Confucius Analects – Food and Sleep
10.2 Confucius eating habits
食饐而餲、魚餒而肉敗、 不食、色惡不食、臭惡不食、失飪不食、不時不食。不多食。
He did not eat rice which had been injured by heat or damp and turned sour, nor fish or flesh which was gone. He did not eat what was discoloured, or what was of a bad flavour, nor anything which was ill-cooked, or was not in season. He did not over eat.
10.3 Confucius eating and sleeping
食不語、寢不言。
When eating, he did not converse. When in bed, he did not speak.
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Besides moral standards, Confucius also recommended healthy diet and sleep. Eat fresh and well-prepared food, in adequate quantity, be mindful in eating and sleeping so we can digest and rest well. Daoist also pay attention to diet and lifestyle as part of holistic approach to health and longevity. In meditation and internal alchemy practice, a healthy physical and energetic body is a pre-requisite for advanced practice. While in the absolute level the physical becomes less relevant, for beginners and regular practitioners, maintaining a healthy body through healthy food and lifestyle is recommended.
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