先生曰：「孔子有鄙夫来问，未尝先有知识以应之，其心只空空而已；但叩他自知的是非两端，与之一剖决，鄙夫之心便已了然。鄙夫自知的是非，便是他本来天则，虽圣人聪明，如何可与增减得一毫？他只不能自信，夫子与之一剖决，便已竭尽无余了。若夫子与鄙夫言时，留得些子知识在，便是不能竭他的良知，道体即有二了。」
先生说：「孔子有乡野之人来问，不曾先有知识去应对，他的心只是空空的；只就那人自知的是非两端，与他剖析决断，乡野之人的心便已了然。乡野之人自知的是非，就是他本来的天则，即使圣人再聪明，怎能增减他一丝一毫？他只是不能自信，夫子与他一剖析，便已竭尽无余了。若夫子与乡人谈话时，还留着些知识在，便是不能竭尽他的良知，道体就有两个了。」
The Master said: 'When a plain countryman came asking, Confucius held no ready knowledge in advance; his heart was bare. He only took the man's own right-and-wrong of the two ends and cut it clean with him, and the countryman's mind was lit. The right-and-wrong the countryman knew himself was his own heaven-given rule: sage-bright as Confucius was, what hair could he add or shave? The man only could not trust himself; the Master's one cutting exhausted all there was. Had Confucius kept any store of knowledge while speaking with him, he would have failed to exhaust the man's innate knowledge, and the Way's substance would have been two.'