问：「程子云：『仁者以天地万物为一体。』何墨氏兼爱，反不得谓之仁？」
先生曰：「此亦甚难言，须是诸君自体认出来始得。仁是造化生生不息之理，虽弥漫周遍，无处不是，然其流行发生，亦只有个渐，所以生生不息。如冬至一阳生，必自一阳生而后渐渐至于六阳；若无一阳之生，岂有六阳？阴亦然。惟其渐，所以便有个发端处；惟其有个发端处，所以生；惟其生，所以不息。譬之木，其始抽芽，便是木之生意发端处；抽芽然后发干，发干然后生枝、生叶，然后是生生不息。若无芽，何以有干、有枝叶？能抽芽，必是下面有个根在；有根方生，无根便死。无根何从抽芽？父子、兄弟之爱，便是人心生意发端处，如木之抽芽。自此而仁民，而爱物，便是发干、生枝、生叶。墨氏兼爱无差等，将自家父子、兄弟与途人一般看，便自没了发端处；不抽芽便知得他无根，便不是生生不息，安得谓之仁？孝、弟为仁之本，却是仁理从里面发生出来。」
有人问：「程子说：『仁者以天地万物为一体。』为什么墨家讲兼爱，反而不能称作仁？」
先生说：「这很难用言语说清，必须由诸位自己体认出来才行。仁是造化生生不息之理，虽然弥漫周遍，无处不是，但它的流行发生也有个渐进的过程，所以才能生生不息。比如冬至一阳生，必是从一阳生起而后渐渐到六阳；没有一阳之生，哪来六阳？阴也是这样。正因为渐进，所以有个发端处；正因为有发端处，所以能生；正因为能生，所以不息。比如树木，开始抽芽，便是树的生意的发端处；抽芽然后发干，发干然后生枝生叶，这才是生生不息。如果没有芽，哪来的干和枝叶？能抽芽，必定是下面有个根在；有根才活，无根便死。没有根从哪里抽芽？父子兄弟之爱，便是人心生意的发端处，如同树的抽芽；由此进而仁民、进而爱物，便是发干、生枝、生叶。墨家兼爱无差等，把自己父子兄弟与路人同等看待，便自己取消了发端处；不抽芽便知道它无根，便不是生生不息，怎么能叫作仁？孝悌是仁的根本，正是仁之理从里面生发出来。」
Someone asked: 'Chengzi said the humane take heaven, earth and the ten thousand things as one body. Why then is Mozi's universal love not called humaneness?'
The Master said: 'This is hard to put into words; you must recognize it yourselves. Humaneness is the creative principle's ceaseless life-giving. Though it pervades everywhere without gap, its flowing forth proceeds only by degrees — hence it is inexhaustible. At the winter solstice one yang is born, and only gradually do the six yang follow; without the one born, whence the six? So with yin. Because gradual, there is a point of arising; because there is an arising, life; because life, no cessation. Like a tree: the first budding is where its life arises; budding, then trunk; trunk, then branch and leaf — life upon life without end. No bud, whence trunk and branches? And budding means a root below: with root, life; without, death — rootless, whence the bud? The love of father and son, elder and younger brother is the arising-point of the mind's life, like the tree's budding; from there to loving the people, then cherishing things, is trunk, branch and leaf. Mozi's love without gradation sets one's own father and brother level with the passerby, abolishing the point of arising; no bud tells you there is no root — not life without end; how can that be humaneness? Filial piety and brotherly love are the root of humaneness — the principle of humaneness sprouting from within.'