某顿首启：昨承教及《大学》，发舟匆匆，未能奉答。晓来江行稍暇，复取手教而读之。恐至赣后人事复纷沓，先具其略以请。
来教云：「见道固难，而体道尤难。道诚未易明，而学诚不可不讲，恐未可安于所见而遂以为极则也。」幸甚幸甚！何以得闻斯言乎？其敢自以为极则而安之乎？正思就天下之道以讲明之耳，而数年以来，闻其说而非笑之者有矣，诟訾之者有矣，置之不足较量辨议之者有矣，其肯遂以教我乎？其肯遂以教我，而反复晓谕，恻然惟恐不及救正之乎？然则天下之爱我者，固莫有如执事之心深且至矣。感激当何如哉？夫「德之不修，学之不讲」，孔子以为忧，而世之学者稍能传习训诂，即皆自以为知学，不复有所谓讲学之求，可悲矣！夫道必体而后见，非已见道而后加体道之功也；道必学而后明，非外讲学而复有所谓明道之事也。然世之讲学者有二：有讲之以身心者，有讲之以口耳者。讲之以口耳，揣摸测度，求之影响者也；讲之以身心，行著习察，实有诸己者也。知此，则知孔门之学矣。
顿首启：昨日承蒙赐教谈及《大学》，登船匆忙，未能奉答。清晨江行稍得闲暇，再取来信细读。恐怕到赣之后人事又纷沓，先略具答请教。
来信说：「见道固然难，体道尤其难。道确实不易明白，而学问确实不可不讲，恐怕不可以安于己见便以为极则。」幸甚幸甚！怎能听到这样的话呢？我怎敢自以为极则而心安于它？正想就天下之道来共同讲明，而数年以来，听了我之说而非笑的有，诟骂的有，置之不屑计较辩论的有，谁肯这样来教我？谁肯这样来教我，还反复开导，恳切唯恐来不及救正我？这样看来，天下爱我的人，没有比您的用心更深更至的了。感激之情当如何啊！「德之不修，学之不讲」，孔子以此为忧，而世上的学者稍能传习训诂，便都自以为知学，不再有所谓讲学之求，可悲啊！道必须体认而后才见，不是已经见道而后再加体道的功夫；道必须学而后明，不是离开讲学而另有所谓明道之事。然而世上的讲学者有两种：有以身心来讲的，有以口耳来讲的。以口耳来讲，是揣摸测度、求之于影响的人；以身心来讲，是行著习察、实有诸己的人。知道这个，就知道孔门之学了。
With a bow: yesterday, honored by your teaching on the Great Learning, I boarded ship in haste and could not reply. At dawn the river journey gave a little leisure and I read your letter again. Fearing affairs will crowd in once I reach Gan, I first set down the outline of an answer.
Your letter says: 'Seeing the Way is hard; embodying it harder. The Way truly is not easily lit, and learning truly must be discussed — one may not rest in one's own view as the final rule.' Happy indeed — how came I to hear such words? How dare I take my view as the final rule and rest in it? I have long wished to join with the world's learners to clarify it together; yet for years some have mocked my doctrine, some reviled it, some set it below dispute. Who would deign to teach me? Who would deign to teach me, expounding again and again, sorely fearing to fail to set me right? Then of all who love me under heaven, none so deep and true as your heart. What gratitude could match it! Virtue unattended, learning undiscussed — Confucius grieved for these; yet today's scholars, barely able to recite glosses, all deem themselves knowers of learning, with no further seeking — lamentable! The Way must be embodied before it is seen — not seen first, then embodied; it must be learned before it is clear — no clarifying apart from discussion and learning. And there are two kinds of discussants: those who discuss with body and mind, and those with mouth and ear. The mouth-and-ear men guess and measure, hunting shadows and echoes; the body-and-mind men act with penetration and practice with awareness, having it truly in themselves. Know this, and you know the learning of Confucius's school.