Buy an Ideas calligraphy wall scroll here!
Personalize your custom “Ideas” project by clicking the button next to your favorite “Ideas” title below...
1. Even a fool may sometimes come up with a good idea
4. Great Aspirations / Ambition
7. Black or white cat matters not as long as it can catch mice
10. Daodejing / Tao Te Ching - Excerpt
12. Destiny / Fate
13. Devotion / Diligence / Vigorous / Energetic
14. Discipline
16. Flexibility
18. Soul Mates
19. Good Health
20. Good Heart
21. Happy / Laughter / Cheerful Bliss
22. Healing Hands
23. Glory and Honor
24. Humble / Modest
25. Inner Light / Intelligence
26. A Life of Serenity Yields Understanding
27. Inner Peace / Silence / Serenity
28. Achieve Inner Peace; Find Deep Understanding
29. Intense / Serious / Deep / Profound
30. Leadership
31. Life Goes On
33. Live Strong
34. Love and Honor
35. Loyalty / Faithful / Devoted
37. Nature in Balance / Balanced Nature
38. New Beginning
39. Nothingness
40. Learn New Ways From Old / Onkochishin
43. Peace / Harmony
44. Peaceful Chaos
46. Pure Heart
47. Push or Knock
49. Strength and Love in Unity
51. Safe and Sound
52. Serendipity / Nice Coincidence
53. Serendipity / Chance Discovery
54. Serendipity / Happy Coincidence
55. Serendipity / Lucky Coincidence
56. Shit / Manure / Dung / Feces / Excrement / Poop
58. Spirit / Spiritual Essence
59. When Three People Gather, Wisdom is Multiplied
61. Trust in God / Belief in God
62. Trust in God / Faith in God
63. The Weak are Meat, The Strong Eat
64. Wedding
67. The Principles of Buddhism
69. Flower in the Mirror, Moon on Water
70. Ultimate Truth
千慮一得 means “1000 tries, one success,” or “[a] thousand tries [leads to] one success.”
This proverb is a humble way to express your success, ideas, or accomplishments. As if you are a fool who just got lucky in inventing or creating something.
Translations for this proverb include:
Even without any notable ability on my part, I may still get it right sometimes by good luck.
Even a fool may sometimes come up with a good idea.
Compare this to the English idiom, “Even a broken clock is right twice a day.”
繁榮富裕 is a proverb about “Prosperity and Abundance.”
This presents and reinforces the ideas of being prosperous, a booming economy, well-to-do, well-off, wealthy, riches, and opulence.
While this is the ancient/traditional Chinese way to write this, most Japanese can fully read and understand it. It's also the correct form of old Korean Hanja (though few Koreans of the current generation will be able to read this).
See Also: Good Fortune
容納 speaks of being tolerant of other opinions or being accepting of other people's ideas or ways of doing things.
Other definitions of this word include having the capacity for, to accommodate, or to tolerate.
鴻鵠之誌 is a Chinese proverb that implies that having grand ambitions also means that others will not understand your great expectations and ideas.
Though the actual words come from a longer saying of Confucius, which goes, “The little swallows living under the eaves wouldn't understand the lofty ambitions of a swan (who flies far and wide).”
This Confucius quote has led to this idiomatic expression in China that means “think big.” What you'd be saying is “The lofty ambitions of a swan.”
Note that Chinese people sometimes refer to the little swallow as one who does not “think big” but is, instead, stuck in a rut or just leading a mundane life. Therefore, it's a compliment to be called a swan but not a good thing to be called a swallow.
望 holds the ideas of ambition, hope, desire, aspiring to, expectations, looking towards, to gaze (into the distance), and in some contexts, full moon rising.
望 is one of those single characters that is vague but in that vagueness, it also means many things.
望 is a whole word in Chinese and old Korean but is seldom seen alone in Japanese. Still, it holds the meanings noted above in all three languages.
Ability is more important than looks
不管黑猫白猫能捉着老鼠的就是好猫 literally translates as: It doesn't matter [if a] cat [is] black [or] white, [as long as it] can catch mice, it's a good cat.
This proverb was either composed or made famous by Deng XiaoPing in 1961 when he exclaimed, “I don't care if it's a white cat or a black cat. It's a good cat so long as it catches mice” when his critics pointed out that his ideas were Capitalistic (free market). The response was meant to say, “It does not matter if it's Communist or Capitalist, as long as it works.”
This is a Chinese proverb that can be used to suggest one should disregard looks or a person's race, as long as they can do the job. It can also be used as a metaphor for many other situations.
Deng XiaoPing probably saved China from collapse (as the Soviet Union experienced). He changed China’s economy from pure Communism to a hybrid where the free market (Capitalism) is encouraged. More about Deng XiaoPing
身土不二 (Shindofuni) is originally a Buddhist concept or proverb referring to the inseparability of body-mind and geographical circumstances.
This reads, “Body [and] earth [are] not two.”
Other translations or matching ideas include:
Body and land are one.
Body and earth can not be separated.
Body earth sensory curation.
You are what you eat.
Indivisibility of the body and the land (because the body is made from food and food is made from the land).
Going further, this speaks of our human bodies and the land from which we get our food being closely connected. This phrase is often used when talking about natural and organic vegetables coming directly from the farm to provide the healthiest foods in Japan.
Character notes: 身(shin) in this context does not just mean your physical body but a concept including both body and mind.
土 (do) refers to the soil, earth, clay, land, or in some cases, locality. It's not the proper name of Earth, the planet. However, it can refer to the land or realm we live in.
Japanese note: This has been used in Japan, on and off, since 1907 as a slogan for a governmental healthy eating campaign (usually pronounced as shindofuji instead of the original shindofuni in this context). It may have been hijacked from Buddhism for this propaganda purpose, but at least this is “healthy propaganda.”
Korean note: The phrase 身土不二 was in use by 1610 A.D. in Korea, where it can be found in an early medical journal.
In modern South Korea, it's written in Hangul as 신토불이. Korea used Chinese characters (same source as Japanese Kanji) as their only written standard form of the language until about a hundred years ago. Therefore, many Koreans will recognize this as a native phrase and concept.
See Also: Strength and Love in Unity
Literally: The Way or Road
道 is the character “dao” which is sometimes written as “tao” but pronounced like “dow” in Mandarin.
道 is the base of what is known as “Taoism.” If you translate this literally, it can mean “the way” or “the path.”
Dao is believed to be that which flows through all things and keeps them in balance. It incorporates the ideas of yin and yang (e.g. there would be no love without hate, no light without dark, no male without female.)
The beginning of Taoism can be traced to a mystical man named
Lao Zi (604-531 BC), who followed, and added to the teachings of Confucius.
More about Taoism / Daoism here.
Note that this is pronounced “dou” and sometimes “michi” when written alone in Japanese but pronounced “do” in word compounds such as Karate-do and Bushido. It's also “do” in Korean.
Alternate translations and meanings: road, way, path; truth, principle province.
Important Japanese note: In Japanese, this will generally be read with the road, way, or path meaning. Taoism is not as popular or well-known in Japan so Daoist/Taoist philosophy is not the first thing a Japanese person will think of when they read this character.
See our Taoism Page
Excerpt from Chapter 67
一曰慈二曰儉三曰不敢為天下先 is an excerpt from the 67th Chapter of Lao Tzu's (Lao Zi's) Te-Tao Ching (Dao De Jing).
This is the part where the three treasures are discussed. In English, we'd say these three treasures are compassion, frugality, and humility. Some may translate these as love, moderation, and lack of arrogance. I have also seen them translated as benevolence, modesty, and “Not presuming to be at the forefront in the world.” You can mix them up the way you want, as translation is not really a science but rather an art.
I should also explain that the first two treasures are single-character ideas, yet the third treasure was written out in six characters (there are also some auxiliary characters to number the treasures).
If Lao Tzu's words are important to you, then a wall scroll with this passage might make a great addition to your home.
You can die or kill, but never dishonor or disgrace yourself
可殺不可辱 almost directly matches the idea of “Death Before Dishonor” while also being an ancient Chinese proverb.
The direct meaning is, “[you] can die/kill [but you] cannot [allow] dishonor/disgrace [upon yourself].” Chinese grammar, and especially ancient grammar, is a little different than English. Not nearly as many articles are needed, and a lot is implied.
There are many ways to express ideas similar to “Death Before Dishonor” in Chinese, and I would rate this one in the top two.
A soldier can die or kill, but never dishonor or disgrace himself
士可殺不可辱 almost directly matches the military idea of “Death Before Dishonor,” while also being an ancient Chinese proverb.
The direct meaning is, “[A] soldier/warrior can die/kill [but he/she] cannot [allow] dishonor/disgrace [upon himself/herself].” Chinese grammar, and especially ancient grammar, is a little different than English. Not nearly as many articles are needed, and a lot is implied.
There are a lot of ways to express ideas similar to “Death Before Dishonor” in Chinese, and I would rate this one in the top two.
This is the original form of this proverb with the character for “soldier/warrior” at the beginning. Most of the time, this character is dropped, becoming a five-character proverb (the soldier/warrior part is implied, even without the character being present in the proverb). We also offer a shorter version.
These two characters contain the ideas of fate, destiny, fortune, and luck.
You can also say that it means “what life throws at you” or “your lot in life” because the first character contains the idea of life or living.
This version is really only used in Chinese. There's another version with just the characters reversed that is more universal. In fact, skip this one. The opposite character order is better.
These two characters contain the ideas of fate, destiny, fortune, and luck in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.
運命 is often defined as “a person's fate” or “personal fate” in various dictionaries.
These two characters can be reversed (written in either order) and yield roughly the same meaning.
This particular character order is more common in old Korean and less common in modern Chinese.
See Also: Good Fortune | Good Luck
vīrya
精進 is a wide-ranging word that is used in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean.
It can mean devotion, diligence, concentration, aggressive, enterprising, vigorous, energetic, purification, pushing, asceticism, assiduity, or virility. 精進 is deep, and these two characters can express ideas that take a full English phrase to describe, such as “concentration of mind,” “to forge ahead vigorously,” or “to dedicate oneself to progress.”
Used in the context of Buddhism, it means “making earnest efforts to cultivate virtue and get rid of evil” or “zeal in one's quest for enlightenment.”
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
熱心 literally means “warm-hearted” (can also mean warm-spirited or warm-souled).
This is one of a few ways to say Enthusiasm in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.
熱心 is also used to express the ideas of earnestness or eagerness.
Can mean “zeal” in Japanese.
靈活性 is a Chinese and Korean word that means flexibility or being open to change.
You consider others' ideas and feelings and don't insist on your own way. Flexibility gives you creative new ways to get things done. Flexibility helps you to keep changing for the better. 靈活性 could also be defined as having a “flexible nature.”
See Also: Cooperation
魂の友 is one of a few ways to write “Soul Mates” in Japanese.
The first Kanji means soul, spirit, ghost, immortal soul, the mind, or conscious mind. From Sanskrit, it's Vijñāna.
The middle character is a Japanese Hiragana connecting or possessive article that links the two ideas together.
The last Kanji means friends or friendship.
A heart of kindness, benevolence, and virtuous intentions
善心 literally reads “Good Heart” but is used to refer to the ideas of kindness, benevolence, philanthropy, virtuous intentions, moral sense, and conscience.
Some will also translate this as the morality of mind (as the character for the heart is often used to mean mind).
In Japanese, this can be the given name Yoshinaka.
樂 is a single-character form of happiness or bliss that holds the ideas of laughing and having a good time.
This can also be translated as happy, glad, enjoyable, fun, and sometimes, music.
This a really good character if your audience is Chinese.
This is not a word seen alone very often in Korean.
In Japanese, this character is written like the image shown to the right. If you order this from the Japanese master calligrapher, it will look like this instead of the character shown above.
Note: In Japanese, this has a meaning of comfort, ease, and enjoyment.
See Also: Joyfulness
癒しの手 can be translated as “healing hands” in Japanese.
The first two characters mean healing, to heal, to cure, soothing, therapy, comfort, and solace.
The third character is a possessive particle that connects the ideas.
The last Kanji means hand or hands.
Note: Because this selection contains some special Japanese Hiragana characters, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.
榮 relates to giving someone a tribute or praise.
It's a little odd as a gift, so this may not be the best selection for a wall scroll.
I've made this entry because this character is often misused as “honorable” or “keeping your honor.” It's not quite the same meaning, as this usually refers to a tribute or giving an honor to someone.
榮 is often found in tattoo books incorrectly listed as the western idea of personal honor or being honorable. Check with us before you get a tattoo that does not match the meaning you are really looking for. As a tattoo, this suggests that you either have a lot of pride in yourself or that you have a wish for prosperity for yourself and/or your family.
In modern Japanese Kanji, glory and honor look like the image to the right.
There is a lot of confusion about this character, so here are some alternate translations for this character: prosperous, flourishing, blooming (like a flower), glorious beauty, proud, praise, rich, or it can be the family name “Rong.” The context in which the character is used can change the meaning between these various ideas.
In the old days, this could be an honor paid to someone by the Emperor (basically a designation by the Emperor that a person has high standing).
To sum it up: 榮 has a positive meaning; however, it's a different flavor than the idea of being honorable and having integrity.
謙虛 can also be translated as humbleness or humility.
In Chinese and Korean, the first character means “modest.” The second means “empty.” Together these characters reinforce the ideas of modesty and being empty of ego.
In Japan, they tend to use a slightly-simplified version of the second Kanji for this word. It also happens to be an alternate/simplified version used in China too. If you want to order the modern Japanese/simplified version, just click in the Kanji image shown to the right, instead of the button above.
See Also: Moderation
淡泊以明志寧靜而致遠 is a kind of complex ten-character proverb composed by Zhuge Liang about 1800 years ago.
This is a Chinese proverb that means “Leading a simple life will yield a clear mind, and having inner peace will help you see far (into the world).”
What I have translated as “simple life” means NOT being materialistic and NOT competing in the rat race.
The last word means “far” but the deeper meaning is that you will surpass what you can currently see or understand. Perhaps even the idea of opening up vast knowledge and understanding of complex ideas.
The whole phrase has a theme that suggests if you are NOT an aggressive cut-throat person who fights his way to the top no matter how many people he crushes on the way, and instead seek inner peace, you will have a happier existence and be more likely to understand the meaning of life.
See Also: Serenity
靜 is the simplest way to convey the meaning of inner peace and serenity.
靜 is often translated as “serenity.” It can also be used to express the ideas of still, calm, serene, quiet, silent, stillness, not moving, or tranquility.
In the old days, Chinese, Japanese, or Korean people might hang a wall scroll with this character in their reading room to bring about a sense of peace in the room.
While they once used the same character form in Japan, they now use a slightly-simplified version in modern Japan (after WWII). This version is shown to the right, and can be selected for your wall scroll by clicking on that Kanji instead of the button above.
See Also: Peace
寧靜而致遠 is five characters from a longer ten-character proverb composed by Zhuge Liang about 1800 years ago.
诸葛亮 Zhuge Liang
The proverb means “Your inner peace/tranquility/serenity will help you see or reach far (into the world).”
The last word means “far” but the deeper meaning is that you will surpass what you can currently see or understand. Perhaps even opening up vast knowledge and understanding of complex ideas.
深刻 is a Chinese word that is the form of intense that describes a person who is deep, serious, and a true thinker.
If you find yourself contemplating the world and coming up with profound ideas, this might be the word for you. In some contexts (especially Korean), it can mean seriousness, gravity, or acuteness.
In Japanese, this can mean “serious problem” or can be a rare given name, Misa. You should not use this if your audience is Japanese.
領導 is the Chinese word for “Leadership.”
It contains the ideas of “to lead,” “to direct,” “to conduct,” and “to guide.” Putting a wall scroll with this word on your wall suggests that you are honing your leadership skills or holding a leadership position.
人生は続く is a Japanese phrase that expresses, “Life Goes On.”
The first two characters mean “life” (literally “human life”).
The third character is a particle that connects the ideas in this phrase.
The last two characters mean “to continue,” “to last,” “to go on,” and “to occur again and again.”
Note: Because this selection contains some special Japanese Hiragana characters, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.
While hard to translate directly, 堅強生活 is the best way to write “Live Strong” in Chinese. If you are a cancer survivor or support Lance Armstrong's ideas, this is a nice selection for a wall scroll.
The first two characters mean strong or staunch. The last two mean living or life (daily existence). While the Chinese version is the reverse order of “Live Strong” it is the only way to write it in a natural form that is grammatically correct.
Note that we are in no way affiliated or connected to Lance or his foundation. This translation is offered because of multiple requests from customers whose philosophies or ideas match those of the Live Strong idea.
強く生きる is “Live Strong” in Japanese.
If you are a cancer survivor, or simply support Lance Armstrong's ideas, this is a nice selection for a wall scroll.
Note that we are in no way affiliated or connected to Lance, nor his foundation.
Note: Because this selection contains some special Japanese Hiragana characters, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.
愛と譽れ means to love and honor in Japanese.
The first Kanji is literally “love.”
The second character just acts to connect the ideas like “and” or “with.”
The last two Kanji mean “honor” or “honour.” This is the kind of honor that suggests you are praising or admiring someone.
Note: Because this selection contains some special Japanese Hiragana characters, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.
See Also: Love and Honor
忠実 is a Japanese way to write “Loyalty” - it also contains the ideas of being faithful, devoted, true, and obedient.
The second character is a modified form only used in the Japanese lexicon; however, Chinese speakers can easily guess the meaning.
This is also a virtue of the Samurai Warrior
See our page with just Code of the Samurai / Bushido here
德 is the simple way to express the ideas of having virtue, morals, kindness, benevolence, goodness, etc.
德 also happens to be the first character of the Chinese word for Germany.
There is a slight deviation in the Japanese Kanji form. If you want the modern Japanese version, please click on the special Kanji shown to the right instead of the button above. Note that the traditional Chinese form is still readable and understood by Japanese people.
See Also: Ethics | Chastity | Prudence | Benevolence | Morality
自然界の均衡 is a verbose way to say “nature in balance” in Japanese.
The first three Kanji have the meaning of “the natural world” or “the natural kingdom” (kind of like the animal kingdom but including plants and all things biological).
The third character is a Hiragana that acts to connect the two ideas here.
The last two Kanji mean equilibrium or balance.
空無 is “nothingness” in a Buddhist context.
The first character means empty but can also mean air or sky (air and sky have no form).
The second character means have not, no, none, not, or to lack.
Together these characters reinforce each other into a word that means “absolute nothingness.”
I know this is a term used in Buddhism, but I have not yet figured out the context in which it is used. I suppose it can be the fact that Buddhists believe that the world is a non-real illusion, or perhaps it's about visualizing yourself as “nothing” and therefore leaving behind your desire and worldliness.
Buddhist concepts and titles often have this element of ambiguity or, rather, “mystery.” Therefore, such ideas can have different meanings to different people, and that's okay. If you don't get it right in this lifetime, there will be plenty more lifetimes to master it (whatever “it” is, and if “it” really exists at all).
Soothill defines this as “Unreality, or immateriality, of things, which is defined as nothing existing of independent or self-contained nature.”
New ideas coming from past history
溫故知新 is a proverb from Confucius that is used in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean cultures.
It can be translated in several ways:
Coming up with new ideas based on things learned in the past.
Examine things of the past, and obtain new knowledge.
Developing new ideas based on the study of the past.
Gain new insights through restudying old issues.
Understand the present by reviewing the past.
Learning from the past.
Review the old and know the new.
Taking a lesson from the past.
Taking a lesson from the wisdom of the ancients.
Follow the old ways.
The direct translation would be, “By asking old things, know new things.”
The Character meanings breakdown this way:
溫故 = ask old
知新 = know new
Explained: To learn new things that are outside of your experience, you can learn from old things of the past. You can find wisdom in history.
Note: Japanese use a variant of the first Kanji in modern times.
Therefore if you order this from a Japanese calligrapher, expect the first Kanji to look like 温 instead of 溫.
In addition to 温故知新 as mentioned above, this is sometimes written as 温古知新 in Japan.
虛心坦懐 is a Japanese proverb that means “with an open and calm mind,” “with no preconceived notions,” or “without reservations.”
In some contexts, it can mean frank or candid.
If you want to remind yourself to approach each situation with no preconceptions, this is a good title for you. This can also refer to the ideas of being candid, frank, and straightforward.
忍 contains the ideas of patience, equanimity, perseverance, forbearance, and endurance. Alone, this single character can be a bit ambiguous or flexible. It can also mean to endure, to bear, to put up with, or to conceal. If you want to simply decide what this character means to you within the general meaning but keep it a mystery to others, this is a good choice.
If you want to be more direct, you may want to choose one of our other selections that mean perseverance or patience (you will see this character within those larger words/phrases).
There is a secondary meaning in Japanese since this is the first character of the word ninja.
Note that when writing this as Kanji, Japanese will tend to write it in the form shown to the right. If you select our Japanese master calligrapher, please expect this Kanji form (yes, it's just one stroke that is slightly different in location, crossing another stroke in the Japanese Kanji form).
See Also: Perseverance | Patience | Tenacious
和 is the simplest form of peace and harmony.
和 can also be translated as the peaceful ideas of gentle, mild, kind, and calm. With a more harmonious context, it can be translated as union, together with, on good terms with, or on friendly terms.
Most people would just translate this character as peace and/or harmony. 和 is a very popular character in Asian cultures - you can even call it the “peace symbol” of Asia. In fact, this peace and harmony character was seen repeatedly during the opening ceremony of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing (a major theme of the games).
In old Chinese poems and literature, you might see this used as a kind of "and." As in two things summed together. As much as you could say, "the sun and moon," you could say "the sun in harmony with the moon."
See Also: Inner Peace | Patience | Simplicity
志操 is personal integrity - basically, holding yourself to a higher standard of honesty and reliability. These two characters also contain the ideas of constancy, principles, and faithfulness.
Note: In Japanese, this just means “principle.”
Pure and Innocent
純情 means “Pure Heart” in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.
It's used to reflect the ideas of being “pure and innocent.”
Depending on the context in which this title is used, it can relay “self-sacrificing devotion” or, in some cases, “naïveté.”
This would be in the same way we might refer to a young girl giving her lunch money to a beggar on the street. She has a pure and precious heart but perhaps is also a bit naive.
To weigh one's words
During the Tang Dynasty, a man named Jia Dao (born in the year 779), a well-studied scholar and poet, went to the capital to take the imperial examination.
One day as he rides a donkey through the city streets, a poem begins to form in his mind. A portion of the poem comes into his head like this:
“The bird sits on the tree branch near a pond,
A monk approaches and knocks at the gate...”
At the same time, he wondered if the word “push” would be better than “knock” in his poem.
As he rides down the street, he imagines the monk pushing or knocking. Soon he finds himself making motions of pushing and shaking a fist in a knocking motion as he debates which word to use. He is quite a sight as he makes his way down the street on his donkey with hands and fists flying about as the internal debate continues.
As he amuses people along the street, he becomes completely lost in his thoughts and does not see the mayor's procession coming in the opposite direction. Jia Bao is blocking the way for the procession to continue down the road, and the mayor's guards immediately decide to remove Jia Bao by force. Jia Bao, not realizing that he was in the way, apologizes, explains his poetic dilemma and awaits his punishment for blocking the mayor's way.
The mayor, Han Yu, a scholar and author of prose himself, finds himself intrigued by Jia Dao's poem and problem. Han Yu gets off his horse and addresses Jia Bao, stating, “I think knock is better.” The relieved Jia Bao raises his head and is invited by the mayor to join the procession, and are seen riding off together down the street, exchanging their ideas and love of poetry.
In modern Chinese, this 反復推敲 idiom is used when someone is trying to decide which word to use in their writing or when struggling to decide between two things when neither seems to have a downside.
尊敬 is how to express the ideas of respect, honor, reverence, esteem, nobility, and sometimes the state of being noble, all in one word. Most of the time, this is used as “giving respect,” but depending on the context, it can suggest that you should try to be “worthy of respect.”
Although pronounced differently, the Chinese characters, Japanese Kanji, and Korean Hanja are the same across these languages. This is an indication that this word is very old and crosses many barriers and cultures in the Orient (East Asia).
力愛不二 is a proverb that literally means:
“Strength [and] Love [are] Not Two [separate ideas/concepts/things].”
You'll find this proverb translated from Japanese to English as:
Love and strength are not separate.
Power and love are indivisible.
Strength and love in harmony.
Strength and love stand together.
Old Japanese grammar is quite different than English, and so this proverb says a lot within the brevity of just 4 characters. If you just read these characters directly as “Strength Love Not Two,” you'd probably miss the real meaning.
According to the Swedish Shorinji Kempo Federation, this is the second characteristic of Shorinji Kempo.
This post really explains the concept best in my opinion: Bushido by MS: Riki Ai Fu Ni, which states: "Riki Ai Funi" is the philosophy that power (Riki) and love (Ai) are indivisible. More concretely, a person, who is powerful but does not have love, cannot control and misuse his/her power; on the other hand, a person, who has loved ones but is not powerful enough, cannot protect himself/herself nor loved ones.
河東獅吼 is actually a proverb and joke about the plight and fear of a hen-pecked husband.
In ancient times, it was used to describe a wife who would berate her husband or go into jealous rages. However, this phrase currently brings about ideas of a husband that cowers in fear and cringes when his wife screams (or roars) at him.
Please only purchase this as a good-natured joke. If your wife or husband does not have a good sense of humor, it's probably not a good idea to hang this on your wall to irritate your mate.
This proverb means “safe and sound without toil or trouble.”
It kind of means that all is well with a feeling of complete safety. The ideas contained in these characters include well-being, peace, tranquility, quietness, calmness, and non-problematic.
素敵な偶然 is a common way to express serendipity in Japanese.
The first two characters mean nice, lovely, dreamy, beautiful, great, fantastic, superb, or cool.
In the middle is a Japanese Hiragana character connecting these words/ideas.
The last two Kanji mean incidentally, by chance, randomly, unexpectedly, suddenly, accident, fortuity, or by coincidence.
偶然の発見 is a way to express serendipity in Japanese. This title is more about the discovery by chance, like the melting candy bar in a Bell radar/communications laboratory that led to the invention of the microwave oven.
The first two Kanji mean incidentally, by chance, randomly, unexpectedly, suddenly, accident, fortuity, or by coincidence.
In the middle is a possessive article that connects these words/ideas.
The last two Kanji mean discovery, detection, or finding.
幸せな偶然 is one of many ways to express serendipity in Japanese.
The first two characters mean happiness, good fortune, luck, or blessing.
In the middle is a Japanese Hiragana character connecting these words/ideas.
The last two Kanji mean incidentally, by chance, randomly, unexpectedly, suddenly, accident, fortuity, or by coincidence.
Note: Because this selection contains some special Japanese Hiragana characters, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.
幸運な偶然 is one of many ways to express serendipity in Japanese.
The first two Kanji mean fortunate, lucky, fortune, or good luck.
In the middle is a Japanese Hiragana character connecting these words/ideas.
The last two Kanji mean incidentally, by chance, randomly, unexpectedly, suddenly, accident, fortuity, or by coincidence.
NOT APPROPRIATE FOR
CUSTOM CALLIGRAPHY
Seems a lot of you want to know how to write “shit” in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja. 糞 is the single-character version of shit, which is used to express the ideas of manure, dung, and bullshit. Yes, at least in Chinese, they use this in much the same way as shit or bullshit is used in English.
Please don't try to order this, it's here only for reference. 糞 is not appropriate for custom calligraphy!
至誠 is the idea that you enter into something with the utmost sincerity and fidelity. Ideas such as devotion, honesty, and “one's true heart” are also contained in this word.
至誠 is a universal word as the Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and Korean Hanja are all identical.
神 is the simplest way to write spirit in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean.
This single character alone will conjure up ideas of the spiritual world. 神 can also be translated as “vital awareness” as in the fact that one must know they exist to exist (I think, therefore, I am).
Other translations include:
God, deity, mysterious, divine essence, lively, spiritual being, divinity, supernatural, soul, mind, nerves, and energy. In some extended context, it can mean genius or unusual.
Japanese romanizations vary a lot when this character is combined into other words. However, shin is the original pronunciation taken from Chinese into Japanese. You'll also see it romanized as kami, gami, jin, and a few others, depending on context.
三人寄れば文殊の知恵 literally means “when three people meet, wisdom is exchanged.”
Some will suggest this means when three people come together, their wisdom is multiplied.
That wisdom part can also be translated as wit, sagacity, intelligence, or Buddhist Prajna (insight leading to enlightenment).
In the middle of this proverb is “monju,” suggesting “transcendent wisdom.” This is where the multiplication of wisdom ideas comes from.
Note: This is very similar to the Chinese proverb, "When 3 people meet, one becomes a teacher."
Note: Because this selection contains some special Japanese Hiragana characters, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.
真 is a simple way to express the idea that something is real, true, truth, or genuine.
Occasionally, this character refers to a Buddhist sect that originated in the 13th century.
真 is commonly used as a compound with other characters to create ideas like “true love.” It's also used similarly to the English words “really” or “truly” to say “really good” or “He is really knowledgeable.” Those phrases start with “他真的是... (note the second character is 真).
There are two ways to write this character, shown here is the most common way in China; however, a slight stroke variation is used in Korean Hanja. If you want that version, just let us know when you place your order.
See Also: Honesty
神の信仰 is the simplest way to express “Trust in God” in Japanese.
The first character means God, deity, divinity, or spirit (in this case, it will be read as God).
The second character is a particle that links the ideas.
The last two characters mean faith, belief, or creed in a religious context.
神を信ぜよ is a way to express “Trust in God” in Japanese.
The first character is “God.”
The second character is a particle that links the ideas here.
The last three characters are a word that means “to believe,” “to believe in,” “to place trust in,” “to confide in,” and “to have faith in.”
Basically, this is the Japanese phrase for “Have faith in God,” “Belief in God,” or “Trust in God.”
Note: Because this selection contains some special Japanese Hiragana characters, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.
Meaning: Survival of the fittest
弱肉強食 is a Japanese and Chinese proverb that literally means “The weak are meat; the strong eat” or “The weak are prey to the strong.”
The closest English version is, “Survival of the fittest.” It also fits with the ideas of, “predatory behavior,” or “The law of the jungle.”
婚 is related to the ideas of getting married, being in a marriage, or taking a wife (could also mean take a husband, as “take a wife” is a western term, and this is just a general Chinese term regarding a wedding).
See Also: Double Happiness
賢 is used to refer to being a wise, trustworthy, and virtuous person. But it also contains the ideas of intelligence, genius, scholarship, virtue, sage, saint, good, and excellent in character.
賢 is used in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja. Also used in a Buddhist context with the same meaning.
Note: Can also be the male given name, Masaru, in Japanese.
In short, 佛義 is the Principles of Buddhism, but there is more (especially for the second character):
佛 is the character for the Buddha and Buddhism.
義 has deeper meanings including justice, righteousness, morality, honour/honor, teachings, doctrine, right, proper, righteous, loyalty, purpose, or meaning. So the single word “principles” is often used to encompass all these ideas.
知 means realization or true knowing.
This can also translate as to know, to be aware, wisdom, or higher knowledge.
From older Buddhist ideas, this can represent विद्या (Vidyā or Vidya) or ज्ञान (Jñāna or Jnana) and even the combination Sanskrit word विज्ञान (Vijñāna or Vijnana) which can translate as wisdom arising from perception or knowing.
However, 知 should be distinguished as true knowing versus having a relative understanding or 會.
鏡花水月 is an old Asian proverb that means “flowers in a mirror and the moon reflected in the lake” or “flowers reflected on a mirror and the moon reflected on the water's surface.”
Literally, 鏡花水月 reads “Mirror Flower, Water Moon.”
Figuratively this can be used to represent a lot of different ideas. It can be used to express an unrealistic rosy view or viewing things through rose-tinted spectacles. So you can use it to relay an idea about something that is visible but has no substance,
something that can be seen but not touched, or something beautiful but unattainable such as dreams or a mirage.
This expression is used to describe things like the subtle and profound beauty of poems that cannot be described in words.
鏡 = Mirror (or lens)
花 = Flower(s)
水 = Water
月 = Moon
Can also be written 水月鏡花 (just a slight change in word/character order).
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These search terms might be related to Ideas:
Dream / Dreams
Dream Big / Big Dreams
Pursue Your Dreams
Realize Your Dreams
The following table may be helpful for those studying Chinese or Japanese...
Title | Characters | Romaji (Romanized Japanese) | Various forms of Romanized Chinese | |
Even a fool may sometimes come up with a good idea | 千慮一得 千虑一得 | senryonoittoku | qiān lǜ yī dé qian1 lv4 yi1 de2 qian lv yi de qianlvyide | ch`ien lü i te chienlüite chien lü i te |
Abundance and Prosperity | 繁榮富裕 繁荣富裕 | hanei yuuhuku haneiyuuhuku hanei yuhuku | fán róng fù yù fan2 rong2 fu4 yu4 fan rong fu yu fanrongfuyu | fan jung fu yü fanjungfuyü |
Acceptance Tolerate | 容納 容纳 | róng nà / rong2 na4 / rong na / rongna | jung na / jungna | |
Great Aspirations Ambition | 鴻鵠之誌 鸿鹄之志 | hóng hú zhī zhì hong2 hu2 zhi1 zhi4 hong hu zhi zhi honghuzhizhi | hung hu chih chih hunghuchihchih |
|
Great Expectations | 望 | bou / nozomi bo / nozomi | wàng / wang4 / wang | |
Beautiful Soul | 美麗的靈魂 美丽的灵魂 | měi lì de líng hún mei3 li4 de ling2 hun2 mei li de ling hun meilidelinghun | mei li te ling hun meilitelinghun |
|
Black or white cat matters not as long as it can catch mice | 不管黑貓白貓能捉著老鼠的就是好貓 不管黑猫白猫能捉着老鼠的就是好猫 | bù guǎn hēi māo bái māo néng zhuō zhe lǎo shǔ de jiù shì hǎo mǎo bu4 guan3 hei1 mao1 bai2 mao1 neng2 zhuo1 zhe lao3 shu3 de jiu4 shi4 hao3 mao3 bu guan hei mao bai mao neng zhuo zhe lao shu de jiu shi hao mao | pu kuan hei mao pai mao neng cho che lao shu te chiu shih hao mao | |
Body and Earth in Unity | 身土不二 | shindofuni / shindofuji | ||
Daoism Taoism | 道 | michi / -do | dào / dao4 / dao | tao |
Daodejing Tao Te Ching - Excerpt | 一曰慈二曰儉三曰不敢為天下先 一曰慈二曰俭三曰不敢为天下先 | yī yuē cí èr yuē jiǎn sān yuē bù gǎn wéi tiān xià xiān yi1 yue1 ci2 er4 yue1 jian3 san1 yue1 bu4 gan3 wei2 tian1 xia4 xian1 yi yue ci er yue jian san yue bu gan wei tian xia xian | i yüeh tz`u erh yüeh chien san yüeh pu kan wei t`ien hsia hsien i yüeh tzu erh yüeh chien san yüeh pu kan wei tien hsia hsien |
|
Death Before Dishonor | 可殺不可辱 可杀不可辱 | kě shā bù kě rǔ ke3 sha1 bu4 ke3 ru3 ke sha bu ke ru keshabukeru | k`o sha pu k`o ju koshapukoju ko sha pu ko ju |
|
Death Before Dishonor | 士可殺不可辱 士可杀不可辱 | shì kě shā bù kě rǔ shi4 ke3 sha1 bu4 ke3 ru3 shi ke sha bu ke ru shikeshabukeru | shih k`o sha pu k`o ju shihkoshapukoju shih ko sha pu ko ju |
|
Destiny Fate | 命運 命运 | mìng yùn / ming4 yun4 / ming yun / mingyun | ming yün / mingyün | |
Destiny Fate | 運命 运命 | un mei / unmei | yùn mìng / yun4 ming4 / yun ming / yunming | yün ming / yünming |
Devotion Diligence Vigorous Energetic | 精進 精进 | shoujin / shojin | jīng jìn / jing1 jin4 / jing jin / jingjin | ching chin / chingchin |
Discipline | 規律 规律 | kiritsu | guī / gui1 lu:4 / gui lu: / guilu: | kuei lü / kueilü |
Enthusiasm Warm-Hearted | 熱心 热心 | nesshin / neshin | rè xīn / re4 xin1 / re xin / rexin | je hsin / jehsin |
Flexibility | 靈活性 灵活性 | líng huó xìng ling2 huo2 xing4 ling huo xing linghuoxing | ling huo hsing linghuohsing |
|
Forever Young Long Life | 不老長壽 不老長寿 | fu rou chou ju furouchouju fu ro cho ju | ||
Soul Mates | 魂の友 | tamashii no tomo tamashiinotomo tamashi no tomo | ||
Good Health | 健康 | kenkou / kenko | jiàn kāng jian4 kang1 jian kang jiankang | chien k`ang chienkang chien kang |
Good Heart | 善心 | yoshinaka | shàn xīn / shan4 xin1 / shan xin / shanxin | shan hsin / shanhsin |
Happy Laughter Cheerful Bliss | 樂 / 楽 乐 | raku | lè / le4 / le | |
Healing Hands | 癒しの手 | iyashi no te iyashinote | ||
Glory and Honor | 榮 荣 / 栄 | ei | róng / rong2 / rong | jung |
Humble Modest | 謙虛 谦虚 | ken kyo / kenkyo | qiān xū / qian1 xu1 / qian xu / qianxu | ch`ien hsü / chienhsü / chien hsü |
Inner Light Intelligence | 心燈 心灯 | shin tou / shintou / shin to | xīn dēng / xin1 deng1 / xin deng / xindeng | hsin teng / hsinteng |
A Life of Serenity Yields Understanding | 淡泊以明志寧靜而致遠 淡泊以明志宁静而致远 | dàn bó yǐ míng zhì, níng jìng ér zhì yuǎn dan4 bo2 yi3 ming2 zhi4, ning2 jing4 er2 zhi4 yuan3 dan bo yi ming zhi, ning jing er zhi yuan | tan po i ming chih, ning ching erh chih yüan | |
Inner Peace Silence Serenity | 靜 静 | shizu / sei | jìng / jing4 / jing | ching |
Achieve Inner Peace; Find Deep Understanding | 寧靜而致遠 宁静而致远 | níng jìng ér zhì yuǎn ning2 jing4 er2 zhi4 yuan3 ning jing er zhi yuan ningjingerzhiyuan | ning ching erh chih yüan ningchingerhchihyüan |
|
Intense Serious Deep Profound | 深刻 | shinkoku / misa | shēn kè / shen1 ke4 / shen ke / shenke | shen k`o / shenko / shen ko |
Leadership | 領導 领导 | lǐng dǎo / ling3 dao3 / ling dao / lingdao | ling tao / lingtao | |
Life Goes On | 人生は続く | jin sei ha tsudu ku jinseihatsuduku | ||
Listen with Open Mind | 虛己以聽 虚己以听 | xū jǐ yǐ tīng xu1 ji3 yi3 ting1 xu ji yi ting xujiyiting | hsü chi i t`ing hsüchiiting hsü chi i ting |
|
Live Strong | 堅強生活 坚强生活 | jiān qiáng shēng huó jian1 qiang2 sheng1 huo2 jian qiang sheng huo jianqiangshenghuo | chien ch`iang sheng huo chienchiangshenghuo chien chiang sheng huo |
|
Live Strong | 強く生きる | tsuyoku ikiru tsuyokuikiru | ||
Love and Honor | 愛と譽れ 愛と誉れ | ai to homa re aitohomare | ||
Loyalty Faithful Devoted | 忠實 忠実 | chuujitsu / chuugi chujitsu / chugi | ||
Moral and Virtuous | 德 徳 | toku | dé / de2 / de | te |
Nature in Balance Balanced Nature | 自然界の均衡 | shizenkai no kinkou shizenkainokinkou shizenkai no kinko | ||
Nature in Balance Balanced Nature | 自然の調和 | shizen no cho wa shizennochowa | ||
New Beginning | 新的開始 新的开始 | xīn de kāi shǐ xin1 de kai1 shi3 xin de kai shi xindekaishi | hsin te k`ai shih hsintekaishih hsin te kai shih |
|
Nothingness | 空無 空无 | kuu mu / kuumu / ku mu | kōng wú / kong1 wu2 / kong wu / kongwu | k`ung wu / kungwu / kung wu |
Learn New Ways From Old Onkochishin | 溫故知新 温故知新 | on ko chi shin onkochishin | wēn gù zhī xīn wen1 gu4 zhi1 xin1 wen gu zhi xin wenguzhixin | wen ku chih hsin wenkuchihhsin |
Open and Calm Mind | 虛心坦懐 虚心坦懐 | kyo shin tan kai kyoshintankai | ||
Patience Perseverance | 忍 | nin | rěn / ren3 / ren | jen |
Peace Harmony | 和 | wa | hé / he2 / he | ho |
Peaceful Chaos | 平靜的混亂 平静的混乱 | píng jìng de hùn luàn ping2 jing4 de hun4 luan4 ping jing de hun luan pingjingdehunluan | p`ing ching te hun luan pingchingtehunluan ping ching te hun luan |
|
Personal Integrity | 志操 / 誌操 志操 | shi sou / shisou / shi so | zhì cāo / zhi4 cao1 / zhi cao / zhicao | chih ts`ao / chihtsao / chih tsao |
Pure Heart | 純情 纯情 | jun jou / junjou / jun jo | chún qíng chun2 qing2 chun qing chunqing | ch`un ch`ing chunching chun ching |
Push or Knock | 反復推敲 反复推敲 | fǎn fù tuī qiāo fan3 fu4 tui1 qiao1 fan fu tui qiao fanfutuiqiao | fan fu t`ui ch`iao fanfutuichiao fan fu tui chiao |
|
Respect Honor Esteem | 尊敬 | sonkei | zūn jìng / zun1 jing4 / zun jing / zunjing | tsun ching / tsunching |
Strength and Love in Unity | 力愛不二 力爱不二 | riki ai fu ni rikiaifuni | ||
The Roar of the Lioness | 河東獅吼 河东狮吼 | hé dōng shī hǒu he2 dong1 shi1 hou3 he dong shi hou hedongshihou | ho tung shih hou hotungshihhou |
|
Safe and Sound | 平安無事 平安无事 | heian buji / heianbuji | píng ān wú shì ping2 an1 wu2 shi4 ping an wu shi pinganwushi | p`ing an wu shih pinganwushih ping an wu shih |
Serendipity Nice Coincidence | 素敵な偶然 | Su teki na guu zen Sutekinaguuzen Su teki na gu zen | ||
Serendipity Chance Discovery | 偶然の発見 | guuzen no hakken guuzennohakken guzen no haken | ||
Serendipity Happy Coincidence | 幸せな偶然 | shiawa se na guu zen shiawasenaguuzen shiawa se na gu zen | ||
Serendipity Lucky Coincidence | 幸運な偶然 | kou un na guu zen kouunnaguuzen ko un na gu zen | ||
Shit Manure Dung Feces Excrement Poop | 糞 粪 | kuso | fèn / fen4 / fen | |
Sincerity and Devotion | 至誠 至诚 | shisei | zhì chéng zhi4 cheng2 zhi cheng zhicheng | chih ch`eng chihcheng chih cheng |
Spirit Spiritual Essence | 神 | shin / kami | shén / shen2 / shen | |
When Three People Gather, Wisdom is Multiplied | 三人寄れば文殊の知恵 | san nin yore ba monju no chie sanninyorebamonjunochie | ||
True Real Genuine | 真 or 眞 真 | shin / makoto | zhēn / zhen1 / zhen | chen |
Trust in God Belief in God | 神の信仰 | kami no shin kou kaminoshinkou kami no shin ko | ||
Trust in God Faith in God | 神を信ぜよ | kami wo shin ze yo kamiwoshinzeyo | ||
The Weak are Meat, The Strong Eat | 弱肉強食 | jaku niku kyoo shoku jakunikukyooshoku jaku niku kyo shoku | ruò ròu qiáng shí ruo4 rou4 qiang2 shi2 ruo rou qiang shi ruorouqiangshi | jo jou ch`iang shih jojouchiangshih jo jou chiang shih |
Wedding | 婚 | hūn / hun1 / hun | ||
Wise and Virtuous | 賢 贤 | ken | xián / xian2 / xian | hsien |
Love Loyalty Respect | 愛忠敬 | ài zhōng jìng ai4 zhong1 jing4 ai zhong jing aizhongjing | ai chung ching aichungching |
|
The Principles of Buddhism | 佛義 佛义 | butsu gi / butsugi | fó yì / fo2 yi4 / fo yi / foyi | fo i / foi |
Realization and Knowledge | 知 | chi | zhī / zhi1 / zhi | chih |
Flower in the Mirror, Moon on Water | 鏡花水月 镜花水月 | kyou ka sui getsu kyoukasuigetsu kyo ka sui getsu | jìng huā shuǐ yuè jing4 hua1 shui3 yue4 jing hua shui yue jinghuashuiyue | ching hua shui yüeh chinghuashuiyüeh |
Ultimate Truth | 勝義 胜义 | shougi / shogi | shèng yì / sheng4 yi4 / sheng yi / shengyi | sheng i / shengi |
In some entries above you will see that characters have different versions above and below a line. In these cases, the characters above the line are Traditional Chinese, while the ones below are Simplified Chinese. |
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All of our calligraphy wall scrolls are handmade.
When the calligrapher finishes creating your artwork, it is taken to my art mounting workshop in Beijing where a wall scroll is made by hand from a combination of silk, rice paper, and wood.
After we create your wall scroll, it takes at least two weeks for air mail delivery from Beijing to you.
Allow a few weeks for delivery. Rush service speeds it up by a week or two for $10!
When you select your calligraphy, you'll be taken to another page where you can choose various custom options.
The wall scroll that Sandy is holding in this picture is a "large size"
single-character wall scroll.
We also offer custom wall scrolls in small, medium, and an even-larger jumbo size.
Professional calligraphers are getting to be hard to find these days.
Instead of drawing characters by hand, the new generation in China merely type roman letters into their computer keyboards and pick the character that they want from a list that pops up.
There is some fear that true Chinese calligraphy may become a lost art in the coming years. Many art institutes in China are now promoting calligraphy programs in hopes of keeping this unique form
of art alive.
Even with the teachings of a top-ranked calligrapher in China, my calligraphy will never be good enough to sell. I will leave that to the experts.
The same calligrapher who gave me those lessons also attracted a crowd of thousands and a TV crew as he created characters over 6-feet high. He happens to be ranked as one of the top 100 calligraphers in all of China. He is also one of very few that would actually attempt such a feat.
Check out my lists of Japanese Kanji Calligraphy Wall Scrolls and Old Korean Hanja Calligraphy Wall Scrolls.
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