问：「圣人应变不穷，莫亦是预先讲求否？」
先生曰：「如何讲求得许多？圣人之心如明镜，只是一个明，则随感而应，无物不照；未有已往之形尚在，未照之形先具者。若后世所讲，却是如此，是以与圣人之学大背。周公制礼作乐以文天下，皆圣人所能为，尧、舜何不尽为之而待于周公？孔子删述《六经》以诏万世，亦圣人所能为，周公何不先为之而有待于孔子？是知圣人遇此时，方有此事。只怕镜不明，不怕物来不能照。讲求事变，亦是照时事，然学者却须先有个明的工夫。学者惟患此心之未能明，不患事变之不能尽。」
曰：「然则所谓『冲漠无朕，而万象森然已具』者，其言何如？」
曰：「是说本自好，只不善看，亦便有病痛。」
有人问：「圣人应变无穷，莫非也是预先讲求过的吗？」
先生说：「哪里讲求得了那么多？圣人的心如同明镜，只是一个明，随感而应，没有什么照不到的；绝没有已往的影子还留在镜中、未来的影子先具备在镜里的道理。若像后世所讲的那样，那就与圣人之学大大相悖了。周公制礼作乐以文饰天下，这都是圣人能做到的，尧舜为什么不全部做了而要等周公？孔子删述《六经》以垂教万世，也是圣人能做到的，周公为什么不先做了而要等孔子？由此可知，圣人遇上那个时代，才有那番事业。只怕镜子不明亮，不怕事物来了照不出。讲求事变，也不过是照的时候的事，但学者必须先有个『明』的功夫。学者只怕此心不能明，不怕事变应对不尽。」
问：「那么所谓『宇宙在无迹象之前，万事万物的理已森然具备』，这话怎么样？」
答：「这话本来说得好，只是不善于领会，也就有了毛病。」
Someone asked: "The sage responds to changes without exhaustion — is that not from study made beforehand?"
The Master said: "How could one study so much in advance? The sage's mind is like a bright mirror: it is simply bright, responding to whatever comes, reflecting all things; it never holds the shapes of the past within nor pre-contains shapes not yet lit. What later ages teach is the opposite, at great variance with the sage's learning. The Duke of Zhou's rites and music adorning the world were within a sage's power — why did Yao and Shun not do it all and wait for Zhou? Confucius edited the Six Classics to instruct ten thousand ages — also within a sage's power — why did the Duke of Zhou not do it first and wait for Confucius? From this one knows: the sage meeting his times has those deeds. Fear only that the mirror is not bright, not that things may come unreflected. Studying changes is also just the business of the moment of reflection; the learner must first have the work of brightness. The learner's only worry is that the mind is not yet bright, never that changes cannot all be met."
"Then what of the saying 'in the vast void before any sign, the ten thousand images already stand complete'?"
"The saying itself is good; only read it poorly and it too becomes a defect."