TruthMirror

The literal meaning of Zuō is to suck or draw in with the mouth—gathering the lips to extract liquid or the essence of something. Common examples include "sucking milk," "sucking marrow from a bone," or "taking a small sip of wine." This word also appears in the book, such as in the context of "drawing in a few breaths of the medicine's qi."

The Chinese idiom "Tuī bō zhù lán" (推波助澜) literally means to push the waves, turning them into a giant, surging billow. Figuratively, it describes the act of providing further momentum to something already in motion, causing it to grow stronger and more fierce—usually in the context of fueling something negative.

The literal meaning of "Da Yun" (Great Destiny/Luck) usually refers to an extraordinary stroke of good fortune. This term often appears in literature, such as in the phrase "trying one's luck." We see instances where individuals, after receiving a critical illness notice and being discharged from the hospital, seek out Qigong masters as a last resort to "try their luck." Consequently, some truly survive, while others do not.

In Chinese, the common term for a doctor is Dàifu (大夫). To understand its essence, we must look at the characters: Dà (大) means greatness, and fu (夫) typically refers to an adult man. Originally, the term described a "great man" or a "man of high social status."

The word “folk” or “among the people” generally refers to what is non-official — life as lived and passed on among ordinary people.

In the Chinese word for "allowance" or "permission"—允许 (Yǔnxǔ)—the character 允 (Yǔn) is composed of a head (some say a mouth) at the top and a person (儿) at the bottom. Its original meaning is rooted in sincerity and truth. As the ancient dictionary Shuowen Jiezi states: "Yǔn means trust." The core of this character lies in Truth (真). The ancients believed that only when a person is sincere in heart and consistent in word and deed does their "allowance" hold weight.

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