孟氏「尧、舜之道，孝弟而已」者，是就人之良知发见得最真切笃厚、不容蔽昧处提省人。于人于事君、处友、仁民、爱物，与凡动静语默间，皆只是致他那一念事亲、从兄真诚恻怛的良知，即自然无不是道。盖天下之事虽千变万化，至于不可穷诘，而但惟致此事亲、从兄一念真诚恻怛之良知以应之，则更无有遗缺渗漏者，正谓其只有此一个良知故也。事亲、从兄一念良知之外，更无有良知可致得者。故曰：「尧、舜之道，孝弟而已矣。」此所以为「惟精惟一」之学，放之四海而皆准，施诸后世而无朝夕者也。
文蔚云：「欲于事亲、从兄之间，而求所谓良知之学。」就自己用工得力处如此说，亦无不可；若曰致其良知之真诚恻怛以求尽夫事亲、从兄之道焉，亦无不可也。明道云：「行仁自孝、弟始。孝、弟是仁之一事，谓之行仁之本则可，谓是仁之本则不可。」其说是矣。
「亿、逆、先觉」之说，文蔚谓：「诚则旁行曲防[1]，皆良知之用。」甚善甚善！闲有搀搭处，则前已言之矣。惟濬之言，亦未为不是，在文蔚须有取于惟濬之言而后尽，在惟濬又须有取于文蔚之言而后明。不然，则亦未免各有倚著之病也。舜察迩言而询蒭荛，非是以迩言当察，蒭荛当询，而后如此，乃良知之发见流行，光明圆莹，更无罣碍遮隔处，此所以谓之大知；才有执著意必，其知便小矣。讲学中自有去取分辨，然就心地上著实用工夫，却须如此方是。
「尽心」三节，区区曾有「生知、学知、困知」之说，颇已明白，无可疑者。盖尽心、知性、知天者，不必说存心、养性、事天，不必说殀寿不贰、修身以俟，而「存心养性」与「修身以俟」之功已在其中矣。存心、养性、事天者，虽未到得尽心、知天的地位，然已是在那里做个求到尽心、知天的工夫，更不必说殀寿不贰、修身以俟，而「殀寿不贰，修身以俟」之功已在其中矣。譬之行路，尽心、知天者，如年力壮健之人，既能奔走往来于数千百里之间者也；存心、事天者，如童穉之年，使之学习步趋于庭除之间者也；殀寿不贰、修身以俟者，如襁抱之孩，方便之扶墙傍壁，而渐学起立移步者也。既已能奔走往来于数千里之间者，则不必更使之于庭除之间而学步趋，而步趋于庭除之间，自无弗能矣；既已能步趋于庭除之间，则不必更使之扶墙傍壁而学起立移步，而起立移步自无弗能矣。然学起立移步，便是学步趋庭除之始；学步趋庭除，便是学奔走往来于数千里之基，固非有二事，但其工夫之难易则相去悬绝矣。心也，性也，天也，一也。故及其知之、成功则一，然而三者人品力量，自有阶级，不可躐等而能也。
细观文蔚之论，其意以恐尽心、知天者，废却存心、修身之功，而反为尽心、知天之病；是盖为圣人忧工夫之或间断，而不知为自己忧工夫之未真切也。吾侪用工，却须专心致志，在殀寿不贰、修身以俟上做，只此便是做尽心、知天工夫之始：正如学起立移步，便是学奔走千里之始。吾方自虑其不能起立移步，而岂遽其不能奔走千里，又况为奔走千里者而虑其或遗忘于起立移步之习哉！文蔚识见本自超绝迈往，而所论云然者，亦是未能脱去旧时解说文义之习，是为此三段书分疏比合，以求融会贯通，而自添许多意见缠绕，反使用工不专一也。近时悬空去做勿忘、勿助者，其意见正有此病，最能耽误人，不可不涤除耳。
所谓[2]「尊德性而道问学」一节，至当归一，更无可疑。此便是文蔚曾著实用功，然后能为此言。此本不是险僻难见的道理，人或意见不同者，还是良知尚有纤翳潜伏，若除去此纤翳，即自无不洞然矣。
已作书后，移卧簷间，偶遇无事，遂复答此。文蔚之学既已得其大者，此等处久当释然自解，本不必屑屑如此分疏；但承相爱之厚，千里差人远及，谆谆下问，而竟虚来意，又自不能已于言也。然直戆烦缕已甚，恃在信爱，当不为罪。惟濬处及谦之、崇一处，各得转录一通寄视之，尤承一体之好也。
右南大吉录。[3]
孟子说「尧舜之道，孝弟而已」，是就人的良知发见得最真切笃厚、不容蒙蔽处提醒人。对于事君、处友、仁民、爱物，以至一切动静语默之间，都只是致他那一念事亲从兄、真诚恻怛的良知，就自然无不是道。天下之事虽千变万化，至于不可穷诘，但只要致此事亲从兄一念真诚恻怛的良知去应对，就再没有遗漏渗漏，正因为只有这一个良知。事亲从兄一念良知之外，更没有良知可致。所以说「尧舜之道，孝弟而已矣」。这就是「惟精惟一」之学，放之四海而皆准，施诸后世而无朝夕。
文蔚说「想在事亲从兄之间求所谓良知之学」，就自己用功得力处这样说，也未尝不可；如果说致其良知之真诚恻怛以求尽事亲从兄之道，也未尝不可。程颢说：「行仁自孝弟始。孝弟是仁之一事，谓之行仁之本则可，谓是仁之本则不可。」这话是对的。
「臆逆先觉」之说，文蔚认为「诚则旁行曲防，皆良知之用」，很好很好！其间偶有搀搭处，前面已说过。惟浚的话也不算错：文蔚须有取于惟浚之言而后尽，惟浚又须有取于文蔚之言而后明；不然，也未免各有偏着的毛病。舜察迩言而询刍荛，不是以为迩言当察、刍荛当询才这样做，而是良知发见流行，光明圆莹，更无挂碍遮隔处，这才叫大知；才有一分执着意必，其知便小了。讲学中自有去取分辨，但就在心地上着实用功，却须如此才是。
「尽心」三节，我曾有「生知、学知、困知」之说，已颇明白，无可疑。尽心、知性、知天的，不必说存心、养性、事天，不必说夭寿不贰、修身以俟，而「存心养性」与「修身以俟」之功已在其中。存心、养性、事天的，虽未到得尽心知天的地位，但已是在那里做求到尽心知天的功夫，也不必说夭寿不贰、修身以俟，而其功已在其中。譬如行路：尽心知天的，如年力壮健的人，已能奔走往来于数千百里之间；存心事天的，如童稚之年，让他在庭院台阶之间练习步趋；夭寿不贰、修身以俟的，如襁褓中的孩儿，方才扶墙傍壁，渐渐学起立移步。已能奔走于数千里之间的，不必再让他在庭院间学步趋，而步趋庭除自无不能；已能步趋庭除的，不必再让他扶墙学起立移步，而起立移步自无不能。然而学起立移步，便是学步趋庭除之始；学步趋庭除，便是学奔走数千里之基，本不是两件事，只是功夫的难易相去悬绝。心、性、天，一而已。所以到知之、成功则一；但三者人品力量自有阶级，不可躐等而能。
细看文蔚之论，意思是恐怕尽心知天的人废却存心修身的功夫，反而成为尽心知天之病；这是替圣人担忧功夫或有间断，而不知替自己担忧功夫未真切。我们用功，却须专心致志在夭寿不贰、修身以俟上做，只此便是做尽心知天功夫之始：正如学起立移步，便是学奔走千里之始。我正担心自己不能起立移步，哪会担心自己不能奔走千里，又哪会替奔走千里的人担心他忘了起立移步的练习呢！文蔚识见本自超绝迈往，而所论如此，也是未能脱去旧时解说文义的习气，为这三段书分疏比合以求融会贯通，反而自己添了许多意见缠绕，使用功不专一。近来悬空去做勿忘勿助的人，其意见正有此病，最能耽误人，不可不涤除。
所谓「尊德性而道问学」一节，至当归一，无可疑。这便是文蔚曾着实用功，然后才能说这样的话。这本来不是险僻难见的道理，人们意见不同，还是良知尚有纤翳潜伏；若除去这纤翳，自然无不洞然。
写完信后，移卧檐间，偶遇无事，又答了这些。文蔚之学既已得其大者，这些地方久后当释然自解，本不必这样屑屑分疏；但承您相爱之厚，千里差人远来，谆谆下问，若竟虚负来意，又自不能已于言。然而直憨烦缕已甚，倚仗信爱，当不见罪。惟浚处及谦之、崇一处，各请转录一通寄去，同承一体之好。
（以上为南大吉所录。）
Mencius's 'the way of Yao and Shun is simply filial and brotherly devotion' points men to where innate knowledge shows most true and thick, past all veiling. In serving the ruler, keeping friends, loving the people, cherishing things, through all movement, rest, speech and silence — only extend that one thought of parents-serving, brother-serving, sincerely compassionate innate knowledge, and nothing is not the Way. The world's affairs, myriad in change past reckoning, met with this one sincerely compassionate thought of innate knowledge, leave no gap or leak — just because there is only this one innate knowledge. Beyond that one thought there is no other innate knowledge to extend. Hence: the way of Yao and Shun is simply filial and brotherly devotion. This is the learning of refinement and unity: set out over the four seas, all exact; applied to after ages, without morning or evening.
Your wish, Wenwei, to seek the learning of innate knowledge between serving parents and elders — said from where your own work has borne strength, well enough; as also 'extend innate knowledge's sincere compassion to fulfill the way of serving parents and elders.' Cheng Hao said: practicing humaneness begins with filial and brotherly devotion; devotion is one item of humaneness — call it the beginning of practicing humaneness, not the root of humaneness itself. Well said.
On surmising, doubting and awareness beforehand, your 'with sincerity, even devious courses and crooked defenses are innate knowledge's use' — very good! The stray tacking in it was touched on before. Weijun's words too are not wrong: you must take something from Weijun to be complete, and Weijun from you to be clear — else each leans to his own bent. Shun examined near words and asked the grass-cutters — not deeming near words worthy of examination and cutters worth asking, and therefore doing so; it was innate knowledge showing and flowing, bright, round and crystal, with nothing hanging or screening — that is why it is called great knowing; the least clinging or presuming, and the knowing shrinks. In lectures there is choosing and judging, but for work laid truly on the ground of the mind, it must be thus.
On the three passages of realizing the mind, my born-knowing, learning-knowing, hardship-knowing account is plain enough, beyond doubt. He who realizes the mind, knows nature, knows Heaven, need not speak of preserving the mind, nourishing nature, serving Heaven, nor of undivided-by-lifespan, cultivating-and-awaiting — that work is already inside. He who preserves and serves, though not yet at the height of realizing and knowing, is already working toward it, and need not speak of undivided-and-awaiting — it is inside already. Like walking: realizing and knowing Heaven is the man in full strength coursing hundreds and thousands of miles; preserving and serving is the child at play learning to step and pace within the courtyard; undivided-and-awaiting is the infant in swaddling, just learning to stand against wall and sill and shift a step. One who courses thousands of miles need not be set to stepping in the courtyard — the courtyard is nothing to him; one who paces the courtyard need not be set to standing against walls — standing and stepping come of themselves. Yet learning to stand and step is the beginning of pacing the courtyard, and pacing the courtyard the foundation of coursing a thousand miles: never two affairs — only the ease and difficulty stand worlds apart. Mind, nature, Heaven: one. Hence in knowing and completion one; but the three stand in grades of capacity and strength — none may leap the stages.
Reading your discussion closely, Wenwei, you fear the mind-realizing, Heaven-knowing might drop the work of preserving and cultivating, and so injure their own realizing and knowing — anxiety for the sages' work possibly breaking, where the anxiety owed is that one's own work is not yet true. Our work must be single-minded on undivided-by-lifespan and cultivating-and-awaiting: that very thing is the beginning of the work of realizing the mind and knowing Heaven — as learning to stand and step is the beginning of coursing a thousand miles. I am anxious enough that I cannot yet stand and step — shall I be anxious I cannot course a thousand miles? Still less be anxious, on behalf of the thousand-mile courser, lest he forget his standing practice! Your insight naturally soars; yet your discussion bears the old habit of glossing texts — splitting and pairing the three passages for a synthesis, wrapping yourself in a tangle of opinions till the work loses its singleness. Those who of late do not-forgetting-not-forcing in mid-air carry just this disease of opinion; it delays men most and must be scoured out.
On honoring the moral nature while pursuing inquiry: at the utmost it returns to one, beyond doubt — words you can say only having truly worked. The truth is no strange, hidden doctrine; that men differ over it means a film still lurks in innate knowledge; strip the film, and all is open.
Written and sealed, I moved to lie under the eaves; finding idle moments, I have answered yet this. Your learning having grasped the great, these points will ease and resolve of themselves in time — no need of such petty untangling; but held by your deep kindness, your man come a thousand miles questioning so earnestly, to send him empty away I could not bring myself to do. Blunt and wearisome beyond measure — leaning on trust and love, I trust not faulted. To Weijun, and to Qianzhi and Chongyi, please have a copy each sent — sharing the kindness as one body.
(The above recorded by Nan Daji.)
- 「旁行曲防」，施本、俞本作「旁行曲行」。
- 「所谓」，施本、俞本及德安府重刊南本并作「所论」。
- 德安府重刊南大吉本无此五字。此系钱德洪所书，当置于卷末。据德安府重刊南本及胡宗宪本，此条后有《示弟立志说》。据王懋论言，原稿王守仁自志甲戌四月八日，《文集》注云乙亥作，非是。 示弟立志说 予弟守文来学，告之以立志。守文因请次第其语，使得时时观省，且请浅近其辞，则易于通暁也，因书以与之。 夫学，其先于立志。志之不立，犹不种其根，而徒事培拥灌漑，劳苦无成矣。世之所以因循苟且，随俗习非，而卒归于污下者，凡以志之弗立也。故程子曰：「有求为圣人之志，然后可与共学。」人苟诚有求为圣人之志，则必思圣人之所以为圣人者安在？非以其心之纯乎天理而无人欲之私欤？圣人之所以为圣人，惟以其心之纯乎天理而无人欲，则我之欲为圣人，亦惟在于此心之纯乎天理而无人欲耳。欲此心之纯乎天理而无人欲，则必去人欲而存天理；务去人欲而存天理，则必求所以去人欲而存天理之方；求所以去人欲而存天理之方，则必正诸先觉，考诸古训。而凡所谓学问之功者，然后可得而讲，而亦有所不容已矣。夫所谓正诸先觉者，既以其人为先觉而师之矣，则当专心致志，惟先觉之为聼。言有不合，不得弃置，必从而思之；思之不得，又从而辨之，务求了释，不敢辄生疑惑。故《记》曰：「师严然后道尊，道尊然后民知敬学。」苟无尊崇笃信之心，则必有轻忽慢易之意，言之而聼之不审，犹不聼也；聼之而思之不慎，犹不思也，是则虽曰师之，犹不师也。 夫所谓考诸古训者，圣贤垂训，莫非教人去人欲而存天理之方，若五经四书是已。吾惟欲去吾之人欲，存吾之天理，而不得其方，是以求之于此，则其展卷之际，真如饥者之于食，求饱而已；病者之于药，求愈而已；暗者之于灯，求照而已；跛者之于杖，求行而已，曽有徒事记诵讲说以资口耳之弊哉！ 夫立志亦不易矣，孔子，圣人也，犹曰：「吾十有五而志于学，三十而立。」立者，志立也，虽至于不逾矩，亦志之不逾矩也，志岂可易而视哉！夫志，气之帅也，人之命也，木之根也，水之源也。源不濬则流息，根不植则木枯，命不续则人死，志不立则气昏。是以君子之学，无时无处而不以立志为事。正目而视之，无他见也；倾耳而聼之，无他闻也。如猫捕鼠，如鸡覆卵，精神心思，凝聚融结，而不复知有其他，然后此志常立，神气精明，义理昭著。一有私欲，即便知觉，自然容住不得矣。故凡一毫私欲之萌，只责此志不立，即私欲便退；听一毫客气之动，只责此志不立，即客气便消除。或怠心生，责此志即不怠。忽心生，责此志即不忽。懆心生，责此志即不懆。妒心生，责此志即不妒。忿心生，责此志即不忿。贪心生，责此志即不贪。傲心生，责此志即不傲。吝心生，责此志即不吝。盖无一息而非立志责志之时，无一事而非立志责志之地。故责志之功，其于去人欲，有如烈火之燎毛，太阳一出而魍魉潜消也。自古圣贤因时立教，虽若不同，其用功大指，无或少异。《书》谓「惟精惟一」，《易》谓「敬以直内，义以方外」，孔子谓「格致诚正，博文约礼」，曽子谓「忠恕」，子思谓「尊徳性而道问学」，孟子谓「集义养气，求其放心」，虽若人自为说，有不可强同者，而求其要领归宿，合若符契。何者？夫道一而已，道同则心同，心同则学同。其卒不同者，皆邪说也。后世大患，尤在无志。故今以立志为说，中间字字句句，莫非立志，盖终身问学之功，只是立得志而已。若以是说而合精一，则字字句句皆精一之功。以是说而合敬义，则字字句句皆敬义之功。其诸格致博约忠恕等说，无不脗合，但能实心体之，然后信予言之非妄也。（《王文成公全书》卷七）