正之问：「『戒惧是己所不知时工夫，慎独是己所独知时工夫』，此说如何？」
先生曰：「只是一个工夫，无事时固是独知，有事时亦是独知。人若不知于此独知之地用力，只在人所共知处用功，便是作伪，便是『见君子而后厌然』。此独知处便是诚的萌芽，此处不论善念、恶念，更无虚假，一是百是，一错百错，正是王霸、义利、诚伪、善恶界头。于此一立立定，便是端本澄源，便是立诚。古人许多诚身的工夫，精神命脉，全体只在此处，真是莫见莫显，无时无处，无终无始，只是此个工夫。今若又分戒惧为己所不知，即工夫便支离，亦有间断。既戒惧即是知，己若不知，是谁戒惧？如此见解，便要流入断灭禅定。」
曰：「不论善念、恶念，更无虚假，则独知之地，更无无念时邪？」
曰：「戒惧亦是念。戒惧之念，无时可息。若戒惧之心稍有不存，不是昏瞆，便已流入恶念。自朝至暮，自少至老，若要无念，即是己不知，此除是昏睡，除是槁木死灰。」
正之问：「『戒惧是自己不知道时的功夫，慎独是自己单独知道时的功夫』，这话如何？」
先生说：「只是一个功夫。无事时固然是独知，有事时也是独知。人若不在这个独知处用力，只在大伙共知处用功，便是作伪，便是『见君子而后厌然』。这个独知处便是诚的萌芽。此处不论善念恶念，更无虚假，一是百是，一错百错，正是王霸、义利、诚伪、善恶的分界处。在这里一立立定，便是端本澄源，便是立诚。古人许多诚身的功夫、精神命脉，全体只在此处，真是莫见莫显，无时无处、无终无始，只是这一个功夫。如今又把戒惧分给己所不知时，功夫便支离，也有间断。既然戒惧就是知，自己若不知，是谁在戒惧？这样的见解，便要流入断灭禅定。」
问：「不论善念恶念，更无虚假，那么独知之处，就没有无念的时候吗？」
答：「戒惧也是念。戒惧之念没有一刻可以停息。若戒惧之心稍有不在，不是昏沉，便已流入恶念。从早到晚、从少到老，若要无念，便是自己不知道，这除非是昏睡，除非是槁木死灰。」
Zhengzhi asked: 'What of the saying that vigilance belongs to what one does not yet know, and watching-over-oneself-alone to what one alone knows?'
The Master said: 'It is one work only. Without affairs it is certainly knowing-alone; with affairs it is also knowing-alone. If one does not apply strength at this place of knowing-alone, but only where all know — that is pretense, that is shrinking at the sight of the noble person. This place of knowing-alone is the sprout of sincerity: here, good thought or evil, there is no falsity — one right, a hundred right; one wrong, a hundred wrong. It is precisely the dividing line of true king and hegemon, rightness and profit, sincerity and pretense, good and evil. Stand firm here once and the root is set right, the source made clear: that is establishing sincerity. The ancients' many works of making the self sincere, their whole vital thread, rest entirely here — truly nothing more seen, nothing more manifest; no time, no place, no end, no beginning: only this one work. To split vigilance off to what one does not know makes the work fragmentary and broken. Since vigilance is knowing — if you did not know, who is vigilant? Such views slide into the extinction and trance of the Chanists.'
'Good thought or evil, no falsity — then at the place of knowing-alone is there never a moment without thought?'
'Vigilance too is a thought, and the thought of vigilance may never rest. Let it slacken ever so little, and one sinks either into stupor or into evil thought. From dawn to dusk, from youth to age, to want no thought is to be without knowing oneself — that only in coma, or as withered wood and cold ashes.'