William Bodri
Breathing new life into the fields of philosophy and spirituality, the self-cultivation practices of the Confucian way, reinterpreted for modern times, are once again a great blessing for humanity. Similar to vipassana, the methods of mindfulness and self-correction can help us cut off mental afflictions, master our automatic mental processes, increase our mental clarity and elevate our rational thinking processes. Used by individuals bent on self-improvement such as Yuan Liao Fan, Benjamin Franklin, Frank Better and others, they have led many to the heights of personal worldly success. Confucius also provided us guidelines on how to manage states and prevent the fracturing of social cohesion that threatens many countries today. The principles of cultivation taught by Confucius, Mencius, Wang Yang-ming and others not only include mastering your mind and behavior, but your body and its internal energy as well. In this way they also help us to achieve greater levels of health and vitality. They prevent us from becoming errant men of business and can help us find a meaningful life purpose or multiple purposes within life. Taken to the utmost perfection that entails fully transcending our animal nature, the stages of Confucian cultivation enable the most successful adherents to achieve the status of a sage.
