The Attitude in Confucian Mindfulness 戰戰兢兢

Watching droplets of water making ripples is like the mind creating thoughts. Photo by César Couto on Unsplash

Two well-known quotes talk about the attitude of Confucian mindfulness:

The first quote is from Book of Poetry:

"Be careful and alert, as if you're walking along a steep cliff or treading on very thin ice."

 「戰戰兢兢，如臨深淵，如履薄冰」 《詩經·小雅·小旻》

The second quote is from The Great Learning:

"All eyes are on you, and all fingers point at you. That is how serious it is!"

「十目所視，十手所指，其嚴乎！」 《禮記．大學》

I had heard these quotes for a long time, but I didn’t fully get them. I only knew that saints and sages pay close attention to their thoughts. This means they are careful and aware of what they think. But why do they watch their thoughts so closely?

After reading a chapter from The True Teachings of Confucianism (孔教真理), it all made sense! The chapter is called 寡念, which means "having fewer thoughts" or "giving up busy thoughts." To simply put it, it’s about letting go of unhelpful thoughts.

When we pay close attention to our thoughts and let go of the ones that don't help, we can be more sincere. Sincerity is the key theme in the Doctrine of the Mean. When we are sincere, we can feel a deep connection with the world around us. This connection leads to a more balanced and fulfilling life. So, instead of just giving a quick summary of the chapter, it's better to hear it straight from Zengzi.

Here is a introductory video to attitude in Confucian mindfulness.

Letting Go of Thoughts

The True Teachings of Confucianism

Scripture by Saint Zengzi

A thought is the mind's intention. Throughout the day, our minds have countless thoughts. We think about this and that. When our minds are full of thoughts, they get muddled. Our busy minds make it hard for us to be sincere. To calm these busy thoughts, we must cultivate deep respect. What is deep respect?

When I lived in the state of Yan, I spent time alone in nature. When I looked up, I saw the big blue sky; when I looked down, I saw solid ground. Even though no one was around, I could sense Heaven covering me and Earth carrying me. I often wondered if Heaven and Earth knew I was there. I did not know for sure. But, with Heaven above and Earth below, they were always present in my life. Since they watched over me and supported me, I was never separated from them. This connection was like having strict teachers and loving parents nearby. Knowing they were always close to me, I asked myself if I had let my mind wander or think about unhelpful things. I had to be careful and alert, just like walking on a steep cliff or thin ice.

So, when a thought came to mind, I would remember to look up at the sky and down at the ground. I kept a close watch on my thoughts. Just like birds watching out for hawks, they think twice about chirping or flying. Just like animals looking out for tigers, they think twice before taking off running. I needed to pay close attention to my surroundings and stay alert, even when I was alone, without my teachers and parents watching over me. When I did this, my mind naturally became sincere. That is what deep respect truly means.

寡念

孔教真理

宗聖曾子曰

念者，心之意也。一日之間，心中不知生有幾千萬意，忽焉念及於此，忽焉念及於彼。念多心則淆，淆則不誠。去此念，在篤敬。何為篤？何為敬？蓋我於燕居時，我一人住之天地間，翹首上觀則有蒼蒼碧落，俯首下覽則有凝固塵沙。四顧雖無一人，覆我者則有此天，載我者則有此地。天地其有知乎？天地其無知乎，無從考也。然天地有知無知雖無從可考，而此蒼蒼之色、塵沙之凝，其形其象，故無一時一刻不覆之我首，載之我足也。既能時時覆我之首、載我之足，我之不能離絕此天此地，真較師保監臨、父母依隨，嚴且密也。此天此地覆載我身，既如是之嚴密，反問我心可有一時一刻之鬆懈逞念乎？戰戰兢兢，冰淵是凜。故當一起念，莫忘仰首，則有蒼蒼之天；俯視，則有凝塵之地。如是持念，此人之心，是何似乎有如避鷹之鳥，不敢鳴飛；避虎之獸，不敢馳足。然審其地，故非師保之監臨、父母之嚴察，即亦無人只我之一室耳。無人只我之一室尚且如是之自警，則心自誠矣，是曰篤，是曰敬。

This video is a brief summary of Saint Zengzi's scripture.