先生尝谓：「人但得好善如好好色，恶恶如恶恶臭，便是圣人。」直初闻之，觉甚易，后体验得来，此个功夫著实是难。如一念虽知好善、恶恶，然不知不觉又夹杂去了；才有夹杂，便不是好善如好好色、恶恶如恶恶臭的心。善能实实的好，是无念不善矣，恶能实实的恶，是无念及恶矣，如同不是圣人？故圣人之学，只是一诚而已。」
先生曾说：「人只要好善如同好好色、恶恶如同恶恶臭，便是圣人。」我初听觉得甚易，后来体验，才知这个功夫着实是难。比如一念虽知好善恶恶，然而不知不觉又夹杂了；一有夹杂，便不是好善如好好色、恶恶如恶恶臭的心。善能实实在在地好，便无念不善了；恶能实实在在地恶，便无念及恶了——这不就是圣人了吗？所以圣人之学，只是一个诚字罢了。
The Master once said: 'Were one to love good as one loves beauty and hate evil as one hates a stench, one would be a sage.' Hearing it first, it seemed easy; tasting it after, the work proved truly hard. A thought may know loving-good and hating-evil, yet unawares the mixture creeps in; once mixed, it is no longer the heart that loves good as beauty, hates evil as stench. Good loved solidly — no thought but good; evil hated solidly — no thought that touches evil: is that not a sage? Hence the sage's learning is one word — sincerity.