Seasonal Wisdom: The Ancient Art of Living in Harmony with Nature

Spring’s three months herald the renewal of life, a season where heaven and earth brim with vitality, and everything flourishes. During this time, one should stay up a bit later, rise earlier, let their hair loose, and unbind their clothing to relax the body. Leisurely strolls in the garden, joy, and a clear mind are essential to preserve the spirit of all living things. Avoid unnecessary killings, practice generosity, minimize harsh punishments, and encourage growth. Neglecting the spirit of spring can damage the liver and hinder the body’s readiness for the growth of summer, leading to cold-related illnesses.

Summer’s three months are known for luxuriant growth, a time when heaven’s warmth descends and earth’s energy rises, resulting in the blooming and fruition of plants. One should sleep later, rise earlier, and embrace the sun’s warmth. Keep a joyful disposition, avoid anger, and ensure the spirit aligns with the season’s beauty, promoting free and natural energy flow. Care for the heart to prevent autumn maladies like malaria and winter illnesses.

Autumn’s three months signify balance and tranquility as nature prepares to harvest. The high skies and brisk winds require early bedtime and early rising, mirroring the chickens’ schedules to maintain mental calm. Gather the spirit to match autumn’s characteristics, keeping the mind focused to preserve the lungs’ clear function. Ignoring autumn’s energy can harm the lungs, reducing the body’s readiness for winter’s storage and leading to digestive issues.

Winter’s three months call for closure and storage, where life hides and hibernates. Water turns to ice, and the earth cracks under the cold. Early sleep and late rising, waiting for the sun’s presence, are essential. Avoid disturbing the body’s yang energy, refrain from overworking, and keep the spirit inward, cherishing it like a secret treasure. Seek warmth, avoid cold, and prevent skin from opening to safeguard the body’s stored energy. Disregarding winter’s energy can damage the kidneys, reducing the body’s readiness for spring growth, leading to muscle atrophy.

Heaven is pure and radiant, storing its virtues and moving endlessly, never exposing its brilliance, maintaining its internal strength. If the weather turns gloomy, the sun and moon darken, and harmful energies invade the body’s openings, blocking yang energy, covering the earth with darkness, and stopping rain and dew. Though heaven and earth interact, life cannot extend, and even the mightiest trees die. Harsh weather, frequent storms, and disrupted seasonal changes cause untimely death of all life.

Only sages adapt to natural changes, focusing on health practices to avoid severe illness and maintaining harmony with nature’s laws to preserve life. Disrespecting spring’s energy halts growth and causes liver ailments. Disregarding summer’s energy prevents heart nourishment. Ignoring autumn’s energy affects lung function, and neglecting winter’s storage harms the kidneys. The cyclical changes of the seasons are fundamental to life, and sages balance yang energy in spring and summer and yin energy in autumn and winter. This harmony with life’s fundamental rules ensures growth, harvest, and storage like nature itself. Violating these principles leads to diminished vitality and health.

Thus, the seasons’ yin and yang are crucial for life’s cycle. Aligning with them prevents severe illness, while opposing them causes disasters. Sages understand this art of health, while the unwise violate it. Following the natural cycle brings survival and normalcy; opposing it causes chaos. The sages prevent disease and disorder before they occur, unlike the imprudent who react only after problems arise. Treating illness after its onset or addressing disorder after it forms is like digging a well when thirsty or forging weapons during war – it’s simply too late.