昔神农遍尝百药，以辨五苦六辛之味，逮伊芳尹而汤液之剂备。黄帝欲创九针，以治三阴
三阳之疾，得岐伯而砭艾之法精。虽大圣人有意于拯民之瘼，必待贤明
博通之臣，或为之先，或为之后，然后圣人之所为，得行于永久也。医家之务，经是二
圣二贤而能事毕矣。后之留意于方术者，苟知药而不知灸，未足以尽治疗之体∶知灸而不
知针，未足以极表里之变，如能兼是圣贤之 者，其名医之良乎！
有唐真人孙思邈者，乃其人也。以上智之材，抱康时之志，当太宗治平之际，思所以
佐后庇民之事，以谓上医之道，真圣人之政而王官之一守也。而乃祖述农、黄之旨，发明岐
、挚之学，经掇扁鹊之《难》，方采仓
公之《禁》，前仲景《黄素》，元化《绿 》，葛仙翁之《必效》，胡居士之《经验》，
张苗之《药对》，叔和之《脉法》，皇甫谧之《三部》，陶隐居之《百一》。自余郭
玉、范汪、僧坦、阮炳，上极文本之初，下讫有隋之世，或经或方，无不采摭。集诸家之
所秘要，去众说之所未至。成书一部，总三十卷，目录一通。脏腑之论，针艾之法，脉证之辨，
食治之宜。始妇人而次婴孺；先香港脚而后中风、伤寒、痈疽、消渴、水肿；七窍之
、五石之毒、备急之方、养性之术，总篇二百三十二门，合方论五千三百首，莫不十全可验，
四种兼包。浓德过于千金，遗法传于百代。使二圣二贤之美，不坠于地，而世之人得以阶近
而至远，上识于三皇之奥者，孙真人善述之功也。
然以俗尚险怪，我道纯正，不述剖腹易心之异；世务径省，我书浩博，不可道听涂说而知，
是以学寡其人，寝以纷靡；贤不继世，简编断缺；不知者以异端见黜，好之者以阙疑辍功。恭惟
我朝以好生为德，以广爱为仁，乃诏儒臣，正是坠学。臣等术谢多通，职专典校，于是请内府之
秘书，探《道藏》之别录，公私众本，搜访几遍，得以正其讹谬，补其遗佚。文之重复者削之，
事之不伦者缉之，编次类聚， 月功至。纲领虽有所立，文义犹或疑阻。是用端本以正末，如∶
《素问》、《九墟》、《灵枢》、《甲乙》、
《太素》、《巢源》、诸家《本草》、前古脉书、《金匮玉函》、《肘后备急》、谢士秦《删繁方》
、刘涓子《鬼遗论》之类，事关所出，无不研核。尚有所阙，而又溯流以讨源，如∶《五鉴经》、
《千金翼》、《崔氏纂要》、《延年秘录》，《正元广利》、《外台秘要》、《兵部手集》、
梦得《传信》之类。凡所派别，无不考理，互相质正，反复稽参；然后遗文疑义，焕然悉明。书虽是
旧，用之惟新，可以济函灵，裨乃圣好生之治；可以传不朽，副主上广爱之心；非徒为太平之文致，
可佐皇极之锡福。校雠既成，缮写伊芳始，恭以上进，庶备亲览。
太子右赞善大夫臣高保衡
尚书都官员外郎臣孙奇
尚书司封郎中充秘阁校理臣林亿等谨上。
In ancient times, Shennong (Divine Farmer) tasted hundreds of herbs to distinguish the flavors of five bitter and six pungent substances. It was not until Yi Yin that decoctions (herbal liquid preparations) were fully developed. The Yellow Emperor wished to create the Nine Needles to treat diseases of the Three Yin and Three Yang meridians; it was only after obtaining Qibo that the methods of Bian stones (lithic therapy) and moxibustion became refined. Although great sages had the intention to save the people from their hardships, they necessarily awaited virtuous, wise, and broadly knowledgeable ministers—some as pioneers, others as successors—so that the actions of the sages could be implemented permanently. The duties of medical practitioners were essentially completed through these Two Sages (Shennong and the Yellow Emperor) and Two Worthies (Yi Yin and Qibo). Later generations who paid attention to medical arts: if one knows drugs but does not know moxibustion, one cannot fully grasp the essence of treatment; if one knows moxibustion but does not know acupuncture, one cannot exhaust the variations of exterior and interior changes. If one can master the skills of these sages and worthies, such a person would indeed be an excellent physician!
Sun Simiao, the True Man of the Tang Dynasty, is such a person. Endowed with superior talent and harboring the ambition to heal the times, during the reign of peace under Emperor Taizong, he contemplated how to assist the court in protecting the people. He believed that the way of the Superior Physician represents the true politics of sages and constitutes one of the duties of royal officials. Thus, he followed the principles of Nong (Shennong) and Huang (the Yellow Emperor), elucidated the learning of Qi (Qibo) and Zhi (Shaoshi), excerpted Bian Que’s *Nan Jing* (Classic of Difficult Issues), collected Cang Gong’s (Chunyu Yi) *Jin Fang* (Forbidden Prescriptions), referenced Zhang Zhongjing’s *Huang Su* (Yellow Silk Texts), Hua Yuanhua’s (Hua Tuo’s) *Lv Nang* (Green Pouches), Ge Xianweng’s (Ge Hong’s) *Bi Xiao Fang* (Prescriptions for Certain Efficacy), Hu Jushi’s *Jing Yan* (Experienced Formulas), Zhang Miao’s *Yao Dui* (Drug Pairings), Wang Shuhe’s *Mai Fa* (Pulse Methods), Huangfu Mi’s *San Bu* (Three Parts), and Tao Yingju’s (Tao Hongjing’s) *Bai Yi* (One Hundred One Selections). Regarding other works by Guo Yu, Fan Wang, Seng Tan, Ruan Bing, and others, from the beginning of textual origins down to the end of the Sui Dynasty, whether classics or prescription books, nothing was left uncollected. He gathered the secret essentials of various schools and removed what previous theories had failed to achieve. The resulting work consists of one book, totaling thirty volumes, with one volume of table of contents. It covers theories of zang-fu organs, methods of acupuncture and moxibustion, differentiation of pulses and syndromes, and principles of dietary therapy. The arrangement begins with women, followed by infants and children; it addresses jiaoxie (foot qi/beriberi) first, then wind-stroke, shanghan (cold damage), yongju (carbuncles and sores), xiaoke (wasting-thirst/diabetes), and shuizhong (edema); it details diseases of the seven orifices, toxicity of the Five Minerals, emergency prescriptions, and regimens for nourishing life. In total, there are 232 categories and 5,300 prescriptions and discussions, all verified as completely effective, encompassing four types of classification. His virtue exceeds that of a thousand gold pieces, and his legacy will be transmitted for a hundred generations. Thanks to Sun the True Man’s skillful compilation, the beauty of the Two Sages and Two Worthies has not fallen into obscurity, allowing people of later ages to approach the near to reach the far, and to understand profoundly the mysteries of the Three Emperors.
However, because popular customs favor strange and miraculous tales, while my Way is pure and upright, I do not recount bizarre stories like opening bellies or exchanging hearts. Because worldly affairs pursue brevity, while my book is vast and comprehensive, it cannot be known through hearsay; thus, few study it, leading to its gradual fragmentation and loss over generations. Virtuous scholars no longer succeed each other, causing manuscripts to break and go missing. Those who do not understand dismiss it as heterodoxy, while those who appreciate it stop their work due to gaps and doubts. Reverently considering that our dynasty values preserving life as virtue and extends love as benevolence, we issued an edict to Confucian scholars to rectify lost learning. We, lacking broad expertise but dedicated to textual collation, requested access to secret manuscripts from the Imperial Library and alternative records from the Daoist Canon. After searching private and public copies repeatedly, we corrected errors and supplemented omissions. Repetitive text was deleted, illogical content was organized, and items were classified and arranged, completing the work after several months. Although a framework was established, some textual meanings remained obscure. Therefore, we corrected the root to straighten the branches, consulting sources such as the *Su Wen*, *Jiu Xu* (Nine Scrolls), *Ling Shu*, *Jia Yi*, *Tai Su*, *Chao Yuan* (*Zhu Bing Yuan Hou Lun*), various *Ben Cao* (Materia Medica) texts, ancient pulse manuals, *Jin Gui Yu Han*, *Zhou Hou Bei Ji Fang*, Xie Shiqin’s *Shan Fan Fang*, Liu Juanzi’s *Gui Yi Lun*, etc., thoroughly investigating their origins. Where gaps remained, we traced back to the source, consulting texts like the *Wu Jian Jing*, *Qian Jin Yi Fang*, Cui Shi’s *Zuan Yao*, *Yan Nian Mi Lu*, *Zheng Yuan Guang Li Fang*, *Wai Tai Mi Yao*, *Bing Bu Shou Ji*, Meng De’s *Chuan Xin Fang*, etc. Every branch was examined for logical consistency, mutually verified and cross-referenced. Consequently, remaining texts and doubtful meanings became clearly illuminated. Although the book is old, its application is new; it can benefit all living beings and support the sovereign’s benevolent governance; it can be transmitted immortally, fulfilling the ruler’s expansive heart of love. It serves not merely as literature for a peaceful era, but aids the supreme harmony in bestowing blessings. Upon completion of the collation and commencement of copying, we respectfully submit this for Your Majesty’s personal inspection.
Gao Baoheng, Right Praising Goodness Official of the Crown Prince
Sun Qi, External Director of the Department of Ministers
Lin Yi et al., Langzhong of the Ministry of Personnel and Scholar at the Secret Pavilion, respectfully submit.