吾辈读古人书，能阐发古人精蕴。复不沾滞古法。自成一家。以上追古人。谁谓古今不相及耶。医道何独不然。僧
心禅多聚古名人医案。抄录不啻数十百本。末皆缀以评语。动中 会。楷法端洁。诚是。嘉也。君于此事。不知何日
能了然。亦可谓勤且笃矣。君侨居杭垣。历有年所。而士大夫持金帛邀求者。日踵门至。予每戏之曰。君既方外。是
戋戋者。将何焉耶。君言予有三大事心愿未了。HT 墓未厝。而嗣未定。本支贫乏。不能婚葬者未有应给。予闻之跃
然起曰。天性人情。两得之矣 。此有本之学。方外能然。我辈愧之多矣。且君志在必成。予见其评选各家。虽祁寒大
雪。执笔呵冻。夜恒四鼓不倦。百结精诚。一团心血。灵谈鬼笑。告语如闻。其案头所置。若徐灵胎。薛一瓢、叶天士、
喻
嘉言。陆养愚祖孙。并江 父子。名医汇案。魏玉衡续名医汇案。撷其菁华。去其糟粕。补未备而集大成。洵黄岐之
嫡传。青囊之秘诀也。功余临症。案稿寸浓。间将返棹。请为商定。予以少禅根柢儒修。沾濡佛化。顾所诣之精如此。
天下岂有无本者。而可以言道哉。佗日心禅了愿归山。有大力者。焉之刊刻其评本。必有巨眼者。知其致功于古。
收效于今。又将如心禅。今日之评古人以评心禅矣。心禅年甚富。名甚盛。养生有术。
神明算测。妙谛元机。由兹参悟南海灯传。舍君更谁续也。其精诣将有进于此者。此特其嚆矢焉耳。心禅勉乎哉。予当
拭目俟之。
光绪十六年庚寅元月平阳徐引之淞樵甫书于钱唐青龙寺寓次
我们这一代人阅读古人的书籍，能够阐发古人著作中的精微奥义。同时又不拘泥于古代的方法，从而自成一家。这样就能上追古人的境界。谁说古今之人不能相比呢？医学之道难道唯独不是这样吗？
僧人心禅先生广泛收集古代名医的医案，抄录的数量不止几十上百本。每本末尾都附上评语，往往能切中要害。他的楷书端正洁净，确实很好。对于这件事，不知您何时才能完全通透理解，也可以说是既勤奋又笃定了。
您侨居在杭州城，已经好几年了。但是士大夫们拿着金银来邀请求诊的人，每天接连不断地登门拜访。我每次开玩笑对他说：“您既然是出家人，对于这些微薄的钱财，打算怎么处理呢？”
您说我有三件大事心愿未了：父母的坟墓尚未安葬，而且后代人选尚未确定；家族旁支贫穷匮乏，不能婚嫁丧葬的人没有应该供给的费用。我听了之后跃然起身说道：“天性与人情，两者都兼顾到了啊。”这是有根本的学问，出家人都能做到这一点，我们这些人惭愧得多了。
况且您的志向在于必定成功，我看见您评选各家医案，即使是严寒大雪，也握着笔呵气取暖，常常写到半夜四更也不疲倦。百结精诚，倾注一团心血，仿佛能与神灵对话、听鬼怪欢笑，告语之声如在耳边。您案头放置的书籍，有徐灵胎、薛一瓢、叶天士、喻嘉言、陆养愚祖孙以及江氏父子等人的《名医汇案》，还有魏玉衡的《续名医汇案》。选取其中的精华，去除糟粕，补充不完备之处而集其大成，确实是黄帝岐伯的嫡传，青囊书的秘诀啊。
在功余时间临证诊疗，案稿堆积如山。偶尔您将返回故乡，请我为此商定（整理）。我凭借少许禅宗根基和儒家修养，沾染佛化熏陶，但造诣如此精深。天下哪有没有根本却能谈论大道的人呢？
他日心禅先生了却心愿归隐山林，如果有大力者，将刊刻您的评注本，必定有独具慧眼的人，知道您致力于古人，收效于当今。又将像心禅先生今日评注古人一样，去评注心禅先生了。心禅先生年富力强，名声显赫，养生有术，神明算测，妙谛玄机，由此参悟南海灯传的佛法。除了您，还有谁能继承呢？您的精深造诣还将在此基础上进一步提升，这仅仅是个开端罢了。心禅先生要努力啊！我将擦亮眼睛等待您的成就。
光绪十六年庚寅年正月，平阳人徐引之淞樵甫，写于钱塘青龙寺寓所。
We, the present generation, when reading the books of the ancients, can elucidate the profound essence contained within them. Furthermore, we do not remain stuck in ancient methods, but instead establish our own school. In this way, we can trace back to the level of the ancients. Who says that people of the past and present cannot compare? Is the Way of Medicine any different?
The monk Xin Chan (Heart Zen) has extensively collected medical cases from famous doctors of antiquity, copying no less than dozens or hundreds of volumes. Each volume is appended with commentary, which often hits the mark precisely. His regular script (Kaishu) is upright and clean; truly excellent. Regarding this matter, I wonder when you will attain complete clarity; it can be said that you are both diligent and steadfast.
You have been residing as a guest in Hangzhou for several years. Yet, scholars and officials, carrying gold and silk, come to invite your services, arriving at your door day after day. I often joke with you, saying, "Since you are an outsider of the secular world (a monk), what will you do with these meager sums?"
You replied that there are three major matters where my wishes remain unfulfilled: my parents' tomb is not yet interred, and my heir is not yet determined; the collateral branches of my family are poor and destitute, and those who need funds for marriage or burial have not yet received the necessary support. Hearing this, I rose up abruptly and said, "Nature and human sentiment are both satisfied here." This is learning with a solid foundation. That an outsider of the secular world can achieve this makes us, the laypeople, feel deeply ashamed.
Moreover, your ambition is to surely succeed. I have seen you selecting and evaluating various medical cases; even in severe cold and heavy snow, you hold the pen, warming your fingers with your breath, often working tirelessly until the fourth watch of the night. With concentrated sincerity and pouring out your heart's blood, it seems as if you converse with spirits and laugh with ghosts, hearing their words as if they were present. The books placed on your desk include the *Famous Doctors' Cases* by Xu Lingtai, Xue Yipiao, Ye Tianshi, Yu Jiayan, the Lu family grandfather and grandson (Lu Yangyu), and the Jiang father and son, as well as Wei Yuheng's *Continued Famous Doctors' Cases*. You extract their essence and discard the dregs, supplementing what is incomplete to achieve a grand synthesis. Truly, this is the direct transmission of Huangdi (Yellow Emperor) and Qibo, and the secret lore of the Qingnang (Green Bag).
In your spare time, when diagnosing and treating patients, your case manuscripts pile up like inches of thick mud. Occasionally, when you prepare to return home by boat, you ask me to help finalize them. I possess only a shallow foundation in Chan (Zen) Buddhism and Confucian cultivation, having been influenced by Buddhist teachings. Yet, your attainment is so refined. How could there be anyone in the world without a fundamental basis who could discuss the Great Dao?
When Xin Chan eventually fulfills his wishes and returns to the mountains, if someone with great power publishes your annotated editions, there will surely be those with keen insight who know that you devoted yourself to the ancients and achieved results in the present. They will then evaluate Xin Chan just as Xin Chan today evaluates the ancients. Xin Chan is in the prime of life and enjoys great fame. He has techniques for preserving health, divine calculation, and subtle truths and mysteries, through which he comprehends the transmission of the Nanhai Lamp (Buddhist Dharma). Apart from you, who else can continue this lineage? Your profound attainments will advance beyond this; this is merely the horn blowing to start the journey. Xin Chan, strive hard! I shall wipe my eyes and wait for your achievements.
Written by Xu Yinzhi Songqiao Fu of Pingyang, at his residence in Qinglong Temple, Qiantang, in the first month of Gengyin year, 16th year of Guangxu.