"Thoughts on the Nine Grains"

…In China, the contents have not always been consistent since ancient times, as follows: hemp, millet, red radish, wheat, and beans (note to the Heavenly Official Medical Doctor in the Zhou Li), millet, red radish, hemp, wheat, and peas (note to Zengzi Tianyuan in the Great Dai Li), rice, red radish, wheat, and beans (note to Wang Yi in the Great Zhao in the Chu Ci), rice, millet, red radish, wheat, and peas (note to Teng Wen Gong in the Mencius), non-glutinous rice, red beans, wheat, soybeans, and yellow millet (note to the Zangqi Fa Shi Lun in the Su Wen), rice, barley, wheat, peas, and white mustard seeds (Rite of the Accomplishment of the Lotus Sutra Yoga Wisdom), barley, wheat, rice, red beans, and sesame seeds (Rite of the Construction of the Mandala Goma). The names of the grains are usually based on the Qing Dynasty's Cheng Yaotian Study of the Nine Grains, but there are various theories that the word "jiku" means millet, sorghum, or sorghum, and in ancient times, hemp seeds were a staple food. In Japan, the five grains usually refer to rice, wheat, millet, sorghum, and beans.

*Some of the terminology explanations that refer to "Kukokukou" are listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

…中国においては，その内容は古来から次のごとく必ずしも一定せず，麻･黍･稷･麦･豆(《周礼（しゆらい）》天官疾医の注)，黍･稷･麻･麦･菽(《大戴礼》曾子天円の注)，稲･稷･麦･豆･麻(《楚辞》大招の王逸注)，稲･黍･稷･麦･菽(《孟子》滕文公上の注)，粳米･小豆･麦･大豆･黄黍(《素問》蔵気法時論の注)，稲穀･大麦･小麦･菉豆･白芥子(《成就妙法蓮華経瑜伽智儀軌》)，大麦･小麦･稲穀･小豆･胡麻(《建立曼荼羅護摩儀軌》)，と時代と場所により多少の差のあることがわかる。なお穀名は普通清の程遥田《九穀考》に従うが，稷は粟（あわ）･黍（きび）･高粱（コーリヤン）と種々の説があり，また古代では麻の実は主要な食料であった。日本では五穀といえば，通常米･麦･粟･黍･豆をさす。…

※「《九穀考》」について言及している用語解説の一部を掲載しています。

出典｜株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典 第２版について | 情報