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Examining the *Yiwen Zhi* (Bibliographic Treatise) of the *Book of Han*, medical classics (*Jingjing*) and classic prescriptions (*Jingfang*) are divided into two categories. However, the *Jingji Zhi* (Bibliographic Catalogue) of the *Book of Sui* unifies them under "Medical Prescriptions." Yet, reading its commentary, one finds it resonates with the proverb: "If one has a disease and does not treat it, one happens to get 'Zhongyi' (a doctor of average skill or moderate treatment)." This likely stems from the observation that medicine is sometimes mishandled: using heat to increase heat, or cold to increase cold, thereby injuring the interior. Rather than entrusting one's life to mediocre physicians, it is better to submit to the Creator and treat by "non-treatment" (*bu zhi*). However, the *Shangshu* records that severe dizziness (*mingxuan*) can cure diseases; physicians leading their staff aim for perfection ("ten out of ten"), as recorded in the *Rites of Zhou*. How can medicine be abandoned? It simply means one must exercise caution.

The *Shennong Bencao Jing* (Divine Farmer's Materia Medica) was not listed in the *Han Zhi*, but first appeared in the *Sui Shu*. Subsequently, both the Old and New *Books of Tang*, as well as the *History of Song*, recorded it completely. Even in our dynasty's *Siku Quanshu* (Complete Library of the Four Treasuries), ninety-seven types of medical works were collected, including over ten discussing materia medica. In the early days of Shennong, medicines were classified into three grades (Upper, Middle, Lower), totaling 360 species. Later, during the time of Leigong and Tongjun, the categories were expanded, indications broadened, and the texts became more renowned. Medical classics utilized these materials to realize their functions, establishing the name "Classic Prescription" (*Jingfang*). Thus, from the Han to the Sui dynasties, historians unified them under the term "Medical Prescriptions."

Moreover, surviving medical books today are few. The *Zhenjing* (Classic of Acupuncture) and *Suwen* (Basic Questions), collectively known in antiquity as the *Huangdi Neijing* (Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon), along with works like the *Nanjing* (Classic of Difficult Issues), are cited by acupuncture practitioners to examine the locations of Ying and Wei (Nutritive and Defensive Qi), Zang-Fu organs, pulse methods, meridians, and acupoints. Historical discussions on medical classics emphasize understanding the human body, blood vessels, Yin-Yang, exterior-interior relationships to identify the root of all diseases and distinguish life from death, applying treatments with prudence. Later scholars elaborated on these theories, such as in the *Jingui Yaolue* (Essential Prescriptions of the Golden Cabinet), *Shanghan Lun* (Treatise on Cold Damage), *Bingyuan Hou* (Source and Manifestations of Diseases), and discourses on Three Causes and Five Movements and Six Qi. These are remnants of medical classics. Other materia medica works correspond to the historical discussion of classic prescriptions: based on the cold/warm nature of herbs, distinguishing bitter/sour/pungent flavors, preparing agents of water/fire nature, and utilizing appropriate qi interactions to resolve blockages and knots. Later scholars improved upon formula preparation, such as in *Qianjin Fang* (Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Gold), *Baiyi Xuanfang* (Selected Prescriptions of Hundred Perfection), *Hejiju Fang* (Prescriptions of the Bureau of Harmonizing Agents), *Quansheng Ji* (Collection for Complete Life), and *Weisheng Qiji Fang* (Prescriptions for Hygiene and Strange Diseases). These belong to the category of classic prescriptions.

Even when opinions diverged and schools established distinct lineages—such as Liu Hejian, Yizhou, or Jinhua practitioners who emphasized purging fire or nourishing Yin—all first studied medical classic diagrams before consulting materia medica for processing instructions. Thus, medical classics and materia medica constitute the foundational tasks of medicine. Since current medical classics are difficult to acquire fully, and the materia medica volumes recorded in the *Siku Quanshu* are rarely printed in bookshops, even newly compiled editions like *Bencao Beiyao* (Comprehensive Essentials of Materia Medica) fail to cover medical classics, offering only fragmented excerpts that are hard to synthesize appropriately.

Mr. Yao Jianxia, a scholar from Shanyin, visited the provincial capital. His brother, Yao Qingru, serving in Jing'an, showed me a manuscript titled *Bencao Fenjing* (Materia Medica Classified by Meridians). This compilation briefly extracts meridian diagrams, lists general herb catalogs, and further categorizes commonly used herbs by meridian distribution. Within each non-meridian-specific category, herbs are grouped by tonifying, harmonizing, attacking, dispersing, cooling, or warming properties. It prioritizes conciseness and appropriateness over exhaustive verification, making it highly convenient for reference. Careful study of this text allows one to formulate prescriptions according to theory, avoiding the aggravation of heat or cold, curing diseases, and achieving high success rates. Regrettably, the original printing blocks were destroyed in war, making re-purchase impossible. I therefore corrected the sequence and had it recut for public dissemination, adding the title *Bencao Fenjing Shen Zhi* (Materia Medica Classified by Meridians: Prudent Treatment). Who exercises prudent treatment? The reader of this book. Who authored it? It was actually Yao Jianxia's great-grandfather, Mr. Lan, courtesy name Yun Guang, also known as Heshang (Monk) due to his baldness in later years, and further styled Weimo (Vimalakirti). Vimalakirti deeply understood the Dharma and could cure the illnesses of sentient beings; thus, his research on medical diagrams must have been profound. As for materia medica, it is indeed the starting point of medicine. The purpose of this compilation is akin to the Bodhisattvas Yaowang and Yaoshang tasting all plants, minerals, and stones, knowing their sour, bitter, salty, sweet, pungent flavors, and their thermal natures and toxicity. As stated in the *Vimalakirti Sutra*, if you, Vimalakirti, practice Buddhism and perform infinite merits, you should not view this book lightly. If Vimalakirti were aware, he would likely nod in approval. Mei Yutian, Huangmei.