동의보감- 내경편 권1-22[精] 精爲至寶 정은 지극한 보배이다

精爲至寶 정은 지극한 보배이다
[동의보감 원문 링크]

정(精)이란 지극히 좋은 것을 부르는 말이다. 
사람에게 정(精)은 가장 귀한데 그 양은 매우 적다. 
몸 속에는 모두 1되 6홉이 있는데 16세의 남자가 아직 정(精)을 내보내기 전의 양이며 질량은 1근이다. 
이것을 모아서 가득 채우면 3되가 되지만 덜어내어 축내면 1되도 되지 않는다. 
정(精)과 기(氣)는 서로 기르므로, 
기(氣)가 모이면 정(精)이 가득 차고 정(精)이 가득 차면 기(氣)가 성해진다. 
매일 먹는 음식 중의 정수가 정(精)이 되기 때문에 정(精)이라는 글자는 미(米)와 청(靑)이 합쳐져 만들어졌다. 
사람이 16세가 되면 정액이 나오는데 1번 교접하면 반 홉을 잃게 된다. 
잃기만 하고 채워주지 않으면 곧 정(精)이 고갈되고 몸이 지치게 된다. 
그러므로 성욕을 절제하지 않으면 정(精)이 소모되고, 
정(精)이 소모되면 기(氣)가 쇠하며, 
기(氣)가 쇠하면 병이 오고, 병이 오면 몸이 위태로워진다. 
아! 정(精)이여! 우리 몸의 지극한 보배로구나! 《양성》

《선서》에 다음과 같이 나온다. 
"음양의 도(道)에서는 정액을 보배로 여긴다. 
조심조심 지키면 나이를 천천히 먹는다. 
〈경송〉에 '도(道)는 정(精)을 보배로 여기니 보배를 지킬 때는 은밀히 간직하여야 한다. 
다른 사람에게 이것을 주면 사람을 낳고 자신에게 남기면 자신을 살린다. 
자식을 만드는데 써도 좋지 않은데 어떻게 헛되이 버릴 수 있겠는가? 
함부로 버리고도 깨닫지 못하면노쇠하여 수명이 줄어들 것이다. 
사람이 보배로 삼아야 할 것은 명(命)이고, 
아껴야 할 것은 몸[身]이며, 중요하게 생각해야 할 것은 정(精)이다. 
간정(肝精)이 든든하지 못하면 눈이 어찔어찔하고 광채가 없다. 
폐정(肺精)이 부족하면 기육이 마른다. 
신정(腎精)이 든든하지 못하면 신기(神氣)가 줄어든다. 
비정(脾精)이 든든하지 못하면 치아가 드러나고 머리털이 빠진다. 
만약 진정(眞精)을 다 써버리면 질병이 생기고 곧 죽음에 이른다'고 하였다. "

상천옹이, 
"정(精)은 기(氣)를 낳고 기(氣)는 신(神)을 낳는다. 
우리 몸을 키우고 지켜 주니 우리 몸에서 이보다 더 귀중한 것은 없다. 
양생하는 사람은 먼저 정(精)을 아껴야 한다. 
정(精)이 가득하면 기(氣)가 튼튼해지고, 
기(氣)가 튼튼하면 신(神)이 왕성해지며, 
신(神)이 왕성하면 몸[身]이 건강하게 된다. 
몸[身]이 건강하면 병이 적어져서 안으로는 오장이 충만해지고 겉으로는 피부가 윤택해지고, 
얼굴에서 빛이 나며 눈과 귀가 밝아지고, 
나이가 들수록 더욱 튼튼해지기 때문이다"라 하였다.


[精爲至寶]
[Essence Is the Ultimate Treasure]

夫精者, 極好之稱, 人之精最貴而甚少. 在身中通有一升六合. 此男子二八未泄之成數, 稱得一斤, 積而滿者至三升, 損而喪之者不及一升. 精與氣相養, 氣聚則精盈, 精盈則氣盛. 日啖飮食之華美者爲精, 故從米從靑. 人年十六則精泄. 凡交一次則喪半合, 有喪而無益, 則精竭身憊. 故慾不節則精耗, 精耗則氣衰, 氣衰則病至, 病至則身危. 噫, 精之爲物, 其人身之至寶乎. 《養性》
Essence refers to the extremely good. The essence is of the most treasurable in a person, and the amount is very small. There is 1 doe 6 hop in total inside the body, and this is the amount before one starts letting the semen out of the body at the age of 16, and it weighs 1 geun. If it is all gathered to fill up, it totals up to 3 doe, but it becomes even less than 1 doe if one uses up and spends too much. Essence and qi raise one another, so when essence is filled when qi is gathered, qi becomes strong if essence is abundant. The essence of everyday food makes up the essence, which is why the character "精" is made up of the parts meaning rice (米) and blue (靑). The essence is let out when one turns 16; one loses one-half hop at one intercourse. The essence is depleted soon if one only lets out and does not refill, and the body easily becomes worn out. Therefore, the essence is wasted if one does not control one's desire; qi becomes weak if the essence is worn out and diseases follow. The body will be in danger. Oh, the essence! It is the treasure of our body!

仙書曰, 陰陽之道, 精液爲寶, 謹而守之, 後天而老. 經頌云, 道以精爲寶, 寶持宜秘密, 施人卽生人, 留己則生己, 結嬰尙未可, 何況空廢棄, 棄損不覺多, 衰老而命墜. 人之可寶者命, 可惜者身, 可重者精. 肝精不固, 目眩無光. 肺精不足, 肌肉消瘦. 腎精不固, 神氣減少. 脾精不堅, 齒髮浮落. 若眞精耗散, 疾病卽生, 死亡隨至.
It is said as follows in the Immortals' Writings (仙書), "Essence is considered a treasure in the Dao of yin-yang. When it is protected carefully, one will age slowly. In the Songs for the Classics (經頌) it says: "Essence is treasured in the Tao, and one should be covert when protecting his treasure. Given to other, a child will be born, and when kept within oneself, it will extend one's lifespan. Why would one waste it when it is not even enough to make children? One would get old and lessen the lifespan if one does not realize how much is thrown away. It is destiny that it should be kept as a treasure, the body that must be saved, and the essence that must be considered important. One's eyes get dizzy and lose sparkle when liver essence is not enough. The flesh gets thinner when lung essence is not enough. Kidney qi decreases when kidney essence is not enough. One's teeth become bare and hair falls out when spleen essence is not enough. Diseases occur and eventually death follows if the true essence is all used up." 

象川翁曰, 精能生氣, 氣能生神, 榮衛一身, 莫大於此. 養生之士, 先寶其精, 精滿則氣壯, 氣壯則神旺, 神旺則身健, 身健而少病, 內則五藏敷華, 外則肌膚潤澤, 容顔光彩, 耳目聰明, 老當益壯矣.
Xiang Chuanweng said: "Essence engenders qi and gi engenders spirit. It nurtures and protects the body;  there is nothing more important than this essence. A person who cares for one's health must value essence first of all. Qi gets healthy if there is enough essence, and the spirit is full if qi is healthy, and the body becomes healthy if the spirit is full. Fewer diseases follow if the body is healthy. Inside the five viscera become replete and outside the skin gets rich; the face glows, the eyes and ears get brighter, and one gets healthier as one ages." 

黃庭經曰, 急守精室勿妄泄, 閉而寶之可長活.
It is said in the Scripture of the Yellow Court (黃庭經): "One is able to live long only when the essence is not let out for leakage; one must treasure it dearly and value it."