeking money or material possessions; working diligently without feeling tired; living frugally without being picky about food or clothing; and finding joy and forgetting worries in the face of hardship and trouble.

(2) Diligent in reading, with many interests

The greatest interest of Zhang Canli, a master of traditional Chinese medicine, was reading and collecting books. Over the years, he amassed more than 5,000 titles.

He studied the playing of various musical instruments, and in his later years he revived the guqin (a seven-stringed zither). He also had a fondness for unusual stones. He was also skilled in calligraphy, painting, poetry, seal carving, and other arts.

(3) Regulate your Qi according to the seasons and maintain a moderate daily routine.

He paid close attention to changes in the weather in his daily life, adjusting his clothing accordingly, especially focusing on keeping warm. He was particularly careful to protect his Yang energy. His diet was mainly light, consisting of whole grains and vegetables, which was beneficial to his health and kept his digestive system functioning smoothly. Although he could drink alcohol in his youth, he was not addicted. He did not have a picky diet, nor did he overeat or snack. Therefore, his spleen and stomach were healthy, his appetite was always strong, and his food intake remained consistent, ensuring his health. He did not seek luxurious clothing, but only clothing that could be changed according to the seasons. In his prime, he insisted on riding a bicycle. His living quarters were not luxurious, but only convenient for work. He maintained a simple and frugal lifestyle, which neither diminished his ambition nor hindered his physical health.

(4) Contentment brings happiness, and happiness helps one forget worries.

Master of Traditional Chinese Medicine Zhang Canli believed that this so-called contentment does not mean lacking ambition, improvement, or development. It means being satisfied with ordinary living conditions. Throughout his life, he never gave up on his goals, nor did he pursue unnecessary luxuries; this was the principle he adhered to in his material life. Therefore, he did not experience excessive worries.

Peace and happiness are what everyone yearns for. Confucius once said of himself, "I am so engrossed in study that I forget to eat, so happy that I forget my worries, and I am unaware that old age is approaching." He also spoke of his favorite disciple, Yan Hui, who "lived on a single bamboo bowl of rice and a gourd of water, in a humble alley; others would find it unbearable, but Yan Hui did not change his joy." Worry and happiness are an unavoidable contradiction in life; the key lies in treating them seriously and handling them properly. Confucius's words exemplify how to transform hardship into happiness. The renowned traditional Chinese medicine master Zhang Canli also encountered many hardships throughout his life. For example, in his youth, he was nearly disabled due to knee problems; in middle age, he was hospitalized twice, which affected his work ability. During illness, it is especially important to remember wise sayings, emulate the ancients, and correctly deal with hardship, cultivating various interests and hobbies, and seeking happiness amidst adversity. Therefore, in the face of repeated hardships, he was able to strive to keep his mind and body from being greatly affected. Otherwise, it is easy to become despondent in hardship, making it difficult to maintain physical and mental health.

(5) Steal a moment of leisure from a busy schedule; patience brings peace.

Master of Traditional Chinese Medicine Zhang Canli believed that human life is but a fleeting journey, a brief existence that passes in the blink of an eye. To achieve something meaningful, busyness is inevitable. However, human energy and physical strength are ultimately finite. To accomplish boundless tasks with limited physical and mental energy, reasonable planning and scientific regulation are necessary to ensure that energy and physical strength are used for a long time without aging, and to avoid harming the body or exhausting the mind. During his youth, he would bring a book to read during breaks while working in the fields during the busy farming season. When work was busy, he would read something to refresh himself during breaks; when reading professional books became tiring, he would switch to books outside his field. This alternation of interests and shifts in focus gradually became a habit, allowing him to rest without becoming overworked.

The *Old Book of Tang*, in its chapter on filial piety and brotherly love, states: "Zhang Gongyi, a native of Shouzhang in Yunzhou, had nine generations living together... During the Linde era, Emperor Gaozong, on his way to Mount Tai, passed through Yunzhou and personally visited his home. He inquired about the reason for this, and the man asked for paper and pen, writing only a hundred or so characters for 'forbearance.' Emperor Gaozong rewarded him with silk." Master of Traditional Chinese Medicine Zhang Canli, in his youth, heard his father recount this story and Emperor Daizong's saying, "One who is neither foolish nor deaf cannot be a good father-in-law." Both stories illustrate the attitude towards trivial family matters and are very insightful. His family has always been large and prosperous. His grandfather, father, and he himself all experienced four generations living under one roof, and they generally treated trivial matters in the same way. Even in social activities, for non-principle-related major issues, forbearance was paramount. Therefore, there were never any excessively tense interpersonal relationships. For non-principle-related matters, if feasible, proceed; if not, stop. Not imposing on others avoids unnecessary trouble and mental and physical discomfort. This is also a method of cultivating one's character.

(6) Find inspiration in nature and express feelings through poetry.

He had traveled extensively, visiting mountains and rivers, scenic spots and historical sites, finding solace in nature and unaware of his approaching old age. When his enjoyment was not yet exhausted, he would return home and write travelogues, poems, essays, songs, express his aspirations, or compose verses, forgetting himself in worldly affairs and finding solace in nature. This could be considered a virtuous act of nourishing the spirit.