爱问：「『知止而后有定』，朱子以为『事事物物皆有定理』，似与先生之说相戾。」
先生曰：「于事事物物上求至善，却是义外也。至善是心之本体，只是『明明德』到『至精至一』处便是。然亦未尝离却事物，本注所谓『尽夫天理之极，而无一毫人欲之私』者得之。」
徐爱问：「『知止而后有定』，朱子认为是指『事事物物皆有定理』，似乎与先生的学说相冲突。」
先生答：「在事事物物上寻求至善，却是把义看成外在的了。至善是心的本体，只要『明明德』达到至精至一的境地便是。然而也不曾离开事物，正如本注所说的『穷尽天理之极，而没有一毫人欲之私』，这才说对了。」
Xu Ai asked: "On 'knowing where to stop, one then has stability', Zhu Xi took it to mean that every affair and thing has a fixed principle, which seems to conflict with your teaching."
The Master said: "To seek the highest good in external things and affairs makes righteousness something external. The highest good is the original substance of the mind: it is simply 'brightening bright virtue' brought to the utmost point of refinement and unity. Yet it never departs from affairs — the commentary's 'fully exhausting the utmost of heavenly principle with not a hair of selfish desire' gets it right."