Traditional Cultivation Methods

The traditional methods of cultivating one's body are Ge Bi (格物), Zhi Zhi (致知), Cheng Yi (誠意) and Zheng Xin (正心).

1. Ge Bi (格物)：Ge Bi (格物) advocates the observation and study of things in order to understand the nature and laws of things. Ge Bi is not just observation, but a process of thinking and research aimed at achieving a grasp of the essence of things through a deeper understanding of them.

2. Zhi Zhi: The process of Zhi Zhi is a process from Ge Bi to Zhi Zhi. Through the process of grasping things, we get an intuitive understanding of things, but this is not enough, we also need to think and reason, to transform this intuitive understanding into knowledge and wisdom. The process of attaining knowledge is a process of thinking, reasoning and learning, a process of moving from intuitive to rational understanding.

3. Sincerity: Sincerity is an inner attitude, sincerity and respect for oneself, for others and for things. Sincerity is not a superficial politeness, but an inner sincerity and goodwill. Sincerity is the foundation of cultivating one's body; only sincerity can enable one to do good deeds and truly cultivate one's body.

4. Righteousness: Righteousness refers to inner peace, purity and firmness. A person with a righteous heart has no selfish desires or distractions within him, but only justice and righteousness. A person with a righteous heart is not only able to cultivate himself, but also able to unify the family, rule the country and pacify the world. The right mind is the highest state of cultivation and the highest ideal of Confucianism.

Characteristics of Confucian Methods of Cultivation:

1. Introspection and Self-understanding: Confucian methods of cultivation emphasize moral self-awareness and progress through introspection (self-observation and reflection). This involves deep reflection on one's behavior, thoughts as well as emotions in order to achieve self-awareness.

2. Family Ethics and Social Responsibility: The Confucian concept of cultivating one's moral character takes the family as its starting point and focuses on maintaining family ethics and social order. This concept emphasizes the role and responsibility of the individual in society, requiring people to practice filial piety and fraternal duty in the family and to extend these principles to broader social relationships.

3. Emphasis on education and learning: Confucianism advocates the enhancement of moral integrity and personal qualities through the study of classical texts and traditional wisdom. They believe that through education people's moral character can be developed so that they can better fulfill their social responsibilities.

4. Integration of Practice and Theory: Confucian methods of cultivation advocate the unity of knowledge and action, focusing on both theoretical learning and understanding and emphasizing action in practice. They believe that true moral cultivation requires not only theoretical knowledge, but also its translation into practical behavior.

Reference for the above: Baidu Encyclopedia-Cultivation of the Human Body