"Live in regularity" (起居有常)
18 X 50 cm
"Live in regularity" (起居有常)
18 X 50cm in Regular Script (楷書)
Historical information
“起居有常 (Live in Regularity)” originates from The Emperor's Inner Canon (or Huangdi Neijing, 黃帝內經), which is one of the most important Chinese Medicine textbooks in ancient China(1). It contends diseases are not caused by demonic forces but instead by the imbalance of the two basic forces of Yin (陰, which can be interpreted as "negative") and Yang (陽, which can be interpreted as “positive”). The balance of these two forces, according to the book, is affected by diet, lifestyle, emotions, as well as the environment.
"黃帝內經" is "said to have been written by the famous Chinese Emperor Huangdi (黃帝) around 2600 BC. However, Huangdi is a semi-mythical figure, and the book probably dates from later, around 300 BC, and may be a compilation of the writings of several authors.(2)
Text translation
"Live in regularity".
(translated by KS Vincent Poon, Oct . 2015)
Personal Comments
"Live in Regularity" is one of the many elements for longevity and is part of the sentence "diet with restraint, live in regularity, work in moderation (食飲有節，起居有常，不妄作勞)” in The Emperor's Inner Canon . If you live and work in modern cities, "diet with restraint, live in regularity, work in moderation" are rather difficult to achieve at the same time, especially for the working poor who often hold several jobs. Their diets are usually unhealthy, and they work long hours with ever-changing schedules thanks to cost-cutting measures both in the private and public sectors. It is then particularly important to help these people and their children, for they are already poor and, according to The Emperor's Inner Canon, most likely to have a shorter lifespan.
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