Yetgeul › Dongguk Isangguk Jip (Collected Works of Minister Yi of the Eastern Country) › Latter Collection, Book 12

A Short Letter in Answer to the Wise Friend I答頤知識手簡

Dongguk Isangguk Jip (Collected Works of Minister Yi of the Eastern Country) 東國李相國集 · Yi Gyubo · Compiled 1241 (Goryeo, 28th year of King Gojong); revised and enlarged 1251 · 1 passages · 106 Chinese characters · reading time 1.1 min

Dongguk Isangguk Jip (Collected Works of Minister Yi of the Eastern Country) Latter Collection, Book 12 The collected writings of Yi Gyubo of Goryeo, gathered and cut in woodblock by his son Yi Ham in 1241 and revised and enlarged by his grandson Yi Ikbae in 1251. It holds poems and rhapsodies, memorials and reports sent up to the king, records written for temples and pagodas, stele and tomb inscriptions, letters and prefaces, and the state letters that passed to and from the Mongols during the invasions. The Lay of King Dongmyeong, which sings the founder of Goguryeo, stands in volume 3 of the first collection, and the daily life of a man who called himself the White Cloud Layman — with his wine, his zither and his verse — fills the later collection. The book closes with the last poem he wrote as his eyes failed and he laid down the brush, and with the dirge and tomb inscription others made for him after his death.

某啓。伏審法履淸勝。欣抃欣抃。僕曩以細事冒黷于丈下者。庶或善爲之辭。微達于社主大和尙。以小助東堂經費。加一簣於九仞耳。所惠過望。是實出比丘之口。而成社主之心者也。褁十重之鐵甲。始也甚慙。承一諾之黃金。終焉失喜。何感如之。祝壽而已。伏惟爲法善嗇。云云。

So-and-so reports. Prostrate, I learn that your Dharma body is clear and at ease, and I am glad, glad.

That some while ago I sullied Your Reverence over a trifling matter was only that I might, if I could, have you put the words well and let a little of it reach the Great Reverend who has charge of the temple, so as to help a little with the expenses of sitting the examinations and add one basketful to the nine fathoms. What was bestowed goes beyond what I hoped for, and this in truth came out of a bhikshu's mouth and accomplished the mind of him who has charge of the temple. As though I had put on ten layers of iron armor, at first I was sorely ashamed; but having received the gold of a single word of consent, in the end I could not hide my joy. What stirring of heart could match this? I only pray that you may live long.

Prostrate, I pray you to spare your body well for the sake of the Dharma. And so forth.