答陆原静书

来书云：「下手工夫，觉此心无时宁静。妄心固动也，照心亦动也；心既恒动，则无刻暂停也。」

是有意于求宁静，是以愈不宁静耳。夫妄心则动也，照心非动也；恒照则恒动恒静，天地之所以恒久而不已也。照心固照也，妄心亦照也；其为物不贰，则其生物不息，有刻暂停则息矣，非至诚无息之学矣。

来信说：「下手工夫，觉得此心没有一刻宁静。妄心固然是动，照心也是动；心既然恒动，便没有一刻暂停。」

这是有意求宁静，所以越发不宁静。妄心是动，照心不是动；恒照则恒动恒静，这正是天地之所以恒久而不息。照心固然是照，妄心也是照；其为物不贰，则其生物不息，有一刻暂停便息了，就不是至诚无息之学了。

Your letter says: 'In taking up the work I find the mind never at rest. The deluded mind moves, to be sure; but the mirroring mind moves too — the mind ever moving, never a pause.'

That is deliberately seeking stillness, and so growing less still. The deluded mind moves; the mirroring mind does not. Ever-mirroring is ever-moving and ever-still — how heaven and earth endure without cease. The mirroring mind mirrors, yes; the deluded mind also mirrors: its being is undoubled, its engendering unceasing; one pause and it ceases — no longer the learning of utmost sincerity without cease.

第 152 条

来书云，「良知亦有起处」云云。

此或听之末审。良知者，心之本体，即前所谓「恒照」者也。心之本体，无起无不起。虽妄念之发，而良知未尝不在，但人不知存，则有时而或放耳。虽昏塞之极，而良知未尝不明，但人不知察，则有时而或蔽耳。虽有时而或放，其体实未尝不在也，存之而已耳；虽有时而或蔽，其体实未尝不明也，察之而已耳。若谓真知亦有起处，则是有时而不在也，非其本体之谓矣。

来信说「良知也有起处」云云。

这或许是听闻未审。良知是心的本体，就是前面所说的「恒照」。心的本体，无起无不起。虽妄念发作，而良知未尝不在，只是人不知存，便有时放失了。虽昏塞到极点，而良知未尝不明，只是人不知察，便有时被遮蔽了。虽有时放失，它的本体实未尝不在，存养它就是了；虽有时被蔽，它的本体实未尝不明，体察它就是了。若说良知也有起处，便是有时不在，那就不是它的本体了。

Your letter says innate knowledge too has a point of arising, and so on.

That is perhaps misheard. Innate knowledge is the mind's substance — the ever-mirroring just spoken of. The mind's substance neither arises nor fails-to-arise. Though deluded thoughts burst forth, innate knowledge never absent — only, men not preserving it, it sometimes strays. Though dimmed and stopped to the utmost, it is never not bright — only, men not examining, it is sometimes veiled. Though it sometimes strays, its substance was never absent: preserve it, that is all. Though sometimes veiled, its substance was never not bright: examine it, that is all. To say innate knowledge has a point of arising is to say it is sometimes absent — no longer the original substance.

第 153 条

来书云：「前日精一之论，即作圣之功否？」[1]

「精一」之「精」以理言，「精神」之「精」以气言。理者，气之条理；气者，理之运用。无条理则不能运用，无运用则亦无以见其所谓条理者矣。精则精，精则明，精则一[2]，精则神，精则诚；一则精，一则明，一则神，一则诚，原非有二事也。但后世儒者之说与养生之说各滞于一偏，是以不相为用。前日「精一」之论，虽为原静爱养精神而发，然而作圣之功，实亦不外是矣。

来信说：「前日『精一』之论，就是作圣的功夫吗？」

「精一」的精是从理上说的，「精神」的精是从气上说的。理是气的条理，气是理的运用。没有条理便不能运用，没有运用也就无从见到所谓条理。精则精、精则明、精则一、精则神、精则诚；一则精、一则明、一则神、一则诚，本来不是两件事。但后世儒者之说与养生之说各滞于一偏，所以不能互相为用。前日「精一」之论，虽是为原静爱养精神而发，然而作圣的功夫，实在也不外于此。

Your letter says: 'Is your late discourse on refinement-unity the work of sage-making?'

The refine of refinement-unity is said of principle; the refine of vitality is said of breath. Principle is breath's ordered pattern; breath is principle's employment. Without pattern no employment; without employment no seeing the pattern. Refined: fine, bright, one, numinous, sincere. One: fine, bright, numinous, sincere — originally not two things. But later Confucians' talk and the life-nourishers' talk each froze on one side, so neither served the other. The late discourse on refinement-unity, though raised for your love of nourishing vitality, is indeed nothing other than the work of sage-making.

「来书云」等十五字，诸本并脱，据王本补。
「精则一」三字疑为衍文。

第 154 条

来书云：「元神、元气、元精必各有寄藏发生之处；又有真阴之精，真阳之气。」云云。

夫良知，一也。以其妙用而言，谓之神；以其流行而言，谓之气；以其凝聚而言，谓之精；安可以形象方所求哉？真阴之精，即真阳之气之母，真阳之气，即真阴之精之父；阴根阳，阳根阴，亦非有二也。苟吾良知之说明，即凡若此类，皆可以不言而喻；不然，则如来书所云「三关」、「七返」、「九还」之属，尚有无穷可疑者也。

来信说：「元神、元气、元精必定各有寄藏发生之处；又有真阴之精、真阳之气」云云。

良知只是一个。就其妙用而言叫作神，就其流行而言叫作气，就其凝聚而言叫作精，怎么可以从形象方位去求呢？真阴之精，就是真阳之气的母；真阳之气，就是真阴之精的父。阴根于阳，阳根于阴，也不是两个。假如我的良知之说明白了，那么凡此类问题都可以不言而喻；不然，就像来信所说的「三关」「七返」「九还」之类，还有无穷可疑的呢。

Your letter says: 'Primal spirit, primal breath, primal essence must each have its lodging and springing place; and there are the essence of true yin and the breath of true yang,' and so on.

Innate knowledge is one. Of its wondrous working it is called spirit; of its flowing forth, breath; of its congealing, essence — how seek it by form and place? The essence of true yin is mother of the breath of true yang; the breath of true yang, father of the essence of true yin: yin rooted in yang, yang in yin — not two either. Let my doctrine of innate knowledge once be clear, and all such questions answer themselves; otherwise, with your three passes, seven returns and nine turnings, the doubts would indeed be endless.