國清百錄 2.59

2.59

Disciple Zongchi bows in reverence. Having received your decree stating you must take your leave tomorrow, the second day, before preparations are complete, I am plunged into deep sighs and sorrow. Day and night for the past few days, the disciple has pondered this thoroughly: since Zhizhe's arrival, you have not spent a single summer retreat here, and the road to Jing and Tan is far while the retreat is drawing near; the waves of the river are vast and billowing, making the journey difficult to schedule. Having left here and not yet reached your destination, lodging midway for the summer retreat will also be difficult. Moreover, according to the sūtras and vinaya, providing four requisites for monks during the one summer retreat yields immeasurable fields of merit, not to mention the power of the teacher's Way and the great assembly! Shallow and meager worldlings fundamentally rely on supreme conditions; the bodhisattva's great compassion should accept the worthy offerings. As late spring is about to depart and early summer is about to arrive, to suddenly miss the ninety days and discard the four requisites in vain—in cultivating the mind and according with principle, this is emotionally unsettling. Now I wish to beseech you to stay and spend the summer here before sending you off, hoping you will not drift and be exposed midway. If you doubt the noise and humidity of the city and must rely on forests and valleys, spending the retreat on Mount She would also be suitable. When the Dharma year is about to end, I will order Jiangzhou in advance to prepare boats, so that heading south out of Shitou and floating west will be all the easier. Having taken advantage of the refreshing season and caught a favorable wind, the suitability of leaving or staying will accord with both practical matters and principle. Between here and there, I reverently await your choice of one. My thoughts cannot be exhausted; how could my words fully express them? Respectfully, I bow in reverence. First day of the third month.