The Story of Li Shizhen (2 of 2)
 
When the Bencao Gangmu was nearly finished and dedicated to the emperor, Li Shizhen was already 76 years old and he could tell that his time was up. Indeed, he died shortly thereafter.
 
Before he died, Li Shizhen wrote a memorandum to the throne and left it to his son Jianyuan to give to the emperor.
 
During the reign of Emperor Ming Shengzong (1572 – 1620 AD), the emperor wanted to compile national history and demanded books from all over the country. Jianyuan contributed his father's message to the throne and the Bencao Gangmu book. The emperor was very pleased and ordered the Ministry of Rites to publish it in every city and province. Since then, every scholar has had a copy of this book at home, which also epitomized the knowledge of herbal medicine.
 
In his message to the throne, Li Shizhen said: "After a long period of time, many herbs have been given different names even though they are the same, others have the same name but they are actually different. Some of them are very difficult to distinguish. Some are classified incorrectly. Some of the poisonous herbs are very similar to the non-poisonous ones. All of these factors have contributed to the difficulties in collecting the proper herbs, resulting in unsatisfactory results from treatments. Also, many new herbs have been discovered over time that have not been documented. More than 1500 herbs were recorded in the previous books; another 374 were added in the Bencao Gangmu. This book consists of 16 volumes and 52 chapters. The official names of the herbs are recorded as their Gang and the details were recorded under Mu. In addition, descriptions, corrections, origins, scent, and functions are all recorded in the book. A wide range of references were consulted, from ancient official texts to anecdotes, anything related to herbal medicine is summarized in this book. Although it is a medical book, it explains the principles of the universe and medicine. I do hope the emperor can arrange for scholars to review the book and have it published. Then it will become an essential reference book for all physicians.
 
Li Shizhen was not only a well-known physician and herbalist. He was also a person who practiced divinity. According to the Biography of Li Shizhen by Gu Jingxing: "When I was young I heard some stories of Li Shizhen. He read according to the time of sunrise and sunset and meditates at nights. He thinks of himself as a divine figure."
 
In his Examination of The Internal Energy Passages Near a Lake, Li Shizhen commented on the principle of the eight passages through which vital energy circulates by Zhang Zhiyang: "The passages in Zhiyang's study are different from those known by physicians; however, it is not wrong for ordinary people to see the inner routines in a reversed way."
 
Though Li Shizhen was proficient in medicine and the practice of seeking immortality, he paid great attention to the secrets of the Eight Internal Energy Passages. He pointed out in A Study of Eight Internal Passages that physicians and immortality seekers ought to know the eight passages. Furthermore, he said that physicians and immortality seekers have yet to comprehend their practice areas until they understood the eight internal energy passages. "
 
李时珍的故事 (下)
 
当《纲目》书著作将成，要贡献朝廷之时，李时珍已经七十六岁了，也自己预见了将死时期，果然很快地“遽卒”。
 
李时珍在未逝前，写了一个上书表遗给其子建元，命他送与皇帝。
 
没多久，神宗万历年间，诏修国史，命令中外贡献四方文籍，建元将父亲遗表及本书《纲目》献予。天子嘉许，朝廷命礼部誉写，分两京、各省布政刊行，从此“士大夫家有其书”。本草之学从这以后才算是集大成了。
 
李时珍遗书上皇帝的表，大略是说：历代，经久远年代后，许多的药物有同物不同名的，有同名不同物的，有难以辨识的，有些分类不对的，有些药物有毒却和那些无毒的药形态相似，增加采药困难，这都影响治病的效果。还有些历代发现的新药，以前的书中还未记载，于是增补、订正了许多药物。旧籍记载的一千五百多种，在《本草纲目》书中，增加三百七十四种。分为十六部，共五十二卷。根据药物的“正名”为纲，而“附释”的则为目；再加上以集解、辨疑、正误，详细的将其出产地、药物的气味、主治都记载于书中。著作本书的参考书籍非常多，上自坟典、下至稗记，只要有攸关者，都收掇在书中。虽然称之为医书，实际是将万物以及药物的理讲明了。希望皇帝能“特诏儒臣补注，成昭代之典”，如此，本书便能成为指导医生们使用的很好的参考典籍。
 
李时珍不只是一位好的医生和本草家，他还是一位修神仙之术的修炼人，每晚都打坐炼功，以神仙自命。观顾景星《李时珍传》即知：“余儿时闻先生轶事，孝友，饶隐德，晚从余曾大父游，读书以日出入为期，夜即端坐，其以神仙自命，岂偶然与？”
 
李时珍在《濒湖脉学》中有一段评述张紫阳八脉经的记载：“紫阳八脉经所载经脉，稍与医家之说不同，然『内景隧道』，惟反观者能照察之，其言必不谬也。”正说明了修仙家所观察到的奇经八脉和医生所认知有所不同的秘密，就是反观而照察到的。
 
另外，作为精通医学和修仙者的他，很重视“奇经八脉”之秘要。所以在他的《奇经八脉考》中，认为医生和修仙者一定要知道“奇经八脉”。他说，“医不知此，罔探病机，仙不知此，难安炉鼎。”“医而知八脉，则十二经十五络之大旨得矣；仙而知乎八脉，则虎龙升降，玄牡幽微窍妙得矣。”