「孔子气魄极大，凡帝王事业，无不一一理会，也只从那心上来，譬如大树有多少枝叶，也只是根本上用得培养功夫，故自然能如此，非是从枝叶上用功做得根本也。学者学孔子，不在心上用功，汲汲然去学那气魄，却倒做了。」
「孔子气魄极大，凡帝王的事业无不一一理会，也只是从那心上来的。譬如大树有多少枝叶，也只是在根本上用得培养功夫，才自然如此，不是从枝叶上用功做得根本。学者学孔子，不在心上用功，急急忙忙去学那气魄，就是做颠倒了。」
'Confucius's sweep of spirit was vast: every emperor's enterprise he dealt with one by one — yet all came from the heart. A great tree with its thousand branches: the cultivating was done at the root, and this grew of itself; the root was never made by working on branches. Learners who would study Confucius, working not on the heart but hurrying after his sweep — have set the matter upside down.'