The Eight Don't in Taoism Cultivation (道教養生八勿)

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Extract from the Records of Importance of Self-cultivation written by Zhang Zhan of Han Dynasty (漢。張湛《養生要集》)

已勞勿食。
While one self is tired, dont make any consumption.

已食勿動。
While one self make consumption, dont get involve in any form of heavy actions.

已汗勿食。
While one self perspire, dont make any consumption.

已食勿汗。
While one self make consumption, dont perspire un-necessary.

已怒勿食。
While one self is in an anger mood, dont make any consumption.

已食勿怒。
While one self is making consumption, dont be provoked.

已悲勿食。
While one self is in a low mood, dont make any consumption.

已食勿悲。
While one self is making consumption, dont be affected by the mood-changes that surround you.

After reading the whole thing, people might realize that, the 8 dont are all involve with the consumption issue. And why only consumption issue is involved?

Every simple, consumption is a form of action that assist one self in retrieving and gaining energies from the external supports, such as fruits, food and other mineral contains.

While one self is having consumption, one self must always stay calm and relax. This will help one self to have fast and good digestion and once good digestion is involved, stomach and gastric of the physical body wont be affected and once they are not affected, the organs will be able to function well and one self will stay healthy.

For example, while one self is having consumption and also sweating non-stop, the blood flow in the body will be concentrating on the heart and if one self keep on eating, the food that goes into the stomach wont be digested immediately and also, this will add pressure to the heart while the blood flow needed to take care of the blood-transfering and the digestion work, etc.

Sooner or later, one self will fall sick with heart-beat increase and indigestion due to accumulating of too much undigested items, etc.

And so, in the future while you are doing your own self cultivation and while you are doing your consumption, remember the above 8 phrases, I’m sure it will assist you in maintaining a more healthy and strong physical body.