五四、心地幹淨 方可學古

54. Only when the heart is made clear and pure can one start to model after ancient sages and men of virtue.

心地幹淨，方可讀書學古。不然，見一善行竊以濟私，聞一善言假以覆短①，是又藉寇兵②而齎盜糧③矣。

【注 釋】

① 覆短：掩蓋自己的短處或過失。

② 藉寇兵：借給敵人武器。藉，借；寇，敵人；兵，武器。

③ 齎盜糧：送給強盜糧食。齎，輸送，送與。

【今文解譯】

一個人隻有摒除了心中的私心雜念，方才可以讀書學古。不然，一見到別人的某個善舉就用來美化自己，一聽到別人的某句善言就用以掩飾自己的劣跡，這豈不成了借武器給敵寇、送糧草給盜賊了嗎？！

【English Translation】

Unless all the distracting thoughts are removed from the mind, one can never set out his studying classics and emulating sages and worthies of antiquity. Otherwise, upon having a good deed at sight he will exploit it to beautify himself, or upon hearing a good word he will use it to disguise his own ignominious actions. Such doings are equivalent to lending weapons to enemies and supplying provisions to bandits.