九川问：「近年因厌泛滥之学，每要静坐，求屏息念虑；非惟不能，愈觉扰扰。如何？」
先生曰：「念如何可息？只是要正。」
曰：「当自有无念时否？」
先生曰：「实无无念时。」
曰：「如此却如何言静？」
曰：「静未尝不动，动未尝不静。戒谨恐惧即是念，何分动静？」
曰：「周子何以言『定之以中正仁义而主静』？」
曰：「无欲故静，是『静亦定，动亦定』的定字；主其本体也。戒惧之念，是活泼泼地，此是天机不息处。所谓：『维天之命，於穆不已。』一息便是死。非本体之念，则是私念。」
九川问：「近年因厌倦泛滥之学，常要静坐，求屏息念虑；不但做不到，反而越发纷扰。怎么办？」
先生说：「念头怎么可以息灭？只是要正。」
问：「难道本来就没有无念的时候吗？」
答：「实在没有无念的时候。」
问：「这样却怎么讲静？」
答：「静未尝不动，动未尝不静。戒慎恐惧即是念，哪分什么动静？」
问：「周子为什么说『定之以中正仁义而主静』？」
答：「无欲故静，是『静亦定，动亦定』的那个定字，指的是本体。戒惧之念是活泼泼的，这是天机不息之处。所谓『维天之命，於穆不已』，一息便是死。不是本体的念，就是私念。」
I asked: 'Of late, weary of sprawling learning, I would sit still and stop thought altogether; far from succeeding, I grow the more restless. What to do?'
The Master said: 'How could thought be stopped? Only set it right.'
'Is there never a time of no-thought?'
'Verily, no time of no-thought.'
'Then how speak of stillness?'
'Stillness is never without movement, movement never without stillness. Vigilance and fear are themselves thought — what parting of moving and still?'
'Then why did Zhou say settle them with centrality, correctness, humaneness and rightness, abiding in stillness?'
'Desireless, hence still — the settled of settled in movement as in stillness: he spoke of the substance. The thought of vigilance is quick and alive; that is where heaven's mechanism never rests: august is heaven's mandate, ceaseless it goes. One rest is death. Thought not of the substance is private thought.'