孟子亦曰：“形色，天性也”，这也是指气说。”
Mencius has also said that 'the bodily organs with their functions belong to our heaven-conferred nature.' This, too, was said with reference to the passion nature."
又曰 ：“凡人信口说，任意行，皆说此是依我心性出来，此是所谓生之谓性；然却要有过差。
The Teacher further said, “Whenever people talk at random and act by impulse, they always say that they do so according to their mind and their nature.
This is what is meant by ‘what is inborn is called the nature.' But doing thus necessarily involves mistakes.
若晓得头脑，依吾良知上说出来，行将去，便自是停当。
If one knows where to begin to speak, and acts in accordance with, his intuitive knowledge of good, the affairs of life will be satisfactorily settled and arranged.
然良知亦只是这口说，这身行，岂能外得气，别有个去行去说：故曰：‘论性不论气，不备：论气不论性，不明。’
But innate knowledge speaks through the same mouth and acts through the same body.
How can it get outside material force and have another organ with which to speak or act ?
Therefore it has been said, Tt would be incomplete to talk about the nature of man and things without including material force and unintelligible to talk about material force without including the nature.'
气亦性也，性亦气也，但须认得头脑是当。”
Material force is also nature and nature is also material force.
If we realize the basis, it will be all right.”
〔7〕又曰：“诸君功夫，最不可‘助长’。
The Teacher further said, “Gentlemen, in your task the worst thing to do is to make an artificial effort to help the mind grow.
上智绝少，学者无超入圣人之理。
There are extremely few people of the highest intelligence.
A student cannot jump into the rank of a sage.
一起一伏，一进一退，自是功夫节次。
Rising, falling, advancing, and receding are the natural order of the task.
是友感悔。
The friend was moved and repented.
不可以我前日用得功夫了，今却不济，便要矫强做出一个没破绽的模样，这便是‘助长’，连前些子功夫都坏了。
The individual should not pose as being free from faults or blemishes on the strength of former efforts, while at the time he falls short of the mark.
That would be a ease of assisting the development, and thereby former efforts would be vitiated.
譬如行路的人遭一蹶跌，起来便走，不要欺人做那不曾跌倒的样子出来。
For example, when a person who walks on the road happens to stumble, he should get up and keep on walking, and should not deceive others by acting as though he had not fallen.
诸君只要常常怀个‘遁世无闷，不见是而无闷’之心，依此良知忍耐做去，不管人非笑，不管人毁谤，不管人荣辱，任他功夫有进有退，我只是这致良知的主宰不息，久久自然有得力处，一切外事亦自能不动。”
You gentlemen should always cherish the mind that can retreat from the world without being troubled and can face disapproval without being troubled.
Follow the dictate of innate knowledge and proceed patiently and pay no attention to people's ridicule, slander, praise, or humiliation.
Whether the task advances or recedes, remain the master that extends the innate knowledge.
Act like this without cease, and in time the effort will be effective and no external things can disturb you.”
〔1〕黄勉叔问：“心无恶念时，此心空空荡荡的，不知亦须存个善念否？”
I asked, “When the mind is free from evil thoughts, it is empty and vast.
Should we then harbor a good thought ?”
先生曰：“既去恶念，便是善念，便复心之本体矣：譬如日光被云来遮蔽，云去光已复矣。
The Teacher said, “As evil thoughts are eliminated, the good thought is already there and the original substance of the mind is already restored.
It is like the sunlight which is obscured by clouds.
When the clouds are gone, the sunlight appears again.
若恶念既去，又要存个善念，即是日光之中添燃一灯。
If after evil thoughts are gone one then harbors a good thought, it would be like adding a lamp to sunlight.”
〔2〕问：“近来用功，亦颇觉妄念不生，但腔子里黑窣窣的，不知如何打得光明？”
I said, “In my recent efforts, I seem to feel that erroneous thoughts no longer arise.
But within me there is still something pitch-dark.
What can be done to turn it into light ?”
先生曰 ：“初下手用功，如何腔子里便得光明？
The Teacher said, “In the first stage of the task how can one expect to be clear within ?
譬如奔流浊水，才贮在缸里，初然虽定，也只是昏浊的；须矣澄定既久，自然渣滓尽去，复得清来。
Take for example some turbid water from a rapid current.
When it has just been stored in a jar, although at this beginning state it is settled, it is still murky and turbid.
We must wait till it has been still for a long time and then the dregs will naturally all be gone and the water will be all clear once more.
汝只要在良知上用功；良知存入，黑窣窣自能光明也。
You have only to exert effort in your innate knowledge.
As innate knowledge is preserved for a long time, the pitch-darkness will naturally become clear.
今便要责效，却是助长，不成工夫。”
If you demanded results right away, you would be making an artificial effort to help it grow.
And the task would be no good.”
〔3〕先生曰：“吾教人‘致良知’，在‘格物’上用功，却是有根本的学问；日长进一日，愈久愈觉精明。
The Teacher said, “I teach people to devote their efforts to the investigation of things in extending their innate knowledge.
It is learning with a foundation.
The longer one engages in the task, advancing every day, the more intelligent he will be.
世儒教人事事物物上去寻讨，却是无根本的学问；方其壮时，虽暂能外面修饰，不见有过，老则精神衰迈，终须放倒；譬如无根之树，移栽水边，虽暂时鲜好，终久要憔悴。”
Famous but mediocre scholars, on the other hand, teach people to search for the principles of each and every thing.
Their learning is entirely without foundation.
When one is young one can temporarily put up a good front and does not seem to be mistaken.
But when he gets old his mental energy will decline and he will ultimately collapse.
It is like a tree without a root.
When it is transplanted to a place near water, although temporarily it looks fresh and beautiful, in time it will finally wither.”
〔4〕问“志于道”一章。
I made inquiry regarding the chapter which treats of fixing the will on the path of duty.
先生曰：“只‘志道’一句，便含下面数句功夫，自住不得。
The Teacher said, “This expression alone involves the forms of efforts that follow in the chapter.
One cannot just stop here.