德章曰：「闻先生以精金喻圣，以分两喻圣人之分量，以锻炼喻学者之工夫，最为深切。惟谓尧、舜为万镒，孔子为九千镒；疑未安。」
先生曰：「此又是躯壳上起念，故替圣人争分两。若不从躯壳上起念，即尧、舜万镒不为多，孔子九千镒不为少；尧、舜万镒，只是孔子的；孔子九千镒，只是尧、舜的；原无彼我，所以谓之圣。只论『精一』，不论多寡。只要此心纯乎天理处同，便同谓之圣。若是力量气魄，如何尽同得？后儒只在分两上较量，所以流入功利。若除去了比较分两的心，各人尽著自己力量精神，只在此心纯天理上用功，即人人自有，个个圆成，便能大以成大，小以成小，不假外慕，无不具足。此便是实实落落明善诚身的事。后儒不明圣学，不知就自己心地良知良能上体认扩充，却去求知其所不知，求能其所不能，一味只是希高慕大；不知自己是桀、纣心地，动辄要做尧、舜事业，如何做得？终年碌碌，至于老死，竟不知成就了个甚么？可哀也已。」
德章说：「听先生用精金比喻圣人、用分量比喻圣人的分量、用锻炼比喻学者的功夫，最为深切。只是说尧舜为万镒、孔子为九千镒，恐怕不安。」
先生说：「这又是从躯壳上起念，所以替圣人争分量。不从躯壳上起念，那么尧舜的万镒不为多，孔子的九千镒不为少；尧舜的万镒就是孔子的，孔子的九千镒就是尧舜的；原本没有彼此，所以称之为圣。只论『精一』，不论多少。只要此心纯乎天理处相同，便同样称为圣。若是论力量气魄，怎么可能完全相同？后世儒者只在分量上较量，所以流入功利。若除去了比较分量的心，各人尽着自己的力量精神，只在此心纯天理上用功，便人人自有、个个圆成，便能大以成大、小以成小，不须向外欣慕，无不具足。这便是实实在在明善诚身的事。后世儒者不明圣学，不知道就在自己心地的良知良能上体认扩充，却去求知道自己所不知道的、做到自己所不能做的，一味只是希高慕大；不知道自己是桀纣的心地，动辄要做尧舜的事业，怎么做得到？终年碌碌，直到老死，竟不知道自己成就了个什么？可悲啊。」
Dezhang said: 'Your figures — refined gold for the sage, weight for his measure, smelting for the learner's work — are most profound. Only that Yao and Shun are ten thousand yi and Confucius nine thousand still seems unsettling.'
The Master said: 'That again is starting from the body, haggling weight for the sages. Not starting from the body, Yao and Shun's ten thousand yi are not more, Confucius' nine thousand not less: Yao and Shun's ten thousand yi are Confucius'; Confucius' nine thousand are Yao and Shun's'; with originally no yours and mine — hence sage. Judge only refinement and unity, not more or less. Where this mind's purity in heavenly principle is one, all alike are called sage. As for power and spirit, how could they all be equal? Later scholars haggle over weight and so sink into utility. Remove the comparing mind; let each spend his own strength and spirit working only at this mind's purity in principle — then each has his own, each roundly complete: the great perfecting the great, the small the small, envying nothing outside, lacking nothing. That is the solid work of understanding goodness and making oneself sincere. Later scholars, not knowing the sagely learning, would not recognize and expand the innate knowledge and ability of their own minds, but sought to know what they did not know and do what they could not do, ever hankering after the high and great — not seeing that with the hearts of Jie and Zhou they set out to do the work of Yao and Shun: how could it be done? Drudging year upon year to old age and death, never knowing what they have made of themselves. Pitiable indeed.'