Confucian Practice of Mindfulness 儒學靜心入門

Many people might think Confucianism is just an old way of thinking—I used to think that too. But about ten years ago, I started reading books like The Great Learning (大學) and The Doctrine of the Mean (中庸), and they really opened my eyes. I discovered a whole new side of Confucianism that took me by surprise. It’s a bit like Buddhism and Daoism, but with its own unique twist.

In this blog, I want to share my thoughts on the Confucian practice of mindfulness. Let’s start with a verse from Mencius that gives us a clear picture of what Confucian mindfulness is all about.

Confucianism offers a deep spiritual wisdom that may surprise you, and it stands alongside the teachings of Buddhism and Daoism. Image from Shutterstock

Mencius talks about something we all experience—trying to be kind and do what’s right, even when it’s hard. That struggle is part of being human, and it’s something we can all relate to.

Mencius said: “Kindness is at the heart of who we are. Doing what is right is the way to live a moral life. To turn away from this path—and from our conscience—is truly a tragedy.”

《孟子．告子》孟子曰：「仁，人心也；義，人路也。舍其路而弗由，放其心而不知求，哀哉！」

Kindness lives inside all of us, even if we don’t always see it. Instead of focusing only on what others do, let’s take a moment to look within. I invite you to reflect on your own thoughts—maybe for a day, or even a month. This simple practice can help you recognize how kind you truly are.

Think about times when you helped or cared for someone, even in small ways—like holding a door open or letting someone go first. You may discover that you’re kinder than you thought. But when we’re stressed or worn out, it can be hard to notice that kindness.

Kindness is key to building a fair and just world. Kind people don’t take more than they need, steal, or hurt others. They care about those around them and want to make the world better for everyone.

To begin this path, we need to listen to our conscience and protect it from harmful thoughts and temptations. If we ignore what our conscience tells us—and let wrong thoughts or desires take over—we may lose our way and start thinking only of ourselves. Mencius warned us that this is a serious mistake.

He also shared a simple example to help explain this inner struggle.

Mencius continued: “When you lose a chicken or a dog, you know to go looking for it. But when you lose sight of your conscience, you might not even notice! That’s why the most important lesson in life is to find the conscience you have lost.”

人有雞犬放，則知求之；有放心，則不知求。學問之道無他，求其放心而已矣！

So, to become better people, we need to learn how to find our conscience again. Wise individuals—like saints and sages—treat their conscience as the most precious thing in the world.

But why do we forget our conscience? And how can we get it back?

Mencius said, "Find the conscience you've lost and bring it back." To do this, we must pay close attention to our thoughts. When we have good thoughts, we know our conscience is present. When we have harmful or selfish thoughts, it becomes harder to see.

We need to clear away whatever is blocking our conscience and bring it back into the light.

In the next blog, I will briefly introduce the steps to watch your mind and bring it back. Read about the next step here.