Translation:
In the blink of an eye, we have been separated for more than ten years. I am too stupid and lack the ability to identify and have encountered difficulties, so I can no longer call myself a friend. I never expected that an old friend can still be like this. Remember, count me among your friends. I am sorry that you wrote a handwritten letter from afar to teach me, and sent you very warm greetings. You also let me know in detail that your daily life is well recently. I am so grateful and happy that I am speechless. Luoshan has always been known as a good place. There is no poisonous miasma. Maybe it is comfortable all year round. Since you have nothing to lose, and you can realize that there is no difference between being favored and being humiliated, and that gains and losses should not be tied to your heart, this is God's blessing for you.
I broke the law because I let my heart go straight ahead and did not listen to the instructions of my elders. However, if the disaster is inevitable, then there is no need to say whether it was a coincidence or a clumsiness. Huangzhou is adjacent to the river and has a mountain. It is not only convenient for the eyes and ears to enjoy, but also easy to obtain various items necessary for daily life. Going to bed early and getting up late makes me wonder where the trouble is?
I accidentally read "Warring States Policy" and saw that the scholar Yan Li said, "Put off the time for eating, so that the rice can become as delicious as meat." I smiled with joy. Like Yan Li, it can be said that he is a person who is good at living in poverty. If you eat simple meals when you are hungry, they taste as delicious as delicacies from the mountains and seas; but after you are full, all kinds of delicious meats are piled in front of you, lest others take them away. Whether it is good or bad depends on one's own mentality, and what relationship it has with external objects.
The two things you mentioned about studying Buddhist scriptures and preparing medicines to treat people are considered to be rich rewards for people who live idle. Regarding Buddhist scriptures, I used to read them frequently, but my mind was dim and my mind was closed, and I could not understand the subtleties in them. When you are alone, find some simple contents to read to wash away the dirt in your soul. This is like the process of hoeing by a farmer. As soon as it is hoeed, it will grow back immediately. Although it seems to have no benefit, it is still better than without hoeing. I don't know any of the gentlemen in this world, those who have separated themselves from the secular world and gained deep enlightenment. I used to like to talk about Zen. I thought I had reached the highest level, so I regarded what I said as superficial.
I once said to Shen Shenggu: What you are talking about seems to be eating dragon meat, and what I am learning is eating pork. There is a big difference between pork and dragon meat, but you spend all day long Talking about dragon meat is not as good as eating pork and feeling the delicious taste and full stomach. Don’t know what exactly you get from Buddhist scriptures? Is it to transcend birth, death and the three vehicles and become a Buddha? Or do you focus on getting along with people like us on equal footing? People who study Buddhism originally pursue tranquility and broad-mindedness. Tranquility is similar to laziness, and broad-mindedness is similar to unrestrainedness. Those who are studying may not reach the realm they expected, but they will get something similar first. This is not without harm. I often doubt myself because of this, so I present these issues to discuss with you.
Your letter said that when people walk in the world, it is enough for them to be safe and disease-free, to have enough food and clothing, and not to do bad things. I have savored these words many times and gained endless insights. If we don’t have a chance to communicate in person, let’s just read and laugh.