A Letter in Reply to the Meditation Master Jongui (鍾義禪師)答鍾義禪師手書
云云。承問。備認法履淸勝。欣慰罔極。前月二十七日被召。緣世幹所纏繞。便未造謁。方俟訶譴。今復蒙手敎見喚。果責以疏誕。然復有與人約束。未可稽違者。又不得承稟。僕之逋慢一至此。死罪死罪。古人思情親。或千里命駕矣。天壽距都城。能幾步而憚其往歟。但以業已爲世俗。未遽割斷世故耳。前詣方丈登松亭。飮酒甚樂。又於明燈下。煎臘前早芽。談道不覺夜分。此皆懸懸在念。往則當復作此事。何憚之有哉。迨明日方造。幸勿深訝。謹白。
And so forth. Having received your inquiry, I learned fully that your body of the Law is clear and well. My gladness and comfort are without end.
On the twenty-seventh day of last month I received your summons, but being bound by the affairs of the world I could not go at once to wait upon you. I was just awaiting your reproof. Now again you have summoned me with a letter written in your own hand, and you have indeed reproached me as careless and empty of my word. Yet I have also made a promise to another which I cannot break or put off, and so this time too I cannot come and present myself. My idleness and arrogance have come to this. It is a crime deserving death, a crime deserving death.
The men of old, when they longed for one dear to them, would sometimes call for a carriage though the road were a thousand li. How many paces is Cheonsu Monastery (天壽寺) from the capital, that I should begrudge the going? It is only that, having already become a man of the dust of the world, I cannot cut off the world's affairs all at once.
Before this I came to your abbot's quarters, climbed the pine pavilion, drank wine, and was exceedingly happy. And again, under the bright lamp, we brewed the early tea buds plucked before the twelfth month and spoke of the Way, not knowing that the night had grown deep. All these things lie upon my mind. If I go I shall surely do such things again — what should I begrudge?
When tomorrow comes I shall go to you at once; pray do not wonder at me too much. Respectfully submitted.