Sun Simiao (541 or 581–682), born in Huayuan, Jingzhao County, Tang Dynasty (now Yintai, Tongchuan City, Shaanxi Province), was a renowned traditional Chinese medicine practitioner and Taoist.
He is considered one of the most famous medical and pharmaceutical scientists in Chinese and world history and is honored as the “King of Medicine.”
In the Song Dynasty, he was posthumously honored as the Miao Ying True Person. In Taoism, he is revered as Tianyi Miao Ying Guang Yuan Shan Ji Zhen Jun, regarded as the god of medicine.
Life
The exact year of Sun Simiao’s birth is unknown. He was born during the Western Wei Dynasty and started studying at the age of seven. He was highly regarded by Dugu Xin, an elder of the Northern Zhou Dynasty, who referred to him as a prodigy. Sun Simiao was well-versed in various aspects of knowledge, including the teachings of Laozi and Zhuangzi, Yin-Yang theory, divination, and the interpretation of scriptures.
From a young age, Sun Simiao suffered from frequent illnesses, and his family exhausted their resources on medicine and treatments. Witnessing the poverty-stricken people around him dying due to lack of medical care, he resolved to study medicine at the age of 18 and remained dedicated to this pursuit throughout his life. He believed that human life is precious and should be treated with utmost importance, stating, “Saving a life is worth more than a thousand pieces of gold.”
According to legend, Emperor Xuan of Zhou, Emperor Jing of Zhou, Emperor Wen of Sui, Emperor Taizong of Tang, and Emperor Gaozong of Tang offered high positions and honors to Sun Simiao, all of which he politely declined. He once served as the imperial physician of Emperor Taizong of Tang, and in the first year of the Shangyuan era (674 CE), he retired due to illness and relocated to the mountains, where Emperor Gaozong gifted him a fine horse. He had Lu Zhaolin as one of his students and spent the rest of his life in seclusion on Wangwu Mountain. Sun Simiao passed away in the first year of the Yongchun era (682 CE).
Philosophical Achievements
Sun Simiao’s most significant work is the “Qian Jin Yao Fang” (“Essential Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Gold”), commonly known as the “Qian Jin Yao Fang.” This comprehensive medical compendium consists of thirty volumes and covers 232 different diseases, approaching the classification methods used in modern clinical medicine. Drawing from the teachings of the Yellow Emperor’s Inner Canon regarding the organs, Sun Simiao introduced a comprehensive classification and treatment system for miscellaneous diseases based on the concepts of coldness, heat, deficiency, and excess. The book contains around 5,300 medicinal prescriptions. He supplemented the “Qian Jin Yao Fang” with the “Qian Jin Yi Fang” (“Supplement to Essential Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Gold”), which consists of thirty volumes.
Sun Simiao attached great importance to moral and ethical cultivation in medical practice. He emphasized the professional ethics of physicians, particularly highlighted in two sections of the “Qian Jin Yao Fang” called “The Profound Study of Being a Great Physician” and “The Sincerity of a Great Physician.” These sections systematically discuss medical ethics. The content can be summarized into two aspects: the pursuit of technical mastery and the embodiment of noble character. The “Qian Jin Yao Fang” begins with a prominent position given to “The Sincerity of a Great Physician” and “The Profound Study of Being a Great Physician,” underscoring the vital importance of medical ethics. Sun Simiao emphasized equal treatment of all patients, regardless of social status, wealth, age, personal relationships, or intelligence. He also emphasized the importance of cultivating virtue to nurture one’s character and maintain physical well-being. Compared to physicians during the Han and Jin Dynasties, Sun Simiao’s comprehensive discussions on medical ethics are the most extensive and still hold significant practical value today.
Sun Simiao respected the valuable experiences of his predecessors but did not blindly adhere to them. He compiled the content of the “Shang Han Lun” (“Treatise on Cold Damage”) in a more complete form in the “Qian Jin Yi Fang.” Throughout his medical career, he placed great emphasis on the diagnosis and treatment of diseases specific to women and children, considering it crucial to human reproduction. He stated, “Focusing on women and children is an expression of cherishing the fundamentals.” In acupuncture and moxibustion, he advocated the combined use of acupuncture needles and herbal medicines, introduced new acupuncture points, developed color-coded meridian maps, and often employed massage and moxibustion treatments. Additionally, he actively promoted the therapeutic use of food, opposing the prevalent trend during the Wei and Jin Dynasties of relying on minerals and substances for longevity.
Sun Simiao is also credited with being one of the early inventors of gunpowder in ancient China. In his book “Dan Jing Nei Fu Sulfur Method,” he recorded the combination of saltpeter, sulfur, and charred willow branches, which, when ignited, produced a vigorous combustion. He invented gunpowder in 682 CE, the same year he passed away on Wangwu Mountain.
- huangdi neijing(黄帝内经)
- Chinese medicine doctor: is it really reliable?
- Sheng Mai San(生脉散)
- liuwei dihuang wan(六味地黄丸)
Beliefs
Before his death, Sun Simiao instructed that he should be buried simply without any extravagant burial goods or animal sacrifices. He left behind a large number of medical books and became revered as the “King of Medicine.” The Medicine King Temple, dedicated to Sun Simiao, is situated in Yaoxian County, Shaanxi Province (formerly known as Wutai Mountain).
Every year, on the second day of the second lunar month, a temple fair called the “Medicine King Temple Fair” takes place. In addition, there are also the True Person Temple, the Holy Mother Hall, and the Ancestral Tomb Monument in Yaoxian County. In the second year of the Chongning era (1103 CE) of the Song Dynasty, he was posthumously honored as Miao Ying True Person.
In Taiwan, there are temples dedicated to the worship of Sun Simiao, known as “Tianyi Miao Ying Sun True Person.” His annual birthday celebration takes place on the fourth day of the lunar calendar’s first month, known as the “Sun Medicine God Festival.”
Belief in the Three Immortals of Preserving Life
In the worship of Bao Sheng Dadi (the Great Emperor Protecting Life), there is a belief in the “Three Immortals of Preserving Life,” which holds that Sun Simiao, Wu Feng, and Xu Xun became sworn brothers after achieving godhood. In the Xiamen region, it is believed that the order of the three gods is Jinmian (Golden Face) Sun True Person, Hongmian (Red Face) Wu True Person, and Heimian (Black Face) Xu True Person.
However, in Taiwan, the ranking of the three gods varies according to each region. In Lushan sect temples, the order is the Miao Ji Xu True Person, the Shan Ji Sun True Person, and the Ci Ji Wu True Person, such as in the Gushan district of Kaohsiung.
Legends
Medicinal Treatment for Tigers: According to legend, Sun Simiao encountered a tiger seeking his help one night. He noticed that the tiger had a bone stuck in its throat and performed a treatment to remove it. In gratitude, the tiger became his loyal servant.
Reviving a Pregnant Woman by Opening a Coffin: Legend has it that during one of his visits, Sun Simiao came across a funeral procession where blood was seeping out of a coffin. He requested the coffin to be opened and successfully revived a woman trapped inside due to complications during childbirth, saving both her life and the life of her unborn child.
Interesting Facts
The common interpretation of the Chinese idiom “lú huǒ chún qīng” (炉火纯青), which means “to be exceptionally skilled at something,” is often attributed to the alchemical practice of achieving a pure blue flame during the process. This interpretation is derived from a four-character poem written by Sun Simiao, which is included in the “Complete Tang Poems” anthology. Sun Simiao was knowledgeable in various fields, including Taoism, medical science, and health science.
In this poem, he primarily describes the process of alchemy. The poem conveys that when lead and mercury are placed in a alchemical crucible and the fire is kindled, the red flames and smoke eventually turn pure blue. Many dictionaries and sources interpret this as the phenomenon of achieving a “lú huǒ chún qīng” state when performing alchemy.
References:
- Yang, J. (2003). 孙思邈文化的独立发展和以书信为载体的中医传承 [The Independent Development of Sun Simiao’s Culture and the Inheritance of Traditional Chinese Medicine Through Letters]. Journal of Henan University (Social Science).
- Wang, W. (2013). 孙思邈的人生哲学及其现实意义 [The Life Philosophy of Sun Simiao and its Practical Significance]. Journal of Hubei University for Nationalities (Philosophy and Social Sciences).
- Huang, S. (1994). 孙思邈医学思想的特点及其影响 [The Characteristics and Influence of Sun Simiao’s Medical Thought]. Journal of Huaihua Teachers College.
- Xue, M. (2019). 孙思邈的医道伦理思想研究 [Research on Sun Simiao’s Medical Ethical Thought]. Journal of Henan Normal University (Philosophy and Social Sciences).
- Liu, Y., & Lu, W. (Eds.). (2008). 中华古代医药人文地理学 [Humanistic Geography of Ancient Chinese Medicine]. People’s Medical Publishing House.
