问：「知至然后可以言诚意。今天理、人欲知之未尽，如何用得克己工夫？」
先生曰：「人若真实切己用功不已，则于此心：天理之精微，日见一日；私欲之细微，亦日见一日。若不用克己工夫，终日只是说话而已；天理终不自见，私欲亦终不自见。如人走路一般：走得一段，方认得一段；走到歧路处，有疑便问，问了又走；方渐能到得欲到之处。今人于已知之天理不肯存，已知之人欲不肯去，且只管愁不能尽知。只管闲讲，何益之有？且待克得自己无私可克，方愁不能尽知，亦未迟在[1]。」
有人问：「『知至而后才能谈诚意』。如今对天理、人欲还没认识穷尽，怎么用得上克己的功夫？」
先生说：「人若真实切己地用功不停，那么对此心中的天理之精微，会一天比一天看得清楚；私欲之细微，也一天比一天看得清楚。若不用克己功夫，整天只是说话罢了，天理始终不会自己显现，私欲也始终不会自己显现。好比人走路：走了一段，才认得一段；走到岔路口，有疑问就问，问了再走，才能渐渐到达要去的地方。今人对已知的天理不肯存养，对已知的人欲不肯去除，却只管发愁不能尽知，一味空讲，有什么益处？等到克治得自己没有私可克，再发愁不能尽知，也不算迟。」
Someone asked: 'Only when knowledge is complete can one speak of making the intention sincere. Since I do not yet exhaustively know heavenly principle and human desire, how can I do the work of self-mastery?'
The Master said: 'Work truly and personally without pause, and each day you will see more of the fineness of heavenly principle in this mind, and each day more of the subtlety of selfish desire. Without the work of self-mastery, one only talks all day; principle never shows itself, nor does desire. It is like walking a road: walk a stretch, and you know a stretch; at the forkings, ask where you doubt, then walk on; only so do you gradually arrive where you would go. Today's people will not preserve the principle they already know nor remove the desire they already know, and worry only about not knowing all — idle talk, of what use? Wait till you have mastered yourself with nothing left to master, then worry about not knowing all — it will not be late.'
- 施本、俞本，「在」作「耳」。