侃问：「持志如心痛。一心在痛上，安有工夫说闲语、管闲事？」
先生曰：「初学工夫，如此用亦好；但要使知『出入无时，莫知其乡』。心之神明，原是如此，工夫方有著落。若只死死守著，恐于工夫上又发病。」[1]
薛侃问：「持志如同心痛。一心都在痛上，哪有工夫说闲话、管闲事？」
先生说：「初学的功夫，这样用也好；但要让他知道『出入无时，莫知其乡』。心的神明原是这样，功夫才有落点。若只是死死守着，恐怕在功夫上又要生出毛病。」
Xue Kan asked: 'Holding fast the will is like a pain in the heart — the whole mind on the pain; where is leisure for idle talk and meddling?'
The Master said: 'For beginners such use is well enough; but they must know that it goes out and comes in without fixed time, none knowing its dwelling. The mind's numinous brightness being so, the work has somewhere to land. To hold it in a death-grip would only breed a new defect in the work.'
- 闾东本、宋本、南本无此条。闾东本在第1条前有一条：「先生曰：『持志如心痛，一心在痛上，安有功夫说闲话，管闲事？』」「侃问」二字作「先生曰」。