来书云：「凡学者才晓得做工夫，便要识得圣人气象。盖认得圣人气象，把做准的，乃就实地做工夫去，才不会差，才是作圣工夫。未知是否？」
先认圣人气象，昔人尝有是言矣，然亦欠有头恼，圣人气象自是圣人的，我从何处识认？若不就自己良知上真切体认，如以无星之称而权轻重，未开之镜而照妍桤，真所谓以小人之腹，而度君子之心矣。圣人气象何由认得？自己良知原与圣人一般，若体认得自己良知明白，则圣人气象不在圣人而在我矣。程子尝云：「觑著尧，学他行事，无他许多聪明睿智，安能如彼之动容周旋中礼？」又云：「心通于道，然后能辨是非。」今且说通于道在何处？聪明睿智从何处出来？
来信说：「学者才晓得做工夫，便要先识得圣人的气象。认得了圣人气象，拿它作准则，才就实在处做工夫，才不会出差错，才是作圣的功夫。不知对否？」
先认圣人气象，前人曾有此说，但也欠个头脑。圣人的气象自是圣人的，我从哪里识认？若不就自己良知上真切体认，就像拿没有星光的秤去称轻重、未磨开的镜子去照美丑，真所谓以小人之腹度君子之心了。圣人气象从何认得？自己的良知原与圣人一般，若体认得自己良知明白，那么圣人气象不在圣人而在我们自己了。程子曾说：「觑着尧，学他行事，若没有他那么多的聪明睿智，怎能像他那样动容周旋都合于礼？」又说：「心通于道，然后能辨是非。」试问通于道在哪里？聪明睿智从何处出来？
Your letter says: 'As soon as one knows how to work, one must first know the sage's aspect; taking it as the standard and working on solid ground, one goes astray no more — that is sage-making work. Is that right?'
'First know the sage's aspect' — men of old have said it; yet it too lacks the guiding head. The sage's aspect is the sage's own: from where do I recognize it? Without true recognition on one's own innate knowledge, it is weighing with a scaleless beam, mirroring beauty and ugliness with an unpolished glass — measuring the noble heart with a petty belly. How could the sage's aspect be recognized? One's own innate knowledge is originally as the sage's; recognize one's own innate knowledge clearly, and the sage's aspect is not in the sage but in me. Chengzi said: gaze at Yao and copy his doings — without his intelligence and wisdom, how match his every movement in accordance with ritual? And: the mind threading the Way, only then discerning true and false. Tell me: where does threading the Way lie, and whence issue intelligence and wisdom?