Custom Pride Chinese & Japanese Calligraphy Wall Scroll

見性 has the same meaning as Satori but refers to the initial state or initial experience of enlightenment.

This can also mean “self-discovery,” “self-awareness,” or “consciousness of one's character.”

In a very religious context, this means to behold the Buddha nature within oneself.

This term is exclusively used by devout Buddhists. It is not a common term, and is remains an unknown concept to most Japanese and Chinese people. Some Japanese people will dispute whether this title is valid in the Japanese language. Only order this if you are sure this title is right for you.

See Also:  Buddhism | Enlightenment

自愛 means self-love, self-regard, regard for oneself, cherishing one's good name, taking care of oneself, or love myself.

In the Buddhist context, this is the cause of all pursuit or seeking, which in turn causes all suffering. All Buddhas discharge themselves from self-love and all pursuits of personal gratification. Such elimination of self-love is a step towards nirvāṇa.

This title can be taken as positive or negative, depending on how you read it. Some will see it as arrogant, and others will read it as a token of self-respect. Because of this ambiguity, I do not recommend this title for a wall scroll.

紀律 is a Chinese and Korean word that conveys the idea of extreme self-control and perhaps self-sacrifice, and obedience.

This word matches the kind of “discipline” I was in the Marine Corps. There is also an additional idea of maintaining order or being orderly in your tasks.

This idea would also fit an athlete training for the Olympics who gives up many pleasures to stay focused on their training.

See Also:  Self-Control | Will-Power

自己の完成 or Jiko no Kansei is a Japanese phrase that means self-completion, self-accomplishment, or self-perfection.

自衛 means self-defense in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.

規律 is a Japanese word for discipline that relays the ideas of keeping order, and observance (of rules, laws, regulations).

This is also a word in Chinese and old Korean Hanja where it suggests that you are one who follows a certain law of behavior or has a regular and dependable pattern of behavior, personal regime, or rhythm.

See Also:  Self-Control | Will-Power

The short and sweet version of self-control.

Note: This can also mean self-restraint.

See Also:  Will-Power | Discipline

自己抑制 has a meaning like “to restrain oneself” in Chinese, Japanese, and old Korean.

The first two characters mean “regarding oneself,” and the second two mean “to refrain” or “to restrain.”

See Also:  Discipline | Will-Power

捨己 is a Chinese and Japanese word that means selfless, self-sacrifice (to help others), self-renunciation, or altruism.

自省 is the Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja means: to examine oneself; to reflect on one's shortcomings; introspection; self-awareness; self-criticism; self-examination; reflection.

In Japanese, this can be the given name, Jisei.

自律 means self-discipline and self-control.

It is doing what you really want to do rather than being tossed around by your feelings like a leaf in the wind. You act instead of reacting. You get things done in an orderly and efficient way. With self-discipline, you take charge of yourself.

Not sure if this one works for a Japanese audience.

See Also:  Discipline | Self-Control

自力 is a word in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, old Korean, and Buddhist term meaning: the power within oneself; self-sufficient; by oneself; self-made; self-power; inner ability.

自性覚れば即ち是れ佛なり is a Zen quote that means “If one realizes one's own nature, one becomes a Buddha.”

The inference here is that if you understand who you really are, and become truly aware of yourself and your original nature, you are well on your way to becoming a liberated person (a Buddha).

Note: Because this selection contains some special Japanese Hiragana characters, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.

自強 is the kind of inner strength that applies to a person who has will-power and can inspire themselves to do great things.

自強 can also be the creed of a person that always pursues self-improvement.

Other translations: self-strengthening, striving for improvement, self-improvement, striving to become stronger, and self-renewal.

修養 means self-improvement in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.

Other translations for this word include accomplishment, training, self-cultivation, (mental) training, self-discipline, cultivation, or cultivating moral character.

When reading an account of some battles in China, I came across the Chinese word, 嚴整. As it turns out, 嚴整 is only used in military circles to describe neat, orderly, and well-disciplined troops. Perhaps this is actually closer to the meaning I was taught while in the U.S. Marines.

The first character literally means stern, serious, strict, or severe (it can also mean airtight or watertight.
The second character means exact, in good order, whole, complete, and orderly.
Together, these two characters multiply each other into a word that expresses the highest military level of discipline.

See Also:  Self-Control | Will-Power

自我實現 is the Chinese and old Korean Hanja title for self-actualization or self-realization.

自覺 is the idea of being conscious, self-aware, and sometimes “on one's own initiative.”

After WWII, they started using a simplified form of the second Kanji for this word in Japan. That version is shown to the right, and you can click on that Kanji if you want the modern Japanese form. Otherwise, the characters shown in the upper left are the correct ones for ancient/old/traditional Chinese, Japanese, and Korean.

鍛練 is the Japanese Kanji and Korean Hanja word used for discipline.

This has a meaning like “forging or creating something from lots of training and practice.” My Japanese dictionary translates this as “tempering, forging, hardening, disciplining, training.”

This is for Japanese and Korean only. In Chinese, these characters might be translated as (physical) “exercise.”

The modern form of the second Japanese Kanji looks like the first image to the right. There’s also an alternate modern form after that, and finally, an alternate traditional form. Because calligraphy is an art, the calligrapher could choose any of these possible forms. Let us know if you have a preference.

See Also:  Self-Control | Will-Power

軍紀 means military discipline or military principles.

If maintaining your military discipline is important to you personally or important to your military unit, this is the wall scroll to have up behind your desk. In fact, it's the kind of thing I expect to see behind the desk of a First Sergeant or maybe a hardcore NCO.

Note: In some rare contexts, it could be extended to mean “morale,” but “discipline” is much closer to the commonly-held definition.

Note: This term is not well-known outside the military services in Asia (not used by the common person).

See Also:  Self-Discipline

自己改革 is a Japanese title that refers to one who changes themselves or improves themselves by reforming their lives.

Another way to translate it is “A person who changes their attitude or something about themselves.”

自己実現 is the Japanese title for self-actualization, self-fulfillment, or self-realization.

磨鍊 is a form of discipline which suggests training of the mind and character, aimed at producing self-control, obedience, etc.

One of my Chinese-English dictionaries even translates this as “tempering oneself” or turning yourself into hardened steel.

In old Korean Hanja, they use these characters in reverse order but with the same meaning. If you want the Korean version, please click this link instead of the button above: Korean version.

自意識 is the idea of being conscious and self-aware in Japanese Kanji and old Korean Hanja.

This is not a normal word in Chinese.

自強不息 is a proverb or idiom that suggests that the pursuit of self-improvement is eternal. It can also be a suggestion to strive unremittingly in life.

The first two characters mean inner strength with the idea of self-improvement. The last two characters mean “never rest” or “striving without giving up.”

Some will translate these four characters as “Exert and strive hard without any let-up.”

獨立獨步 is a Japanese proverb that, Dokuritsu-Doppo, is an indication of independence, self-reliance, standing on one's own two feet, or making one's way in life.

意志力 is a form of willpower or self-control and is about having the determination or tenacity to keep going.

In Japanese, this is the power of will, the strength of will, volition, intention, intent, or determination.

This proverb is from Sun Tzu's (Sunzi's) Art of War.

It means that if you know and understand the enemy, you also know yourself. Four secondary characters come after this in the Art of War (not included here) which suggests you cannot lose a battle when you follow this philosophy.

In a very literal and somewhat-boring way, this can also be translated as “Estimate correctly one's strength as well as that of one's opponent.”

己に忠実なれ is “...to thine own self be true” in Japanese.

This is a small portion of the classic line from Shakespeare's Hamlet.

Note: Because this selection contains some special Japanese Hiragana characters, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.

克己 can be translated as “self-denial,” “self-abnegation,” “self-restraint,” “self-discipline,” “self-mastery,” or selflessness.

As a tenet of Korean taekwondo, and other martial arts, this is often used with the title “self-control.”

敵を知り己を知る is the Japanese version of “know your enemy, know yourself.”

There is a longer version of this proverb that adds, “...and you can win 100 battles.”

Note: Because this selection contains some special Japanese Hiragana characters, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.

尤其要緊的你必須對你自己忠實 is the classic translation of a line from Shakespeare's Hamlet into Chinese.

勝不驕敗不餒 is a Chinese proverb suggesting you should have no arrogance when you experience a victory and not despair in failure or defeat.