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Chapter 2 of 33
神农本草经
Preface to the Shennong Bencao Jing
Overall Paraphrase
Preface One (Shao Jinhan's Preface)
The ancient saying goes: "If a physician has not studied for three generations, do not take his medicine." This means: if a physician has not systematically inherited the three great medical traditions—Huangdi's acupuncture, Shennong's materia medica, and Sunü's pulse diagnosis—one should not readily take his medicine. Zheng Xuan interpreted "three generations" as prudent examination of drug compatibility and preparation; Kong Yingda cited the old explanation, referring to "three generations" as Huangdi's acupuncture 🩺, Shennong's materia medica 🌿, and Sunü's pulse diagnosis. Zheng Xuan's commentary on the Rites of Zhou also states that "the five medicines" refers to the five categories of herbs, wood, insects, minerals, and grains. The methods of drug preparation were preserved in the materia medica texts of the Shennong–Zi Yi lineage. Kong Yingda, after citing the old explanation, doubted it was Zheng Xuan's original meaning, which is somewhat overcautious.
The History of the Han (Hanshu) cites materia medica and medical techniques, but the "Treatise on Literature" (Yiwen Zhi) does not list such works; Jia Gongyan cites the Zhongjing Bu (Central Classics Catalog) as containing Zi Yi Bencao Jing in one scroll, without attributing it to Shennong. Only by the Book of Sui: Treatise on Classics (Suishu Jingji Zhi) do we find Shennong Bencao Jing in three scrolls, which matches the present editions divided into three grades (three-tier drug classification) of upper, middle, and lower—this should be an old text dating from the Han period. The Sui Shu also records materia medica works by Lei Gong, Cai Yong, and others, now lost. Since the Mingyi Bielu (Records of Famous Physicians), successive generations have made additions, deletions, and reclassifications to materia medica texts, sometimes causing confusion. Sun Xingyan (courtesy name Boyuan) and his nephew re-established Shennong Bencao Jing in three scrolls based on the black-and-white character text (red characters for the original classic, black characters for the famous physicians' additions) of the Daguan Bencao; they further determined that passages citing "grows in mountain valleys" or "grows in rivers and marshes" from the Taiping Yulan were original text, while those bearing prefectural and county names such as Yuzhang, Zhuyai, Changshan, and Fenggao were later interpolations by later generations. The ancients valued harmonizing yin and yang, regulating the rhythms of surplus and deficiency, and could "name things upon encountering them" among all living things between heaven and earth, thereby fully utilizing their functions. This is precisely what Confucian scholars should thoughtfully consider.
The preface cites examples of ancient drug theory: the Huainanzi says "Rehmannia governs bones, licorice promotes flesh growth," and also says "Euphorbia removes water, pepperweed relieves distension, but if used without moderation, it instead causes illness"—emphasizing that although drugs are effective, improper overuse can lead to disease. The Lun Heng and Qian Fu Lun also explain that if drugs are not authentic or are improperly identified, illness will progressively worsen. These all belong to the surviving teachings of Shennong, which only the broadly learned and meticulously cautious can correctly understand. Later Confucians often belittled the technical specialists' writings, or trusted only derivative schools without examining the ancient classics, and even mishandled the names of birds, beasts, herbs, and trees recorded in the classics through successive errors of transmission. Should this not call for caution?
Preface One further points out that Wu Pu studied medicine under Hua Tuo and treated illnesses with consistent success—not through any mysterious arts, but through diligent textual research and rigorous comparison and verification. Hence, "one who has not read the books of three generations should not have his medicine trusted"—one who has not systematically studied the medical classics of three lineages should not be readily believed in their pharmaceutical practice.
Preface Two (Zhang Jiong's Preface)
Confucians need not achieve fame through medicine, but those who truly understand medical principles never surpass Confucians. In the Spring and Autumn period, the physicians Yi He and Yi Huan were skilled in medicine and also versed in the Book of Changes (Zhouyi), distinguishing the meaning of "vessel insect" (chong in gu hexagram)—they were physicians yet truly Confucians. When the world discusses medicine, it invariably honors Shennong first. But if Shennong had not traveled with Taiyi, inheriting the correct tradition; had not fashioned the crimson whip to journey across the Five Sacred Mountains and the Four Rivers, lacking breadth of experience; had not personally tested myriad species for their healing properties, rendering his work unauthoritative—then even if he daily sampled jade, stone, wood, grass, birds, beasts, insects, fish, and grains one by one, this would amount to mere peddler's behavior, unrelated to medicine. Therefore, Shennong may be called the greatest Confucian of the ages.
The Chongwen Zongmu records a Food Classic (Shipin) in one scroll and Treatise on the Five Viscera (Wuzang Lun) in one scroll, both attributed to Shennong, but these have long been lost; what has been transmitted is only the Shennong Bencao Jing, and even this lacks an independent edition. After Tang Shenwei (courtesy name Shenyuan) compiled and gathered materials, it was called the Daguan Bencao or the Zhenglei Bencao. Later, Miao Xiyi, Lu Zhiyu, and others produced commentaries, but most contained speculative additions and derivative assertions, obscuring the meaning. Sun Xingyan, together with his grandnephew Sun Fengqing, compiled Shennong Bencao Jing in three scrolls, consulting Wu Pu and the famous physicians' theories, with additional citations from Shuowen, Erya, Guangya, Huainanzi, Baopuzi, and other texts. Though it does not list ancient prescriptions or discuss pulse and syndromes, it illuminates the ancient sages' intent in governing the world with perfect clarity. Confucius said "to gain broad acquaintance with the names of birds, beasts, plants, and trees," and also said "the extension of knowledge lies in the investigation of things." Thus this work is not only a medical text but truly a Confucian book on the investigation of things.
Collation Preface (Sun Xingyan's Preface)
Sun Xingyan examined editions in detail: the black-and-white character text transmitted from the Song dynasty was in fact Tao Hongjing's hand-copied edition. Before the Liang dynasty, Shennong, Huangdi, Qibo, Lei Gong, and Bian Que each had separate texts; Wu Pu had seen them, which is why the materia medica properties mentioned by different authorities varied. Later generations compiled them into one work while retaining the red-and-black interlinear notes, so the original text remained undistorted. He corrected earlier claims: although materia medica appeared in the Hanshu: Emperor Pingdi Annals and the Biography of Lou Hu, the Yiwen Zhi listed the Shennong Huangdi Shiyao (Shennong and Huangdi's Food and Medicine) in seven scrolls, which current editions mistakenly read as "food prohibitions"; Song scholars, failing to investigate, doubted that materia medica was a work within the Qilüe system.
Concerning prefectural and county names, Yan Zhitui and Tao Hongjing both pointed out that these reflect Later Han administrative divisions and were added by later generations; ancient editions merely state "grows in mountain valleys" or "grows in rivers and marshes." Sun Xingyan collected scattered passages from Wu Pu to supplement what the Daguan Bencao lacked, and conducted textual investigations on drug names, scribal errors, the era when alcoholic beverages appeared, and other issues. He held that "upper drugs derive from the upper classic, middle drugs from the middle classic, and lower drugs from the lower classic" was the ancient division into scrolls, with the preface-records constituting a separate scroll; the difference between three and four scrolls lies precisely in the presence or absence of the preface-records. In conclusion, he criticized certain physicians for adhering to popular books without examining ancient editions, and bluntly stated that Li Shizhen's Bencao Gangmu "arbitrarily mangles old texts and recklessly adds rebuttals." From today's perspective, this criticism carries the Qing-dynasty evidential scholarship's tendency to revere Han and Tang texts while demeaning Ming works; the Bencao Gangmu's comprehensive contributions should be viewed more holistically.
"If a physician has not studied for three generations, do not take his medicine"
This is the central idea emphasized repeatedly in these prefaces. It does not simply mean "a physician must come from three generations of physicians," but rather that medicine must be built upon the three great systems: Huangdi's acupuncture, Shennong's materia medica, and Sunü's pulse diagnosis. In other words, the use of medicine must be founded on the interpenetration of channel theory, herbal properties, and pulse diagnosis—not merely on scattered experience or folk remedies.
Confucians and physicians are interconnected; materia medica is the study of investigating things
Preface Two explicitly states that those who truly understand medical principles are Confucians. This is because medicine is not merely a technique, but a knowledge of the nature of all things between heaven and earth. Shennong's greatness lies not in the act of "tasting the hundred herbs" per se, but in his classification, verification, and synthesis of myriad things—which is precisely the Confucian ideal of "extending knowledge through the investigation of things." Thus, the Shennong Bencao Jing is regarded as "a Confucian book."
Textual criticism and textual stratification
All three prefaces emphasize: the Shennong Bencao Jing as seen today is not the work of one person or one era, but the result of successive additions through the ages. A key criterion for identifying the original text is: archaic phrasing such as "grows in mountain valleys" or "grows in rivers and marshes" belongs to Shennong's original classic; while passages bearing administrative place names of prefectures and counties such as Yuzhang, Zhuyai, Changshan, and Fenggao are additions by famous physicians of later periods. Red characters mark the original classic, black characters the appended additions from the Bielu—this red-and-black dual script method demonstrates that the ancients already possessed an early awareness of textual layers and edition criticism.
Drug properties emphasize "moderation" and "authenticity"
The prefaces cite examples such as "Rehmannia governs the bones," "licorice promotes flesh growth," "Euphorbia removes water," "pepperweed relieves distension," demonstrating that the ancients had empirical knowledge of drug efficacy. But the key point falls on "if used without moderation, it instead causes illness" and "if one does not recognize the genuine substance and takes it improperly, the disease will progressively worsen"—meaning though drugs possess potencies, authenticity must be distinguished and usage must be regulated. This reflects the early materia medica's inclusion of risk awareness.
Outstanding value of textual criticism and edition research
Qing-dynasty scholars Sun Xingyan, Shao Jinhan, and others employed methods of textual recovery (jiyi) and collation on the Shennong Bencao Jing that closely approach modern philology, edition studies, and textual criticism. Their methods—distinguishing original text from later additions through red and black characters, dating passages through place names, and restoring ancient editions through quotations in encyclopedias—remain the basic approaches for organizing traditional Chinese medicine classics today.
"Shennong tasted the hundred herbs" is legend, not reliable history
Modern scholarship generally holds that the Shennong Bencao Jing was compiled around the Han dynasty, attributed to Shennong by attribution, and was not the work of one ancient individual. Even Sun Xingyan acknowledged in his preface that "in Shennong's era, writing and records had not yet been created," yet he still attempted to prove an unbroken transmission out of reverence for the classics. Today, we should regard the text as a summary and compilation of pharmaceutical knowledge predating the Han rather than Shennong's authorship.
Ancient herbal properties do not equal modern pharmacology
The ancients' statements such as "Rehmannia governs the bones" or "licorice promotes flesh growth" are early empirical, analogical insights that cannot be directly equated with the active ingredients and mechanisms of action in modern pharmacology. Modern traditional Chinese medicine research may find leads here, but such claims must undergo rigorous experimental validation and clinical research.
"Prolonged use lightens the body and extends years" requires rational assessment
Preface Two attempts to defend "prolonged use lightens the body and extends years" by citing the Hongfan's statement that "health and tranquility are blessings" and the Ya and Song odes' references to "longevity of ten thousand years." From a modern standpoint, such expressions reflect ancient aspirations for longevity rather than evidence-based claims. Bu Gua holds that "prolonging years" and "lightening the body" in ancient texts should not be interpreted as therapeutic promises.
The criticism of the Bencao Gangmu reflects scholarly bias
Sun Xingyan's criticism of Li Shizhen for "recklessly adding rebuttals" stems from the Qing evidential scholars' orientation toward venerating antiquity. From the modern history of scholarship, the Bencao Gangmu is a monumental encyclopedic work. Although its organization differs from ancient editions, its contributions to drug classification, preservation of sources, and practical synthesis are immense and should not be simply dismissed.
Systematic study outweighs scattered folk remedies
"If a physician has not studied for three generations, do not take his medicine" offers a lesson for today: when confronting traditional medical knowledge, one should value systematic, complete classical study rather than memorizing a few drug names or isolated recipes. In daily reading, one should trace sources and distinguish authenticity.
"If used without moderation, it instead causes illness" is a universal principle
Whether concerning food, exertion, emotions, or materia medica substances, the ancients constantly emphasized "measure." This reminds us that daily routines, diet, and lifestyle should maintain moderation—without excessive indulgence or dependence. Particularly regarding any substance claiming "nourishing" or "life-extending" effects, rationality should be maintained, and self-directed long-term or high-dose use should be avoided.
Widely knowing herbs, birds, and beasts—appreciating nature without harvesting medicines oneself
Confucius said, "gain broad acquaintance with the names of birds, beasts, plants, and trees." This not only enriches natural knowledge but also aids in understanding traditional medicine culture. Yet appreciating nature and recognizing plants does not authorize self-harvesting for medicinal use; identification of wild plants is difficult, and the risks of misidentification and poisoning are high.
Maintaining the holistic view that "health and tranquility are blessings"
The ancients regarded health (kangning) as one of the five blessings, emphasizing physical and mental peace and orderly living. This is more worthy of modern emulation than pursuing "prolonged use lightens the body." Regular routines, balanced emotions, and dietary moderation are the grounding daily practices.
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Further Reading
This content is based on classical Chinese medicine texts and is provided solely for the study of traditional culture and scholarship. It does not constitute any medical diagnosis, medication recommendation, or treatment advice. Please consult a qualified physician if you experience any health issues.