何廷仁、黄正之、李侯璧、汝中、德洪侍坐。
先生顾而言曰：「汝辈学问不得长进，只是未立志。」
侯璧起而对曰：「珙亦愿立志。」
先生曰：「难说不立，未是必为圣人之志耳。」
对曰：「愿立必为圣人之志。」
先生曰：「你真有圣人之志，良知上更无不尽。良知上留得些子别念挂带，便非必为圣人之志矣。」
洪初闻时，心若未服；听说到此，不觉悚汗。
何廷仁、黄正之、李侯璧、汝中、德洪陪坐。
先生看着他们说：「你们学问不得长进，只是没有立志。」
侯璧起身答：「我也愿立志。」
先生说：「难说你们不立，只是未必是必为圣人之志罢了。」
答：「愿立必为圣人之志。」
先生说：「你真有圣人之志，良知上便更无不尽。良知上若还留得些子别的念挂带，便不是必为圣人之志了。」
我（德洪）初听时心里好像不服；听到这里，不觉悚然出汗。
He Tingren, Huang Zhengzhi, Li Houbi, Ruzhong and Dehong sat in attendance.
The Master looked at them: 'Your learning does not advance only because the will is unset.'
Houbi rose: 'I too would set my will.'
'Hard to say unset — only it is not yet the resolve to become a sage.'
'I would set the resolve to become a sage.'
'Truly resolved to sagehood, nothing on innate knowledge remains undone. Let but a thread of other intent hang about it, and it is not yet the resolve to become a sage.'
Hearing the first of it I was inwardly unconvinced; at this last, unawares I broke out in a cold sweat.