國清百錄 2.24

2.24

陵和南。注仰之心難可敷具。拔公至，蒙三月二十日旨，用慰積歲，傾心麥冷體中何如，願一日康勝，山中春夏無餘障惱耳。遲復存旨。弟子二三年來，溘然老至，眼耳聾闇心氣昏塞，故非復在人。兼去歲第六兒夭喪，痛苦成疾由未除愈，適今月中又有哀故。頻歲如此窮慮轉深，自念餘生無復能幾，無由禮接係仰何言。敬重璪公今還白書不次。弟子徐陵和南。

Xu Ling bows with folded hands. The sentiments of my attentive admiration are difficult to set forth in full. Master Ba arrived, and I was blessed with your instruction of the twentieth day of the third month, which comforted the longing of accumulated years. In this wheat-cooling season, how is your physical condition? I hope that day after day you enjoy surpassing well-being, and that in the mountains through spring and summer there are no other obstacles or vexations. I have been slow to respond to your kind words. In the past two or three years, old age has suddenly arrived upon this disciple: eyes and ears are deaf and dim, mental energy is confounded and blocked, so that I am no longer as people should be. In addition, last year my sixth son died young, and the agonizing grief turned into an illness from which I have not yet recovered; just in the middle of this month there was yet another mourning. Year after year being thus, my desperate distress deepens further; I consider that for my remaining life there can no longer be much time left, and having no way to pay my respects in person, how can my tethered admiration be spoken? Venerable Master Zao is now returning, so I state this letter without formal sequence. The disciple Xu Ling bows with folded hands.