Han dynasty stone relief
In order to achieve eternal life, at any cost! What kind of information and enlightenment can we get from their pursuit of immortality and the "price" they pay? Let's start with the story of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty.
In the early years of the Western Han Dynasty, during the period of Emperor Wendi and Emperor Jing of Han Dynasty, advocating the study of Huang Lao was conducive to rest and recuperation, thus "the rule of cultural scene" appeared, and the great development of the study of Huang Lao also benefited from this. After the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, although "a hundred schools of thought were ousted and Confucianism was the only one", the foundation of Huang Lao's study in society had been formed, and Emperor Wu himself was not unaffected by his thoughts. On the one hand, there is a great influence in Huang Lao's art, which is about immortals' health preservation.
Immortal health care was juxtaposed with medicine at that time. There are four books in the Records of Han Shu Literature and Art edited by Liu Xiang and Liu Xin in the Western Han Dynasty: Medical Classics, Classic Prescriptions, Room Art and Immortals, among which the Medical Classics are recorded in Huangdi Neijing. Books about immortals' health preservation have long been lost in the long river of history, and we have no way of knowing their contents today. However, we can learn a thing or two from the life activities of the royal princes in the Han Dynasty.
Portrait of Emperor Wu of Han Dynasty
Back to Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, shortly after Emperor Wu ascended the throne, he climbed Mount Tai all the way to the top, trying to get in touch with the immortals. After all, it is the "son of heaven"! But his real large-scale contact with Taoism was after the death of his beloved wife, Mrs. Wang. The death of Mrs. Wang made Emperor Wu realize that death was so terrible. In order to break the boundary between life and death, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty listened to the nonsense of many alchemists and did many absurd things.
Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty liked an alchemist named Li very much. Li understands alchemy and wrote to Emperor Wu: "Cinnabar can be refined into gold, which can become immortal and live forever." Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty was very interested and learned that Li was actually several hundred years old, but he looked like a middle-aged man in his 40 s and 50 s, and he was more convinced. Legend has it that after Li gave Liang Wudi the secret recipe of the elixir of life, he asked for leave and resigned, and soon died. Li also gave Dong Zhonggong, a courtier at that time, a prescription for eating. He used grass planted for five years, local oil, the root of Polygonatum sibiricum, the ointment of wild animals and the honey juice of flowers to make eggs-sized pills. As long as you take three pills, you will be thoroughly remoulded and as light as a swallow. These deeds are recorded in Taiping Guangji.
No matter how accurate the story is, there is no doubt that Emperor Wu advocated alchemy and Fang Yao. In addition, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty also attached importance to medicated bath. It can be seen that Emperor Wu attaches great importance to his own life and wants to live for another 500 years!
Contemporary with Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, there was his uncle, Liu An, the king of Huainan. Huai Nan Zi, compiled by his disciples, is still one of the classic ancient books. Liu An is also a man who advocates an alchemist, and undoubtedly wants to live forever. But what he didn't expect was that the elixir of immortality was not refined, but tofu was invented by mistake. Yes, you are not mistaken. Tofu is born of an alchemist! Therefore, we really want to thank Liu An for risking his life (Dan medicine often kills people) for inventing delicious tofu brain for the Chinese nation!
In addition, there is a distant warlord in Lingnan-Zhao, the king of South Vietnam? , but also like an alchemist to get food. The author went to Guangzhou this time and specially visited the Nanyue King Museum. What I saw was not the legendary "golden jade clothes", but the five-color medicine stone. What are these five things? Amethyst, turquoise, ochre, sulfur and realgar, the colors just correspond to the colors of the five elements: blue, red, yellow, white and black. The ancients thought that refining Dan medicine with these five substances which combined the "essence of heaven and earth" could lead to immortality. When we study Treatise on Febrile Diseases today (it is generally believed that it was written at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty), we will find that one side of it is Zishi Han Shi Powder used by Zhongjing to treat typhoid fever. Among them, violet, halloysitum rubrum and other minerals and some herbs are used. From its name and composition, we can't help but associate it with taking Dan medicine. But in the Wei and Jin Dynasties, taking "cold food powder" was the most popular behavior, because this kind of Dan medicine made of various minerals was very annoying after eating it, and people had to wear light clothes, eat cold food and live in a cold room to relieve it. The probability of disability or death caused by cold food powder is very high. Huangfu Mi, a famous acupuncturist in Jin Dynasty, was disabled by taking cold food powder!
Five-color medical stone in Nanyue King Museum, exclusive photo!
Liu He, the short-lived emperor of the Western Han Dynasty, also attached great importance to health preservation. Like his ancestors, grandfather and uncle, he longed for eternal life. A large number of Cordyceps sinensis have been unearthed from the tomb of Hai Yin Hou. When Liu He was in Haifenhou's physical condition, we knew that Cordyceps sinensis was a good medicine for his weak body. Cordyceps sinensis, Chinese medicine believes that it can tonify lung and kidney, resolve phlegm and relieve cough. Can be used for chronic cough and asthma, postpartum weakness, impotence, and chills. Unfortunately, in the harsh political struggle, Liu He died young, and no amount of Cordyceps sinensis could realize his immortal wish. Those precious drugs were buried in the loess with his body, and nothing is eternal!
Cordyceps sinensis considered as a tonic