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.