问：「知譬日，欲譬云，云虽能蔽日，亦是天之一气合有的，欲亦莫非人心，合有否？」先生曰：「喜、怒、哀、惧、爱、恶、欲，谓之七情，七者俱是人心合有的，但要认得良知明白。比如日光，亦不可指著方所，一隙通明，皆是日光所在；虽云雾四塞，太虚中色象可辨，亦是日光不灭处，不可以云能蔽日，教天不要生云。七情顺其自然之流行，皆是良知之用，不可分别善恶，但不可有所著。七情有著，俱谓之欲，俱为良知之蔽，然才有著时，良知亦自会觉，觉即蔽去，复其体矣。此处能勘得破，方是简易透彻功夫。」
问：「知譬如日，欲譬如云。云虽能蔽日，也是天地之气本该有的；欲莫非也是人心本该有的？」
先生说：「喜、怒、哀、惧、爱、恶、欲，叫作七情。七者都是人心本该有的，只是要认得良知明白。比如日光，也不可指着固定的地方说在此不在彼；一线通明处，都是日光所在。虽然云雾四塞，太虚中色象仍可分辨，也是日光不曾熄灭处；不可因为云能蔽日，就叫天不要生云。七情顺其自然的流行，都是良知的作用，不可硬分善恶，只是不可有所执着。七情一有执着，便都叫作欲，都是良知的遮蔽。然而才一执着，良知也自会觉察；一觉察，遮蔽便去，恢复本体了。这里能看得破，才是简易透彻的功夫。」
Asked: 'Knowing is the sun, desire the cloud; yet clouds too belong to heaven's breath — is desire not also native to the human heart?'
The Master said: 'Joy, anger, sorrow, fear, love, hate, desire — the seven feelings — all belong to the heart of right; only know innate knowledge clearly. As with sunlight: you cannot point to one fixed place and say it is there and nowhere else; every seam of brightness is where the sunlight is. Though clouds wall it in on every side, forms and colors are still told apart in the great void — the light unquenched; one may not, because clouds veil the sun, bid heaven breed no clouds. The seven feelings flowing in their natural course are all innate knowledge's working — force no division into good and evil; only let there be no clinging. The feelings once clung to are all called desire, all veil innate knowledge. Yet the instant clinging arises, innate knowledge feels it of itself; felt, the veil lifts and the substance is restored. See through this, and the work is simple, direct, transparent.'