盖良知只是一个天理自然明觉发见处，只是一个真诚恻怛，便是他本体。故致此良知之真诚恻怛以事亲便是孝，致此良知之真诚恻怛以从兄便是弟，致此良知之真诚恻怛以事君便是忠，只是一个良知，一个真诚恻怛。若是从兄的良知不能致其真诚恻怛，即是事亲的良知不能致其真诚恻怛矣；事君的良知不能致其真诚恻怛，即是从兄的真知不能致其真诚恻怛矣。故致得事君的良知，便是致却从兄的良知；致得从兄的良知，便是致却事亲的良知。不是事君的良知不能致，却须又从事亲的良知上去扩充将来。如此又是脱却本原，著在支节上求了。良知只是一个，随他发见流行处，当下具足，更无去来，不须假借。然其发见流行处，却自有轻重厚薄，毫发不容增减者，所谓「天然自有之中」也。虽则轻重厚薄，毫发不容增减，而厚又只是一个。虽则只是一个，而其间轻重厚薄，又毫发不容增减。若可得增减，若须假借，即已非其真诚恻坦之本体矣。此良知之妙用，所以无方体，无穷尽，语大天下莫能载，语小天下莫能破者也。
良知只是一个天理自然明觉发见处，只是一个真诚恻怛，便是它的本体。所以致此良知的真诚恻怛去事亲便是孝，致此良知的真诚恻怛去从兄便是悌，致此良知的真诚恻怛去事君便是忠——只是一个良知、一个真诚恻怛。如果从兄的良知不能致其真诚恻怛，就是事亲的良知不能致其真诚恻怛了；事君的良知不能致其真诚恻怛，就是从兄的良知不能致其真诚恻怛了。所以致得事君的良知，便是致了从兄的良知；致得从兄的良知，便是致了事亲的良知。不是事君的良知不能致，还须再从事亲的良知上去扩充将来。那样又是脱离本原、着在枝节上求了。良知只有一个，随它发见流行处，当下具足，更无去来，不须假借。但其发见流行处，却自有轻重厚薄，毫发不容增减，这就是所谓「天然自有之中」。虽然轻重厚薄毫发不容增减，而其厚又只是一个；虽然只是一个，而其间轻重厚薄又毫发不容增减。若可以增减、须假借，就已不是它真诚恻怛的本体了。良知之妙用所以无方体、无穷尽，「语大天下莫能载，语小天下莫能破」。
Innate knowledge is simply where heavenly principle's natural bright awareness shows forth — simply one true sincerity and compassion: that is its substance. So extending this sincere compassion of innate knowledge to serve parents is filial piety; to serve an elder brother, respect; to serve a ruler, loyalty — one innate knowledge, one sincere compassion. If the innate knowledge serving the elder brother fails of its sincere compassion, that of serving the parents has failed too; if that serving the ruler fails, that serving the brother has failed. So extending the innate knowledge that serves the ruler is extending that which serves the brother; extending the brother's is extending the parents'. It is not that the ruler-serving knowledge cannot be extended and must be built up by spreading outward from the parents-serving — that again quits the root and lodges in the branches. Innate knowledge is one: wherever it shows and flows, complete on the spot, no coming or going, nothing borrowed. Yet in its showing and flowing there are weight and thickness of its own, past adding or shaving by a hair — the mean naturally its own. Weight and thickness unaddable by a hair, yet the thickness is one alone; one alone, yet its weights and thicknesses cannot be shifted by a hair. Were they shiftable, borrowable, it would no longer be the substance of that sincere compassion. Hence innate knowledge's wondrous working is without place or form, without exhaust — said large, the world cannot bear it; said small, the world cannot break it.