Preserving the Goodness of the Heart-Mind (xin 心): Mencius on the Practice of Restorative Sleep

This paper explores the practice of restorative sleep in the Mencius where it is described not only in terms of its holistic benefits but more importantly as something essential for the preservation of the goodness of the heart-mind (xin 心). In passages like 6A8 Mencius suggests that sleep can have the salutary effect of nourishing the vital energy (qi 氣) which, in turn, promotes the growth of one’s “sprouts of goodness.” He describes in ecstatic terms how the cultivation of the “flood-like qi” can fill the space between heaven and earth and harmonize with righteousness and the Way. Drawing on contemporary ideas in medicine and macrobiotics, Mencius contends that the nourishment of this inexhaustible vital energy is essential for moral self-cultivation and that holistic practices like sleep can help us to realize our heavenly-endowed natures. For Mencius, sleep nurtures the qi that makes moral mastery possible.