来书云：「师云：『《系》言「何思何虑」，是言所思所虑只是天理，更无别思别虑耳，非谓无思无虑也。心之本体即是天理，有何可思虑得？学者用功，虽千思万虑，只是要复他本体，不是以私意去安排思索出来；若安排思索，便是自私用智矣。』学者之蔽，大率非沈空守寂，则安排思索。德辛壬[1]之岁著前一病，近又著后一病，但思索亦是良知发用，其与私意安排者何所取别？恐认贼作子，惑而不知也。」
「思曰睿，睿作圣。」「心之官则思，思则得之。」思其可少乎？沈空守寂与安排思索，正是自私用智，其为丧失良知一也。良知是天理之昭明灵觉处，故良知即是天理，思是良知之发用。若是良知发用之思，则所思莫非天理矣。良知发用之思，自然明白简易。良知亦自能知得。若是私意安排之思，自是纷纭劳扰。良知亦自会分别得。盖思之是非邪正，良知无有不自知者。所以认贼作子，正为致知之学不明，不知在良知上体认之耳。
来信说：「老师说：『《系辞》说「何思何虑」，是说所思所虑只是天理，更无别的思虑，并非无思无虑。心之本体即是天理，还有什么可思虑的？学者用功，虽千思万虑，只是要恢复他的本体，不是以私意去安排思索出来；若安排思索，便是自私用智了。』学者的毛病，大抵不是沉空守寂，就是安排思索。我在辛壬年间犯前一种病，近来又犯后一种。但思索也是良知的发用，它与私意安排的区别在哪里？恐怕认贼作子，迷而不知啊。」
「思曰睿，睿作圣。」「心之官则思，思则得之。」思怎么可以少呢？沉空守寂与安排思索，正是自私用智，同样丧失良知。良知是天理昭明灵觉之处，所以良知就是天理，思是良知的发用。若是良知发用之思，那么所思的无非天理。良知发用之思，自然明白简易，良知也自然能知道。若是私意安排之思，自然纷纭劳扰，良知也自然会分辨。思的是非邪正，良知无有不自知的。之所以认贼作子，正因为致知之学不明，不知道在良知上体认罢了。
Your letter says: 'You said the Commentaries' what-to-think-what-to-worry means all thought is heavenly principle with no other thought — not thoughtlessness. The mind's substance being heavenly principle, what is there to think out? The learner's ten thousand thoughts only restore its substance, not something schemed by private intent — scheming is wit in selfishness. The learner's fault is mostly either dead holding of vacancy or scheming thought. In the xin-ren years I had the former; of late the latter. But thinking too is innate knowledge's working — how does it differ from private scheming? I fear taking the thief for the son, lost and unaware.'
Thinking is penetration, and penetration makes the sage. The mind's office is to think; thinking, it attains. How could thinking be lessened? Dead vacancy and scheming thought are precisely wit in selfishness, alike in forfeiting innate knowledge. Innate knowledge is where heavenly principle is bright and numinous: innate knowledge is heavenly principle, and thinking is its working. Thought that is innate knowledge's working thinks nothing but heavenly principle — naturally clear and simple, and innate knowledge knows it of itself. Thought that is private scheming is naturally tangled and harassing, and innate knowledge discerns it of itself. Of every thought's right and wrong, crooked and straight, innate knowledge cannot fail to know. Taking the thief for the son happens only because the learning of extension is dark and one does not know to recognize it upon innate knowledge.
- 辛壬：辛巳（1521），壬午（1522）。