先生曰：「吾教人『致良知』在『格物』上用功，却是有根本的学问。日长进一日，愈久愈觉精明。世儒教人事事物物上去寻讨，却是无根本的学问。方其壮时，虽暂能外面修饰，不见有过；老则精神衰迈，终须放倒。譬如无根之树，移栽水边，虽暂时鲜好，终久要憔悴。」
先生说：「我教人『致良知』在『格物』上用功，是有根本的学问。日长进一日，越久越觉精明。世俗儒者教人向事事物物上去寻讨，是无根本的学问。年轻力壮时虽能暂时在外面修饰，看不出过错；老了精神衰迈，终须放倒。好比无根的树，移栽水边，虽然暂时鲜好，终究要憔悴。」
The Master said: 'My teaching — extension of innate knowledge working at investigating things — is learning with a root: daily it grows, the longer the finer. The world's scholars teaching men to hunt through each thing and affair is learning without a root: in vigor the surface may hold for a while, no faults showing; with age the spirit fails and it collapses at last — like a rootless tree planted by the water, fresh for a season, fated to wither.'