[Daily Health Precepts] Part 1: The Human Body is Precious | Gentle Preventive Medicine from the Edo Period

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A new segment delivering daily health tips,
"Daily Health Precepts," starts today!

When you are busy with work, childcare, and housework every day, it is easy to put your own self-care on the back burner.

"I feel like I've been under a lot of stress lately..."

"What exactly does it mean to take care of myself?"

For you, who are working hard to your limits every day, the wisdom from about 300 years ago might just become a reliable ally.

Gentle preventive medicine from the Edo period for those who "dislike themselves" or "tend to push too hard."
Before we dive into the main content, let me briefly introduce the "Yojokun" (Precepts on Nourishing Life) that serves as the foundation for this series.

"Yojokun"
-- A health bible loved for over 300 years

The origins of modern healthcare actually lie in the Edo period.
"Yojokun" is Japan's premier practical health book, which explains in an easy-to-understand way how to harmonize the mind and body in daily life.

*If you would like to know more about the author, Kaibara Ekken, click here
▽ [To the life and personality of Kaibara Ekken]

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[About the modern Japanese translation of "Yojokun Complete"]

• About 300 years ago: Kaibara Ekken wrote "Yojokun" based on his own experiences

• About 200 years ago: Became a major bestseller in Edo through the commentary of physician Sugimoto Yoshiatsu

• About 100 years ago: Reprinted as a Taisho-era printed book by Senichiro Kaneko and others

💡 If you are interested in valuable old books from the Taisho era, click here ▽ The Secret of the Preface

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👉 We have revived this health wisdom, passed down through the ages, for the modern day as a modern Japanese translation with the help of AI (Gemini) on this blog. Please make use of it for your daily mental and physical self-care.

This bible of health is packed with Eastern wisdom.
The ultimate message written at the very beginning of this long book is today's theme.

Now, let's begin to unravel the wisdom of the Yojokun, Volume 1 (General Theory Part 1, Section 1)!

Yojokun, Volume 1 (General Theory Part 1, Section 1)

Reaching out to those who 'dislike themselves' or 'tend to overdo it'

-- Gentle Preventive Medicine from the Edo Period

The 'dignity of humanity' that honors the baton of life

Taisho Era [Original Text]

[Modern Japanese Translation]

◇The First Priority of Life

The human body has parents as its root and heaven and earth as the beginning (of life). Because it is a body born from the blessings of heaven, earth, and parents, and nurtured and raised by them, it is not something that one may privately own for oneself alone. Since it is a gift from heaven and earth and a body left behind by one's parents, one should carefully nurture it, not damage or ruin it, and maintain the lifespan given by heaven (natural lifespan) for as long as possible. This is the root of 'filial piety' in serving heaven, earth, and parents. If one loses one's body, there is no way to serve them.

Since even a small piece of skin or a single hair on one's body is received from one's parents, it is unfilial to damage or harm it without cause. Furthermore, to assume that one's great body and life belong only to oneself, to live intemperately, to indulge in food, drink, and lust, to damage one's vitality, to invite illness upon oneself, to shorten one's natural lifespan, and to lose one's life prematurely is the height of unfilial conduct toward Heaven, Earth, and one's parents, and is utter foolishness.

Since we are born into this world as humans, is it not the heartfelt wish of everyone to devote themselves to filial piety toward their parents and Heaven and Earth, to follow the path that humans should tread (the path of human ethics), to act according to morality (duty), to receive as much longevity and happiness as possible, to live long in this world, and to savor joy and pleasure?

If one wishes to be this way, one must first carefully consider the teachings of the ancients, learn the methods of self-care, and firmly maintain one's own body. This is the most important thing (the great matter) in life.

The human body is precious and heavy beyond measure, and is it not something that cannot be replaced even by the whole world or the four seas? Yet, not knowing how to nourish the body, indulging in desires, destroying the body, and losing one's life is the height of foolishness.

Weigh the heaviness of the body and life against the lightness of individual desires, be cautious every single day, and fear the dangers brought by selfish desires—if one is as careful as if 'standing on the edge of a deep abyss' or 'treading on thin ice,' one's lifespan will be extended, and one will never encounter disaster (illness or premature death) until the end. How could one not find joy in this (indeed, one should enjoy it greatly)?

If life is short, there is no meaning even if one possesses all the wealth in the world. Even if a mountain of treasure is piled before one's eyes, there is no way to use it. Therefore, there is no greater happiness than maintaining one's body according to the right path and living a long life. That is why the Chinese classic 'Shangshu' (Book of Documents) lists 'longevity' as the first of the five blessings. This is the root of all happiness.

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*The book images posted have been enhanced by AI.

1. Let us cherish our own bodies from the heart

"I must get healthy."

"I shouldn't eat that, I must do this."

Aren't you searching for 'health methods' with your shoulders a bit tense like that?

Kaibara Ekken's masterpiece from the Edo period, 'Yojokun' (Lessons on Nourishing Life).

For the first step of this long journey that has been read for over 300 years, Master Ekken did not choose difficult know-how.

That is, what Master Ekken chose for the first step of the long journey of 'Yojokun' was not a difficult health method, but

"Let us cherish our own bodies from the heart"

a message that was infinitely warm.

2. 'The human body is a precious thing'

We will unravel the core of Master Ekiken's words using modern language.

You are more precious than all the wealth in the world

Master Ekiken asserts that the human body is 'so precious that it cannot be replaced even if you gathered all the wealth in the world.' No matter how much money or property you have, if your life is short, you cannot enjoy it.

It is mine, but it is not mine alone

Our bodies are precious 'entrusted items' that have received the blessings of nature (heaven and earth) and have been inherited from our parents. That is precisely why we must not mistreat them selfishly.

3. The gentlest form of self-care you can start today

Leave the difficult things for later.
I propose a form of 'mental self-care' that you can start today.

Treat yourself with care, 'as if walking on thin ice'

Master Ekiken said, 'Spend your day as cautiously as if you were walking on thin ice or standing before a deep abyss.' This does not mean to be afraid, but rather to treat your own body as carefully as you would handle something fragile or a precious treasure.

The comfort of not being swayed by 'selfish desires'

Overeating, drinking, or staying up late. Take a small break from the little excesses (selfish desires) we tend to indulge in. That is the best gift you can give yourself.

A small step toward 'respecting' your body

Living in the modern age, even if we understand this in our heads, we tend to get caught up in daily work, housework, and childcare, often thinking, 'I'll put my own care on the back burner...'

'It's okay to push myself a little'

'If I just endure it, everything will work out'

By saying things like that, aren't you cutting back on sleep, eating poorly, and whipping a body that has already exceeded its limits?

However, I would like you to recall the words of Master Ekiken from earlier.

"My body is not my own."

That body of yours does not belong to you alone. It is an irreplaceable "entrusted treasure" from those who cherish you, and from the ancestors who have passed down the gift of life.

Master Ekiken teaches that taking good care of one's body is the ultimate form of "filial piety" toward one's parents and ancestors, and is a form of gratitude in itself.

When you think of it that way, doesn't taking even a little time to care for yourself feel like something very sacred and important?

When we hear the word "yojo" (nurturing life), we might feel like we need to start some special health regimen, but that is certainly not the case.

What Master Ekiken means by "tsutsushinde" (with care/reverence) is to respect your own body.

For example, why not start with these small things?

• Saying to your body in your heart, "Thank you for always doing your best."

• Putting your smartphone away just for today and getting into bed five minutes earlier.

• Taking just one sip of warm tea and savoring it slowly.

Treating your body as something "precious" and caring for it with attention.

That small step is the first step toward all health and a way of life that values yourself.

Conclusion

--Wishing you a healthy day

How did you find today's "Daily Health Precepts"?

When we unravel it like this, we see that the "Yojokun" (Precepts on Life Nourishment) is by no means a difficult teaching; in fact, it is just talking about "very ordinary, common-sense things."

However, for us humans, continuing to do those "ordinary, common-sense things" amidst the busyness of daily life is often the thing we are worst at and find the most difficult.

That is precisely why, at times, we need to stop and return to the starting point that "the most important thing in life is to treat the precious body we received from heaven, earth, and our parents with care, as something entrusted to us."

Today, please take a moment to speak to your own body, which works so diligently for you, and say "Thank you".

As I mentioned earlier, even just slowly savoring a single cup of warm tea is a wonderful, sacred act of self-care.

＼ Today's Daily Health Precept ／

"Today, try putting your smartphone away and getting into bed just 5 minutes earlier than usual."

May you have another healthy and pleasant day today.

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Blog "Koyomi Minaniwa" Shinsho