164、人若为了悔改而省察自己，就必须省察自己的思维和意愿的意图。他必须在此省察，他若处于自由的状态，也就是不害怕法律，丧失名声、尊贵和利益，会如何行。人的一切邪恶就在他的思维和意图中，而他以身体所行的邪恶都来自这个源头。那些不省察自己的思维和意愿的邪恶之人不可能悔改，因为以后他们仍像以前那样思考和意愿。然而，意愿邪恶就等于作恶。这就是自我省察的意思。
164、人若为忏悔而践行自省，须知重要的是省察自己的思想和欲念。尤其是当他无需惧怕法律，丧失名声，职位和财富时，他会如何行。人的邪恶就在他的意念里，那是他身体力行所有恶的源头。人若不从思想和欲念里省察邪恶，他不可能忏悔。因为日后他的思想和欲念还会一如既往，须知欲念邪恶等同作恶。这就是自我省察。
164. If we are practicing self-examination in order to repent, it is important that we examine our thoughts and the intentions of our will, and note what we would do if we could get away with it-that is, if we had no fear of the law or of losing our reputation, our job, or our wealth. Our evils live in our will; that is the source of all the evil things we do physically. Therefore if we do not search out evils in our thoughts and our will, we will be unable to repent, because afterward we will have the same thoughts and intentions as we had before; and intending evils is the same as doing them. This therefore is what self-examination entails.
164. When we look closely at ourselves so that we can regret our faults, we should examine our thinking and the intentions in our motivation. We should find out what we would do if we could — if we were not afraid of the law or of losing our reputation, status, and money. The things we find are our bad traits. This is where all the harmful things we actually do come from. If we do not look for the bad traits in our thinking and motivation, we cannot regret our faults, since we keep on thinking and wanting the same things we did before. And wanting harmful things means doing harmful things. That is what looking closely at ourselves means.
164. A person who examines himself in order to repent must examine his thoughts and the intentions of his will. In this he must examine what he would do if he could, if, that is, he was not afraid of the law and the loss of reputation, honours and gains. All of a person's evils are to be found there, and all the evil actions he actually does come from that source. Those who fail to examine the evils of their thought and will cannot repent, for they think and will to act afterwards as they did before. Yet willing evils is the same as doing them. This is the meaning of self-examination.
164. A man who examines himself for the purpose of practising repentance, should explore his thoughts, and the intentions of his will; and there he ought to examine what he would do, if he were at liberty; that is, if he were not afraid of the laws, and the loss of reputation, honour, and gain. A man's evils are in his thoughts and intentions; and the evils which he does with the body are all from thence. Those persons who do not explore the evils of their thoughts and of their will cannot practise repentance; for afterwards they think and will just as they did before; and yet willing evils means doing them. This is meant by self-examination.
164. The man who explores himself that he may do the work of repentance, must explore his thoughts and the intentions of his will, and must there explore what he would do if it were permitted him, that is, if he were not afraid of the laws, and of the loss of reputation, honor, and gain. There the evils of man reside, and the evils which he does in the body are all from thence. They who do not explore the evils of their thought and will, cannot do the work of repentance, for they think and will afterwards as they did before, and yet to will evils is to do them. This is to explore one's self.
164. Homo qui explorat se, ut paenitentiam agat, explorabit cogitationes suas et intentiones voluntatis suae; et ibi, quid facturus esset si ei liceret, hoc est, si non timeret leges ac jacturam famae, honoris et lucri: ibi sunt mala hominis; mala quae homo corpore facit, sunt omnia inde. Illi qui non explorant mala cogitationis et voluntatis suae, non possunt paenitentiam agere, nam cogitant et volunt postea sicut prius; et tamen velle mala est facere illa. Hoc est explorare se.