The Confucian Mindfulness: Settling the Mind 知止而后定

A bird made a nest in the thick forest. Photo by Ben Mullins on Unsplash

This blog is the third part of our exciting series about the Confucian Way of Mindfulness. In the first blog, we talked about a quote from Mencius, and in the second blog, we learned the first step in our mindfulness journey.

Today, we will look at the second step: how to settle your mind once you’ve found a quiet place. If you’ve tried meditating, you might know how easy it is for your mind to wander. That’s totally normal, especially when you’re just getting started. Instead of trying to stop your thoughts—like holding back a rushing river—you can learn to let them go. Letting go doesn’t mean ignoring them; it means you notice them and let them be.

To start settling your mind, connect with your true self and watch your thoughts like a movie. Sometimes, you might get caught up in the story, and that’s okay! When you notice you’re distracted, take a moment to ask yourself: Why am I thinking about this? Am I wanting something too much? Am I worrying about past problems? Am I making up a story about someone or something? Practicing this often will help you learn what makes it hard for your mind to settle.

This curious way of thinking is called "examining the mental content" (格物). This means looking closely at your thoughts, feelings, and sensations—everything happening in your mind. By paying attention to these things, you can spot patterns like wanting too much, feeling angry, or clinging to things. When you see these patterns and realize they don’t help you, your mind will start to lose interest in them and feel more peaceful.

Remember, Confucian mindfulness is developed in action. Recognizing these patterns is an essential step on your journey to mindfulness!

Here is the video about step 2 in Confucian mindfulness.