佛说还未见性。
According to the Buddhist interpretation, this means that they had not seen the Buddha-nature.
此义未明。
"I do not understand this, " the friend said.
先生曰：“手指有见有不见。
The Teacher said, “Fingers may or may not be seen.
尔之见性，常在人之心神。
Your way of seeing nature is always directed to the human mind, ^+1 only to its active occupation with what can be seen or heard ^+2 and not to its concrete effort concerning what is not seen or heard.
盖不睹不闻，实良知本体。
Since the original nature of our intuitive faculty cannot be seen, ^+1 cautiousness and apprehensiveness are conditions that extend intuitive knowledge to the utmost.
学者时时刻刻常睹其所不睹，常闻其所不闻，功夫方有个实落处。
The student must at all times and at every moment see what he does not see and hear what he does not hear and then his effort can be concrete and sincere.
久久成熟后，则不须着力，不待防检，而真性自不息亦。
When after a long time he has mastered the task, he does not need to exert energy, and without any caution or control the true nature will naturally operate without cease.
岂以在外者之闻见为累哉”？
How can seeing or hearing external things be any trouble ?”
〔15〕问：“先儒谓鸢飞鱼跃，与‘必有事焉”，同一活泼泼地。”
I said, “A former scholar said that the flying of the hawk, the leaping of fishes, and the feeling that one must always be doing something are all very lively and dynamic in the same way.”
先生曰：“亦是。
The Teacher said, “Correct.
天地间活泼泼地，无非此理，便是吾良知的流行不息，‘致良知”便是‘必有事”的工夫。
The whole universe is very lively and dynamic because of the same principle.
It is the unceasing universal operation of one's innate knowledge.
To extend innate knowledge is the task of always doing something.
无往而非道，无往而非工夫。”
The Way is everywhere, and so is our task.”
〔16〕先生曰：“诸公在此，务要立个必为圣人之心，时时刻刻须是一棒一条痕，一掴一掌血，方能听吾说话，句句得力。
The Teacher said, “Here, gentlemen, all of you must have your minds determined to become sages.
At all times and at every moment, your effort must be so earnest and strong that ‘Every beating on the body will leave a scar and every slap on the face will fill the palm with blood.' Only then can every sentence of mine be effective as you listen to me.
〔17〕问：“近来妄念也觉少，亦觉不曾着想定要如何用功，不知此是工夫否？”
I said, “Recently I seem to have few erroneous thoughts and not any attachment in my thoughts as to any particular way of making an effort.
Is this the right way to pursue the task ?”
先生曰：“汝且去着实用功，便多这些着想也不妨，久久自会妥帖；若才下得些功，便说效验，何足为恃！”
The Teacher said, “Go ahead and make earnest and sincere effort.
It will do no harm even if you have little bit of attachment in your thoughts.
In time you will naturally be at ease and calm.
If, on the other hand, after you have made only a little effort, you think there is already a result, how can that be reliable ?”
先生曰：“你萌时，这一知处便是你的命根，当下即去消磨，便是立命工夫。”
The Teacher said, “As the desire emerges, your knowledge of it is your very fife.
Right then and there go ahead and erase the desire.
That is the task of establishing ones' destiny.”
〔19〕“夫子说“性相近’，即孟子说“性善’，不可专在气质上说。
+[sci][The Teacher said,] “Confucius' doctrine, ‘By nature men are alike [but through practice they have become far apart],'‘is the same as Mencius' doctrine that human nature is originally good,and should not be understood solely in terms of physical nature.
若说气质，如刚与柔对，如何相近得，惟性善则同耳。
If we speak in terms of physical nature, then the strong and the weak are opposed to each other, for instance.
How can they be alike?
Only in their original goodness are people the same.
人生初时善，原是同的，但刚的习于善则为刚善，习于恶则为刚恶，柔的习于善则为柔善，习于恶则为柔恶，便日相远了。”
When people are born, they are the same in original goodness.
When those who are strong practice the good, they become strength that is good, and when they practice evil, they become strength that is evil.
When those who are weak practice good, they become weakness that is good, and when they practice evil, they become weakness that is evil.
Consequently, they become farther and farther apart.”
〔20〕先生尝语学者曰：“心礼上着不得一念留滞，就如眼着不得些子尘沙，些子能得几多；满眼便昏天黑地了。”
The Teacher once told the students, “Not a single idea should be allowed to attach to the original substance of the mind, just as not the least dirt should be allowed to stick to the eye.
It does not take much dirt for the whole eye to see nothing but complete darkness.”
又曰：“这一念不但是私念；便好的念头亦着不得些子如眼中放些金玉屑，眼亦开不得了。”
He further said, “This idea need not be a selfish idea.
Even if it is good, it should not be attached to the mind.
If you put some gold or jade dust in the eye, just the same it cannot open.”
〔1〕黄以方问：“‘博学于文”为随事学存此天理，然则谓‘行有余力，则以学文’，其说似不相合。”
I (Huang I-fang) made inquiry saying, '' 'Extensively studying all learning,' whatever thing you may be doing learn to cherish heaven-given principles.'' Then there is the saying, 'If he has strength in excess of requirements, he should employ it i
先生曰：“《诗》、《书》、六艺皆是天理之发见，文字都包在其中，考之《诗》、《书》、六艺，皆所以学存此天理也，不特发见于事为者方为文耳。
The Teacher said： "The Book of Poetry, the Book of History, and the six liberal arts are all manifestations of heaven-given principles.The character wen (meaning"literature") is included in this.
In carefully studying the Books of Poetry and Hist
“余力学文”，亦只“博学于文’中事。”
To devote extra energy to studying literature means merely to study extensively the human affairs recorded in literature.”