先生曰：“人心是天渊。
The Teacher said,"The mind of man is heaven and it is the abyss, ^+1 for there is nothing that does not belong to the original nature of the mind.
心之本体，无所不该，原是一个天，只为私欲障碍，则天之本体失了：心之理无穷尽，原是一个渊，只为私欲窒塞，则渊之本体失了。
^-1 There is ab initio this one heaven, but it is obscured by means of selfishness, and therefore its original character is lost.
The principles of the mind are inexhaustible.
The mind is ab initio an abyss, but it has been stopped up by selfi
如今念念致真知，将此障碍窒塞一齐去尽，则本体已复，便是天、渊了。”
Now if one extends the innate knowledge in every thought and removes all these hindrances and obstacles, its original substance will be recovered and right then it will become both heaven and abyss.”
乃指天以示之曰：“比如面前见天，是昭昭之天，四外见天，也只是眧眧之天。
Thereupon he pointed to heaven, saying, “For instance, we see heaven in front of us.
It is bright and clear heaven.
If we see heaven outside the house, it is the same bright and clear heaven.
只为许多房子墙壁遮蔽，便不见天之全体，若撤去房子墙壁，总是一个天矣。
But because the walls of many houses obstruct your vision you cannot see the whole heaven.
If you tear down the walls there is but one heaven.
不可道跟前天是昭昭之天，外面又不是昭昭之天也。
You cannot say that the visible heaven partly displays heaven, while that outside of your range does not.
于此便见一节之知即全体之知，全体之知即一节之知，总是一个本体。”
In this way you can see that one section of intuitive knowledge of good is complete intuitive knowledge of good, and that the latter includes the former.
There is but this one nature.''
〔2〕先生曰：“圣贤非无功业气节：但其循着这天理则便是道，不可以事功气节名矣。”
The Teacher said,'' Sages and good men serve their fellowmen and regulate their passions.
When they render obedience to natural law, this is the path of duty; but their service and self-control should not be made the foundation of their reputation.
〔3〕“‘发愤忘食’是圣人之志如此，真无有已时。
+[The Teacher said,]'' The purpose of the sage is to be a man who in his eager pursuit forgets his food.
Men of this type never cease in their pursuit of knowledge.
‘乐以忘忧’是圣人之道如此，真无有戚时。
He was so ‘happy as to forget his worries,' because his Way was like this and he was really without a moment of sorrow.
恐不必云得不得也。”
It is not necessary to say whether he succeeded or not.”
〔4〕先生曰：“我辈致知，只是名随分限所及；今日良知见在如此，只随今日所知扩充到底，明日良知又有开悟，便从明日所知扩充到底，如此方是精一功夫。
The Teacher said, “In the extension of knowledge, we should do so according to our capacity.
Here is our innate knowledge today.
We should extend it to the utmost according to what we know today.
As our innate knowledge is further developed tomorrow, we should extend it to the utmost according to what we know then.
Only this can be said to be the task of refinement and singlemindedness.
与人论学，亦须随人分限所及；如树有这些萌芽，只把这些水去灌溉，萌芽再长，便又加水，自拱把以至合抱，灌溉之功皆是随其分限所及，若些小萌芽，有一桶水在，尽要倾上，便浸坏他了。”
In discussing learning with others we should also do so according to their capacity.
For instance, when the tree has sprouted only a little, give it a little water.
As the sprout grows, give it more water.
From the time that the tree stem can be encircled by the fingers of one hand and then by those of two hands to the time when it can be encircled by both arms, the watering should be done according to its capacity to absorb.
Suppose there is but a small sprout and here is a pail of water.
If all the water is poured over it, it will be drenched to death.”
〔5〕问知行合一。
I asked the Teacher regarding the union of knowledge and practice.
先生曰：“此须识我立言宗旨，今人学问，只因知、行分作两件，故有一念发动，虽是不善，然却未曾行，便不去禁止。
The Teacher said, “You need to understand the basic purpose of my doctrine.
In their learning people of today separate knowledge and action into two different things.
Therefore when a thought is aroused, although it is evil, they do not stop it because it has not been translated into action.
我今说个‘知、行合一’，正要人晓得一念发动处，便即是行了；发动处有不善，就将这不善的念克倒了，须要彻根彻底不使那一念不善潜伏在胸中：此是我立言宗旨。”
When I say that knowledge and practice are one, I wish others to know that at the very point at which thoughts are manifested, there is incipient action.
If the inception is evil, the evil thought should be subdued.
It is necessary to get at the
〔6〕“圣人无所不知，只是知个天理：无所不能，只是能个天理。
+The Teacher said：" The omniscience of the sage has reference to natural law only；his omnipotence has reference to natural law alone.
圣人本体明白，故事事知个天理所在，便去尽个天理：不是本体明后，却于天下事物都便知得，便做得来也。
The mind of the sage is clear and intelligent；therefore in all things he knows the place of natural law and carries it out fully in practice.
It is not that after the mind in its original nature is enlightened, he needs first to acquire knowledge wit
天下事物，如名物度数、草木鸟兽之类，不胜其烦，圣人须是本体明了，亦何缘能尽知得。
Things in the world, such as the names, varieties, and systems, and plants and animals, are innumerable.
Although the original substance of the sage is very clear, how can he know everything?
但不必知的，圣人自不消求知，其所当知的，圣人自能问人：如‘子入太庙，每事问’之类。
What is not necessary to know, he does not have to seek to know.
What he should know, he naturally asks others, like Confucius, who, when he entered the grand temple, asked about everything.
先儒谓‘虽知亦问，敬谨之至’；此说不可通。
A former scholar said that the fact that although Confucius knew he still asked shows he was perfectly serious and careful.
Such an interpretation is absurd.
圣人于礼乐名物，不必尽知，然他知得一个天理，便自有许多节文度数出来，不知能问，亦即是天理节文所在。”
A sage does not have to know all the names and varieties of ceremonies and music.
But since he knows the Principle of Nature, all measures, regulations, and details can be deduced from it.
The fact that when he did not know he asked shows how the measure and pattern of the Principle of Nature operates.”
〔7〕问：“先生尝谓善、恶只是一物。
I made inquiry saying："The Teacher frequently says that good and evil are one thing, ^+1and yet these two things are as opposed to one another as ice and burning coal.
善、恶两端，如冰、炭相反，如何谓只一物？”
^-1 How can they be said to be one and the same thing ?''