2025.10.20 - We All Didn't "Graduate Elementary School
Ping Xia
Title: 2025.10.20 – None of Us “Graduated from Elementary School”
No matter how depleted you feel, remember this dietary remedy
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/ZgL9G-VLq924Onq_J7Bl-g
In the ancient texts there is a “miraculous dietary formula for replenishing deficiency,” called Quan Sheng Zhi Bao Dan. All the ingredients are everyday items you can find in a local supermarket—no need to order online—and the preparation is extremely simple, so you can make it yourself. The recipe calls for:
- 1 jin (≈ 500 g) of Euryale (Qiànshí)
- 2 jin of Chinese yam
- 8 liang (≈ 400 g) of black sesame
- 3 jin of toasted millet (must be toasted first)
- 1 jin of coix seed (yi ren)
- 5 qian (≈ 15 g) of cinnamon
Every one of these ingredients is readily available on the market. Though they seem ordinary, the clever combination devised by Chen Shiduo endows them with powerful health benefits, aiming to “stimulate appetite, strengthen the spleen, nourish the kidneys, and replenish essence” through the principle of “food as medicine.”
Yang Zhenning’s Metaphysical Code
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/3dBbIC4D_vV8clUimsCaDQ
Einstein said, “God does not play dice.” Yang Zhenning discovered that “God is left‑handed.” Both are using their own approaches to converse with that ultimate reality that lies beyond human comprehension. Yang’s life teaches us that the world is both logical and mysterious; life is the result of hard work, yet also shaped by wondrous twists of fate. By exploring with a rigorous mind and feeling with humility, perhaps we can better understand our own lives and live a uniquely brilliant story that is both reasonable and unexpectedly delightful.
【Wang Defeng】 “Living in the moment” is an empty phrase—how you actually live matters!
https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1sj4Cz1EAR/
We are already living in the present; the question is how we live, and there are three traditions to draw from—Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism. It isn’t an either‑or choice; the three can converge. That convergent state already exists in the “new Confucianism” of the Song‑Ming period, especially the Lu‑Wang School of Mind. The Chinese nation is blessed spiritually. That doesn’t mean we have always enjoyed peace—historically, peaceful times have been brief—but this spiritual blessing enables us to face suffering and emerge from it.
Cultivating the “Middle” State (Part 1)
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/oYwqbKklcHCygfOklz70Ew
“Middle” is not merely a geometric midpoint; it is a mental posture and a sense of proper proportion. In different situations we respond differently, and when the response is just right, we are in the “middle.” Mastering this timing means we can apply it everywhere—a truly good state. The lifestyle advocated by Traditional Chinese Medicine is about finding the right “degree” (dù): it can be refined or simple, aiming for balance between people and between humanity and nature. We can hold fast to our inner convictions without becoming rigid, perceive and correct biases in thought and action, adapt flexibly to the environment, and ultimately move freely within heaven and earth. That is the ultimate purpose of studying Chinese medicine.
You’ve Learned Traditional Culture—Why Can’t You Use It?
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/wXaSVwuk6TQFvAxJmzZPkA
Ancient scholars progressed from elementary learning to the great learning (Da Xue). Their daily practice of cleaning, responding, advancing, and retreating was steadfast and cultivated over a long time. Thus, the order of the great learning begins where elementary learning has already succeeded, using gewu zhizhi (investigating things to acquire knowledge) as the starting point. The scale of learning differs, but the underlying Dao is one and the same. Therefore, in youth, if one does not practice elementary learning, there is no way to settle the heart, nurture virtue, and lay the foundation for the great learning. In later years, without advancing to the great learning, one cannot grasp principles, apply them to endeavors, or consolidate the successes of elementary learning. Today, many people study traditional wisdom yet cannot apply it, even when they think they understand it. The root cause is that the spirit of the teachings has not been internalized, so its power and insight remain inaccessible.
Originally written by Ping Xia (平侠) and published in Chinese on 拾一集 (Weekly Reflections). Translated and adapted for DriftSeas with permission.