昔者孔子之在当时，有议其为谄者，有讥其为佞者，有毁其未贤，诋其为不知礼，而侮之以为东家丘者，有嫉而沮之者，有恶而欲杀之者，晨门、荷蒉之徒，皆当时之贤士，且曰：「是知其不可而为之者欤？」「鄙哉硁硁乎！莫己知也，斯已而已矣。」虽子路在升堂之列，尚不能无疑于其所见，不悦于其所欲往，而且以之为迂，则当时之不信夫子者，岂特十之二三而已乎？然而夫子汲汲遑遑若求亡子于道路，而不暇于煖席者，宁以蕲人之知我、信我而已哉？盖其天地万物一体之仁，疾痛迫切，虽欲已之而自有所不容已。故其言曰：「吾非斯人之徒与而谁与？」「欲洁其身而乱大伦。」「果哉，末之难矣！」呜呼！此非诚以天地万物为一体者，孰能以知夫子之心乎？若其遯世无闷，乐天知命者，则固无入而不自得，道并行而不相悖也。
从前孔子在世时，有说他谄媚的，有讥他佞巧的，有毁他不够贤、诋他不知礼、侮称他「东家丘」的；有嫉妒而阻挠他的，有厌恶而想杀他的。晨门、荷蒉之辈，都是当时的贤士，尚且说：「这是知其不可而为之的人吧？」「浅陋啊硁硁然！没有人知道自己，那就罢了罢了。」即使子路已列于升堂之徒，尚且不能无所疑于所见，不悦于所往，还认为他迂阔。那么当时不信夫子的人，岂止十之二三？然而夫子汲汲遑遑，像在道路上寻找丢失的儿子，无暇把席子坐暖，难道是为了求人知我信我吗？那是天地万物一体之仁，疾痛迫切，虽想罢休而有不容自已处。所以他说：「我不同这些人在一起，同谁在一起？」「想洁身自好而乱了大伦。」「果然啊，就没法说什么了！」呜呼！不是真以天地万物为一体的，谁能懂得夫子之心？至于那些遁世无闷、乐天知命的人，本就无入而不自得，与道并行而不悖。
In his own day Confucius was called a flatterer, taunted as glib; some denied him worthiness, some abused him for not knowing ritual, some sneered 'that Qiu from next door'; some envied and blocked him, some hated him and would have killed him. The gatekeeper at dawn and the basket-bearer — worthies of their day — said: 'Is this the one who does what he knows cannot be done?' 'How shrill and mean! None knows him — then let it end.' Even Zilu, of the inner hall, could not be free of doubt at what he saw, chafed at where his master would go, and thought him impractical. Then how many disbelieved the Master — more than two or three in ten! Yet he hurried and fretted like a man seeking his lost son on the highways, never leaving his mat warm — was that to be known and believed by men? It was the humaneness of heaven-earth-things-as-one-body, pain so pressing that though he would stop, he could not. Hence his words: if not with these people, with whom? To wish to keep oneself clean and confound the great bonds! Resolute indeed — then nothing more to be said! Ah — who but one truly of one body with heaven, earth and all things could know the Master's heart? As for those who hide from the age unvexed, joyful in heaven and knowing the mandate — they are at home everywhere, their way running parallel, never at war.