爱问：「『道心常为一身之主，而人心每听命』。以先生『精一』之训推之，此语似有弊。」
先生曰：「然。心，一也。未杂于人，谓之『道心』；杂以人伪，谓之『人心』。『人心』之得其正者，即『道心』；『道心』之失其正者，即『人心』。初非有二心也。程子谓『人心即人欲，道心即天理』。语若分析，而意实得之。今曰『道心为生，而人心听命』，是二心也。『天理』、『人欲』不并立，安有『天理』为主，『人欲』又从而听命者？」
徐爱问：「『道心常为一身之主，而人心每听命』，用先生『精一』的训示来推究，这话似乎有毛病。」
先生说：「对。心只有一个。未夹杂人欲，叫作『道心』；夹杂了人欲，叫作『人心』。人心得其正的，就是道心；道心失其正的，就是人心。本来并不是有两个心。程子说『人心即人欲，道心即天理』，话好像是分成两截，意思其实领会对了。如今说『道心为主，而人心听命』，这就成了两个心了。天理与人欲不能并立，哪有天理为主、人欲又从而听命于它的道理？」
Xu Ai asked: "'The mind of the Way is ever the master of the whole person, while the human mind obeys its commands' — judged by your teaching of 'refinement and unity', this saying seems faulty."
The Master said: "It is. The mind is one. Unmixed with human desire, it is called the 'mind of the Way'; mixed with artifice, the 'human mind'. The human mind when it attains correctness is the mind of the Way; the mind of the Way when it loses correctness is the human mind. There were never two minds. Master Cheng said 'the human mind is human desire, the mind of the Way is heavenly principle' — the wording sounds divided, but the meaning is rightly grasped. To say the mind of the Way rules while the human mind obeys makes two minds. Heavenly principle and human desire cannot stand together — how could principle be master with desire obeying its commands?"