There are numerous references to „moderation” in Asian culture. ….I came across the most important text related to this on a ….. diet book.
Think moderately, contemplate moderately, laugh moderately, speak moderately, enjoy moderately, get angry moderately, delight yourself moderately, be sad moderately, moderately accept, moderately reject, moderately get involved, and moderately trade.
If you think too much, your spirit will scatter.
If you contemplate too much, the heart will be worn out.
If you laugh too much, your organs and bowels will float.
If you talk too much, the QI Ocean will be empty and disengaged.
If you enjoy too much, the ball and bladder will take outside wind.
If you get angry too much, the fascia will scatter blood everywhere.
If you are too enchanted, the spirit and heart and will be disturbed and disrupted.
If you grieve too much, your hair and sideburns will be dry and old.
If you accept too much, your Qi and willpower will be overloaded.
If you reject too much, the essence and power will diminish and dissipate.
If you are too involved, your muscles and Qi channels will be tense and nervous.
If you trade too much, both wisdom and concern will be confused.
All this threaten the lives of people worse than axes and spears, they diminish the people’s fate worse than wolves and wolverines.
Text found in Taoist and Japanese sources:
Yangsheng yaoji
Ishinpō 医 心 方 (Essential Medical Methods), Chapter 29
Baopuzi yangsheng lun, 842, 1b-2a
Shenxian shiqi jin’gui lu 16a
Xiaoyou 小 有 经 jing (Moderate Essence Scripture)
Yangxing yanming lu养 性 延命 录 (Inner Nature Nurturing and Life Extension, DZ 838), 1.5b.
Extract from Daoist Dietetics: Food for Immortality / Livia Kohn. , 1st Three Pines ed. (ISBN 978-1-931483-14-8)
