A quote from Lu Jiuyan - 不要即则 否

Question

EDIT: The correct phrase is 人之于耳，要听即听，不要听则否，于目亦然，何独于心而不由我乎

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There is this quote from Lu Jiuyuan. I am not sure if my translation is correct:

"With their hearing people may not listen if they want and if they do not want to, they do not. The same is with sight, so how could it be that only the mind cannot do it like that?”

人之于耳，要听即听，不要即则否，于目亦然，何独于心而不由我乎

I am particularly unsure if I got 不要即则否 phrase right. Will be greatful for any suggestions.

Answer 1

the quoted text is from 陸九淵集 李伯敏敏求所錄, at the end of paragraph 6:

先生云：「見得明時，何持之有？人之於耳，要聽即聽，不要聽則否。於目亦然。何獨於心而不由我乎？」

try read it as:

人之於耳

for homo sapiens, [everyone] can control [the function] their ears;

要聽即聽

[if] one want to comprehend (the first “聽”); [one’s conscious] could immediately “translate” (the second “聽”) the auditory stimulus

不要聽則否

[if] one do not want to comprehend, [one’s conscious] could ignore the auditory stimulus

於目亦然

for the organ of sight, it’s the same

何獨於心而不由我乎

so, why, only the heart (“心”, an ancient view that, the heart, instead of the brain, is the organ of mind); could not be controlled by one’s conscious (“我”)

have fun :)

found it: in 象山語錄 卷三, page 28

Answer 2

Is everything in the mind?

This sentence is connected with ideas about nature, mind and reason:

性即理，程朱
心即理， 陆九渊

You sentence in today's language would be something along the lines of:

人在耳朵方面，想听就听，不想听就不听，在眼睛方面也是这样，为什么唯独在心念方面不能自己做主呢？

人在耳朵方面，
As for hearing,
想听就听，
(if) you want to hear, hear,
不想听就不听，
(if) you don't want to hear, don't hear,
在眼睛方面也是这样，
vision is the same,
为什么唯独在心念方面不能自己做主呢？
(so) why can't we halt our thoughts?

Answer 3

"人之于耳，要听即听，不要即则否，于目亦然，何独于心而不由我乎"

It is quite difficult to translate this sentence word by word yet to maintain its meaning:

"A person has control over the message received from listening and seeing but not from felt by heart."

"不要即则否" - "不要听就不听". IMO, here, 听 means "accept" rather than the sense - "listen" physically.