得书，见近来所学之骤进，喜慰不可言。谛视数过，其间虽亦有一二未莹彻处，却是致良知之功尚未纯熟，到纯熟时自无此矣。譬之驱车，既已由于康庄大道之中，或时横斜迂曲者，乃马性未调，衔勒不齐之故，然已只在康庄大道中，决不赚入傍蹊曲径矣。近时海内同志，到此地位者曾末多见，喜慰不可言，斯道之幸也！贱躯旧有咳嗽畏热之病，近入炎方，辄复大作。主上圣明洞察，责付甚重，不敢遽辞；地力军务冗沓，皆舆疾从事。今却幸已平定，已具本乞回养病，得在林下稍就清凉，或可瘳耳。人还，伏枕草草，不尽倾企。外惟濬一简幸达致之。
来书所询，草草奉复一二。近岁来山中讲学者，往往多说「勿忘、勿助」工夫甚难。问之，则云：「才著意，便是助；才不著意，便是忘；所以甚难。」区区因问之云：「忘是忘个甚么？助是助个甚么？」其人默然无对，始请问。区区因与说，我此间讲学，却只说个「必有事焉」，不说「勿忘、勿助」。「必有事焉」者，只是时时去「集义」。若时时去用「必有事」的工夫，而或有时间断，此便是忘了，即须「勿忘」。时时去用「必有事」的工夫，而或有时欲速求效，此便是助了，则须「勿助」。其工夫全在「必有事焉」上用，「勿忘、勿助」只就其间提撕警觉而已。若是工夫原不间断，即不须更说「勿忘」；原不欲速求效，即不须更说「勿助」。此其工夫何等明白简易？何等洒脱自在？今却不去「必有事」上用工，而乃悬空守著一个「勿忘、勿助」；此正如烧锅煮饭，锅内不曾渍水下米，而乃专去添柴放火，不知毕竟煮出个甚么物来？吾恐火候未及调停，而锅已先破裂矣。近日一种专在「勿忘、勿助」上用工者，其病正是如此。终日悬空去做个「勿忘」，又悬空去做「勿助」；漭漭荡荡，全无实落下手处；究竟工夫，只做得个沈空守寂，学成一个痴騃汉。才遇些子事来，即便牵滞纷扰，不复能经纶宰制。此皆有志之士，而乃使之劳苦缠缚，担阁一生，皆由学术误人之故，甚可悯矣！
夫「必有事焉」只是「集义」，「集义」只是「致良知」。说「集义」，则一时未见头恼；说「致良知」，即当下便有实地步可用工。故区区专说「致良知」，随时就事上致其良知，便是「格物」；著实去致良知，便是「诚意」；著实致其良知，而无一毫「意」、「必」、「固」、「我」，便是「正心」。著实「致良知」，则自无「忘」之病；无一毫「意」、「必」、「固」、「我」，则自无「助」之病。故说「格、致、诚、正」，则不必更说个「忘、助」。孟子说「忘」、「助」，亦就告子得病处立方。告子强制其心，是「助」的病痛，故孟子专说助长之害。告子助长，亦是他以义为外，不知就自心上「集义」，在「必有事焉」上用功，是以如此。若时时刻刻就自心上「集义」，则良知之体洞然明白，自然是是非非纤毫莫遁，又焉有「不得于言，勿求于心；不得于心，勿求于气」之弊乎？孟子「集义」、「养气」之说，固大有功于后学，然亦是因病立方，说得大段；不若《大学》「格、致、诚、正」之功，尤极精一简易，为彻上彻下，万世无弊者也。
收到信，见近来学问骤进，欣喜不可言。细看几遍，其间虽也有一二未透彻处，那是致良知的功夫尚未纯熟，到纯熟时自无此了。譬如驾车，既已在康庄大道之中，偶有横斜迂曲，是马性未调、衔勒不齐的缘故；但既已在大道上，决不会误入旁蹊曲径。近时海内同志，到这个地步的还不多见，欣喜不可言，这是此道之幸！贱躯旧有咳嗽畏热之病，近来进入炎方，便又大作。主上圣明洞察，托付甚重，不敢立刻辞谢；地方军务冗沓，都带病从事。如今幸已平定，已具本乞归养病，能在林下稍享清凉，或可痊愈。来人返回时，伏枕草草，不尽倾慕。另附惟浚一简，请转达。
来信所询，草草奉复一二。近几年来，山中讲学的人往往说「勿忘勿助」的功夫很难。问他们，则说：「才着意便是助，才不着意便是忘，所以很难。」我问：「忘是忘个什么？助是助个什么？」那人默然无对，才来请教。我便告诉他：我这里讲学，只说个「必有事焉」，不说「勿忘勿助」。「必有事焉」，只是时时去「集义」。若时时去用「必有事」的功夫，而有时间断，这便是忘了，即须「勿忘」；时时去用「必有事」的功夫，而有时想求速效，这便是助了，则须「勿助」。其功夫全在「必有事焉」上用，「勿忘勿助」只在其间提撕警觉而已。若功夫原不间断，即不须再说「勿忘」；原不求速效，即不须再说「勿助」。这功夫何等明白简易？何等洒脱自在？如今却不去「必有事」上用工，而悬空守着一个「勿忘勿助」；这正如烧锅煮饭，锅内不曾渍水下米，却专去添柴放火，不知究竟煮出个什么东西来？恐怕火候未及调停，锅已先破裂了。近日一种专在「勿忘勿助」上用功的人，其病正是如此。终日悬空去做个「勿忘」，又悬空去做「勿助」，茫茫荡荡，全无实落下手处；到头的功夫，只做得个沉空守寂，学成一个痴呆汉。才遇一点事来，便牵滞纷扰，不能再经纶宰制。这些人都是有志之士，却使他们劳苦缠缚、荒废一生，都是学术误人的缘故，甚可悯！
「必有事焉」只是「集义」，「集义」只是「致良知」。说「集义」，一时还见不到头脑；说「致良知」，当下便有实地可用功。所以我专说「致良知」：随时就事上致其良知，便是「格物」；着实去致良知，便是「诚意」；着实致其良知而无一毫意必固我，便是「正心」。着实「致良知」，自无「忘」之病；无一毫意必固我，自无「助」之病。所以说「格致诚正」，就不必再说个「忘助」。孟子说「忘助」，也是就告子得病处开的方子。告子强制其心，是「助」的病痛，所以孟子专说助长之害。告子助长，也是因为他以义为外，不知就在自心上「集义」、在「必有事焉」上用功，所以如此。若时时刻刻就自心上「集义」，则良知之体洞然明白，是是非非纤毫莫遁，又哪有「不得于言勿求于心，不得于心勿求于气」的弊病？孟子「集义养气」之说，固然大有功于后学，但也是因病立方，说得大略；不如《大学》「格致诚正」之功，尤其精一简易，彻上彻下，万世无弊。
Your letter came, showing your learning's sudden advance — joy past words. Reading it over, here and there a point not yet crystal through: the work of extending innate knowledge not yet ripened; ripened, this will vanish of itself. Like driving: already on the broad highway, an occasional swerve or winding comes of the horses unbroken and the bits uneven — yet still on the highway, never lured into bypaths. Among inland fellows of late, few have reached this ground — joy past words; fortune of the Way! My old frame's cough and heat-shyness have flared again in the fevered south; the sovereign, discerning, has laid heavy charge, not lightly to be declined; districts and military affairs in heaps, I carry them on with sickness. Now, happily settled, I have memorialized to retire and nurse my health; a little cool under the trees may yet cure me. Your man returns; from my pillow, hastily, all regard unstated. A note for Weijun enclosed — please deliver it.
To your inquiries, a hasty word or two. Of late the mountain lecturers often say the work of neither-forgetting-nor-forcing is very hard. Asked, they say: attend to it and it is forcing; slacken and it is forgetting — hence very hard. I ask them: forgetting what? forcing what? They fall silent, then ask instruction. I tell them: here we say only always-having-the-task; we do not say neither-forgetting-nor-forcing. The task at hand is simply accumulating rightness every hour. If one works at it every hour and sometimes breaks off — that is forgetting: then one must not forget. If one works at it every hour and sometimes hastes for results — that is forcing: then one must not force. The work lies wholly in the having-the-task; not-forgetting-not-forcing only pinches one awake within it. If the work never breaks, no need to say not-forgetting; if one never hastes, no need to say not-forcing. How plain and simple a work! How free! Yet today men will not work at the task, but hang in mid-air keeping a neither-forgetting-nor-forcing — like boiling rice in a pot never soaked or filled with grain, heaping the firewood high: what, in the end, will it boil? I fear the pot cracks before the heat is ever tempered. That is exactly the disease of those who labor only at not-forgetting-not-forcing: all day making a not-forgetting in vacancy and a not-forcing in vacancy, drifting boundless, no solid place to lay hands; the work, at its end, achieves dead vacancy, a learned idiocy — the least affair arrives and they tangle and flounder, unable to order or master anything. These are men of resolve, worn and bound and shelved for life by a learning that misled them — pitiable indeed!
The task at hand is only accumulating rightness; accumulating rightness is only extending innate knowledge. Say accumulating rightness and the head of it is not at once seen; say extending innate knowledge and at once there is solid ground to work on. Hence I speak only of extension: extending innate knowledge in each affair as it comes is investigating things; doing it in earnest is sincerity of intention; doing it in earnest without a hair of opinion, presumption, rigidity or ego is rectifying the mind. In earnest there is no forgetting; without a hair of opinion or ego, no forcing. So, said as investigation-extension-sincerity-rectitude, no need to add forgetting-and-forcing. Mencius spoke of them as a prescription for Gaozi's sickness: Gaozi forced his mind — the forcing sickness — hence Mencius dwelt on the harm of aiding growth. Gaozi's forcing, too, came of holding rightness external, not knowing to accumulate rightness upon his own mind and work at the task at hand. Work at it hour upon hour on one's own mind, and innate knowledge's substance stands clear: right and wrong, not a thread escapes — where then the faults of failing-in-words-yet-not-seeking-in-the-mind, failing-in-mind-yet-not-seeking-in-the-energies? Mencius's accumulating rightness and nourishing the energies greatly served later learners; yet it too was a prescription by sickness, broadly stated — not so fine, single and simple as the Great Learning's investigation, extension, sincerity, rectitude: running from top to bottom, faultless for ten thousand ages.