Only those with pure hearts can read the books of sages and learn the moral articles of the ancients. Otherwise, when they see good deeds, they use them to satisfy their own selfish desires, and when they hear famous sayings, they use them to cover up their own shortcomings. This is equivalent to providing weapons to thieves and providing food to robbers.
只有心地纯洁的人，才可以读全贤书，学古人的道德文章，否则，看到善行好事就用来满足自己的私欲，听到名言佳句就拿来掩饰自己的缺点，这 就等于资助武器给贼子，接济粮食给强盗。
《菜根谭·心地干净 方可学古》 洪应明
心地干净，方可读书学古，不然，见一善行窃以济私，闻一善言假以覆短，是又籍寇兵而赍盗粮矣。
Only a person of pure moral character can appreciate the fine nature of the ancient sages through the study of ancient works. Otherwise, bad people would be able to appropriate the good deeds of the worthies of antiquity for their own nefarious ends, and quote their wise words to disguise their own evil actions. That would be equivalent to supplying weapons to enemies and victuals to bandits.
