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3. Opportunity Knocks Only Once
5. Hearing a Hundred Times is Not as Good as Seeing Once
6. 8. Right Concentration / Perfect Concentration
9. Bad Experience, Caution Lingers
10. Four Noble Truths: Path Leading Away From Suffering
11. Four Noble Truths: Elimination of Desire or Attachment
12. Pride
13. Purity of Mind
14. Drinking the water of a well: One should never forget who dug it
15. Fire Tiger
16. Phoenix Rise from the Ashes
18. Learn From Your Predecessors
19. Prosperity
20. Che Guevara
21. Ice / Frost
22. Smooth Sailing
23. Police / Public Security Bureau
24. Shinken Shobu
26. Appreciation of Truth by Meditation
27. Impermanence
28. Old, But More Vigorous in Spirit
29. Musashi
30. Ultimate Loyalty to Your Country
31. No Mind / Mushin
32. Confucius
33. Listen to Both Sides and be Enlightened, Listen to One Side and be in the Dark
34. Drain the pond to get all the fish
35. Tea Fate
This Japanese title can be translated as “for this time only,” “chance meeting,” “one meeting, one opportunity,” “never again,” or “one chance in a lifetime.”
The characters literally mean “one time one meeting” - of course, the Kanji characters have meaning far beyond a direct translation like this.
Some might use this proverb to talk of an opportunity that presents itself just once in your life. It could also be a one-and-only chance meeting with your true soul mate. An expression of any event that might happen once in a lifetime.
This is primarily a Japanese title, however, there is also a Traditional Chinese (and old Korean) version of this proverb. Just the last character is different.
The traditional form was used in Japan before WWII and in Korea prior to 1900. This title is somewhat known in China.
If you want the older traditional form, just click on the character to the right.
一度だけ生きる is the simplest Japanese phrase that means “[you] only live once” or “only one [life] to live.”
The first four characters create a word that means “only once.”
The last three characters create a word that means “to live” or “to exist.”
Note: Because this selection contains some special Japanese Hiragana characters, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.
百聞不如一見 is a Chinese proverb that means “Seeing once is better than hearing one hundred times” which is similar to the idea of “Seeing is believing.”
You can also get the idea, “Seeing for oneself is better than hearing from many others.”
If you break it down directly, you get “100 hears/listens (is) not as-good (as) one sight.”
Samyak Samadhi / Samma Samadhi
正定 is one of the Noble Eightfold Paths of Buddhism. Right Concentration, along with Right Effort and Right Mindfulness, constitute the path to Concentration or Perfect Thought.
Right Concentration has to do with leaving behind sensuality, unwholesome states, as well as pleasure and pain. 正定 is a complex idea, but once you have achieved the shedding of worldly sensation, you can truly concentrate and find a higher level of awareness.
Another definition: Concentration of mind that finds its high point in the four absorptions.
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.
See Also: Buddhism | Enlightenment | Noble Eightfold Path
百聞は一見に如かず is the Japanese version of an ancient Chinese proverb that means “Seeing once is better than hearing one hundred times.”
It is the rough equivalent of “seeing is believing,” “one eye-witness is better than many hearsays,” or “a picture is worth a thousand words.”
Sometimes it's simply more prudent to verify with your own eyes.
Note: Because this selection contains some special Japanese Hiragana characters, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.
百聞不如一見 is a proverb that means “Better to see something once rather than hear about it one hundred times” or “Telling me about something 100 times is not as good as seeing it once.”
In English, we have the similar proverb of “Seeing is believing” but this has a bit of the “A picture paints a thousand words” meaning too.
Sometimes it's simply more prudent to verify with your own eyes.
Mizu No Kokoro
水の心 is the Japanese Buddhist and martial arts phrase, “Mizu no Kokoro,” which means “mind like water” or “heart of water.”
The phrase is a metaphor describing the pond that clearly reflects its surroundings when calm but whose images are obscured once a pebble is dropped into its waters.
A bird wounded by an arrow
傷弓之鳥 means “bird wounded by an arrow.”
Figuratively, this refers to a wounded or damaged person. It's very similar to the western proverb, “a person once bitten is twice shy.” To explain further, this is about someone who has become overly cautious due to a bad experience.
This phrase is used in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean.
Magga
道諦 is the idea that once you have dealt with your desires and left all desire and attachment behind, only then are you on the path away from suffering (and on your way to enlightenment).
道諦 is also called the path to liberation in some English texts on Buddhism.
This term is exclusively used by devout Buddhists. It is not a common term, and is remains an unknown concept to most Chinese, Japanese and Korean people.
See Also: Buddhism | Enlightenment
Nirodha
滅諦 suggests that once you eliminate desire or attachment to worldly things, only then can you achieve enlightenment.
Realize that things are impermanent. That fancy car, beautiful spouse, big house, and impressive career are things you can't take with you. These things are a flash in the pan compared to the infinite span of history, generations to come, time, and space.
This term is exclusively used by devout Buddhists. It is not a common term, and is remains an unknown concept to most Japanese, Korean, and Chinese people.
See Also: Buddhism | Enlightenment
自尊 can mean “pride,” “self-respect,” or “self-esteem.” The first character means “oneself,” and the second can mean revered, valuable, precious, noble, exalted, honorable, or simply “pride.”
I have also seen this two-character word translated as “amour propre,” self-regard, and self-pride.
自尊 is universal between Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and Korean Hanja written languages. It may also be understood in old Vietnamese (they once used Chinese characters as well).
心澄淨 is the Buddhist concept of the pure and calm mind. It is believed that once you achieve a meditative state of pure focused thought, the mind becomes clear and calm. Although, others will say this means that achieving a calm mind will allow you to reach pure thought.
From Sanskrit, this is known as citta-prasāda. The concept of citta-prasāda is sometimes defined as “clear heart-mind,” or “the single and definitive aspiration.”
This proverb suggests that one should always be grateful to those who helped one succeed.
And remember your ancestors and those that came before you whose sacrifices made your present life better.
Some Chinese will separate the intended meaning from this proverb and translate this as “Don't forget the people who once helped you.” In Modern China, this idiom is virtually never used to refer to an actual well.
Note: This can be pronounced in Korean but it's not a commonly used phrase.
火虎 is the Chinese and Japanese title for “fire tiger.”
If you were born between 9 Feb 1986 and 28 Jan 1987, or between 13 Feb 1926 and 1 Feb 1927, you are a fire tiger according to the Chinese Zodiac.
There are 12 animals and 5 elements in the cycle. Therefore, the fire tiger comes around once every 60 years. The next will be in 2046.
The branch of the zodiac for tiger is written 寅 when dating ancient documents and artwork, but 虎 is the way to write the character for an actual tiger.
鳳凰涅磐 is a proverb that suggests “Legendary Phoenix rises from the ashes.” It means “Legendary Phoenix [reaches] Nirvana.”
There is a legend in China of a great bird reborn once every 500 years. This bird gathers all the ill will, suffering, desire, and other negative things of the world. The bird then plunges into the fire to burn away all negative things, sacrificing itself in the process (achieving Nirvana, or perhaps allowing others the opportunity to reach Nirvana).
500 years later, the phoenix is reborn from the ashes again, and the cycle repeats.
四諦 is the title of the Four Noble Truths as taught in virtually all sects of Buddhism.
These truths are suffering (dukkha), desire/attachment (samudaya), release from desire/attachment (nirodha), and the path leading away from suffering (magga).
The suggestion behind these truths is that all things in nature suffer. All things in nature have desire and attachment for things in the physical world. The enlightened can release themselves from the bonds of desire and attachment. And finally, once they release all desire and attachment, the enlightened will find a path that leads away from suffering.
This term is exclusively used by devout Buddhists. It is not a common term, and is remains an unknown concept to most Japanese, Chinese, and Korean people.
See Also: Buddhism | Enlightenment
When the cart in front overturns, be cautious with your own
前車之覆后車之鑒 is a Chinese proverb that suggests looking at the circumstances and toils of those you proceeded before you and learning from their experience.
This more literally means “the cart in front overturns, a warning to the following cart.”
This is figuratively translated as “draw a lesson from the failure of one's predecessor,” “learn from past mistakes,” or compared to the English idiom, “once bitten twice shy.”
Other more-direct translations:
Make the overturning of the chariot in front a warning for the chariot behind.
Learn caution through an unpleasant experience.
The wrecked coach in front should be a warning.
The overturned cart in front serves as a warning to the carts behind.
(also means salary)
祿 is occasionally used in China to mean prosperity or good fortune.
祿 once meant the “official's salary” in old feudal China and Korea (obviously, the officials lived well, so you can imagine how this was associated with the idea of being prosperous).
祿 is only used in Korean historical documents for “salary.” In old Japanese, this means fief, allowance, stipend, reward, pension, grant, and sometimes happiness depending on context. It's very obscure in modern Japanese.
We have other entries that are better suited for a prosperity wall scroll. This entry just addresses “the coffee cup issue” where this character has been used on coffee cups and tee-shirts. However, without context, the meaning is ambiguous to some.
Latin American / Cuban Revolutionary
切格瓦拉 is the name “Che Guevara,” as written (transliterated) in Mandarin Chinese.
Once revered by Chinese people as a Socialist rebel, he's now just a historical figure that school children briefly learn about in China.
切格瓦拉 is because China used to be a truly-Communist/Socialist nation, and thus, other Communists and Socialists were heroes.
In modern China, with its free-market economy, those former heroes fade a little.
We are not offering the “Che” character alone, as few would associate it with Che Guevara, so you need the full name to be clear (minus Ernesto, which is his real first name).
冰 is the Japanese Kanji for “ice” or “frost.”
冰 is also the way to write “ice” in old Korean Hanja.
Note: This form is not commonly used anymore in Chinese - though still understood for the most part.
FYI: There was a time when Japan did not have a written language and simply absorbed Chinese characters into their language by meaning. When this occurred around the 5th century, the character shown here was a common but alternate way to write “ice” in Chinese, so it was the one that ended up being absorbed into the Japanese language. Not long after that, a similar thing happened in Korea - although Korea has replaced virtually all of the Chinese characters they once used with the new Hangul writing system.
一帆風順 is just what you think it means. It suggests that you are on a trouble-free voyage through life, or literally on a sailing ship or sailboat. It is often used in China as a wish for good luck on a voyage or as you set out on a new quest or career in your life. Some may use this in place of “bon voyage.”
The literal meaning is “Once you raise your sail, you will get the wind you need, and it will take you where you want to go.” Another way to translate it is “Your sail and the wind follow your will.”
This is a great gift for a mariner, sailor, adventurer, or someone starting a new career.
Note: Can be understood in Korean Hanja but is rarely used.
See Also: Bon Voyage | Adventure | Travel
公安 is the Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja title for (The Ministry of) Public Security. 公安 can also generally mean public safety, public security, or public welfare. It is a positive term in Japan, where some even name their daughters “Kouan” (this title).
In China, this is the kinder name for the PSB or Public Security Bureau. It's really the national police of China - occasionally brutal and seldom properly-trained or educated. Once in a while, you find a PSB officer who lives up to the title of 公安. Before the 1989 massacre, it was the PSB officers who refused to stop nor kill any of the protesting college students (so they're not all bad). The Chinese government had to call in soldiers from Inner Mongolia to kill thousands of protesters.
Death Match
In modern Japanese, 真剣勝負 means to take something very seriously.
The literal and historical meaning is “real sword battle.” In old times, a Samurai apprentice would practice with a wooden practice sword. Once trained and qualified, they would wield a real steel sword made for battle and killing. They were ready for a “death match” or Shinken Shobu.
真剣 is an adjective that has come to mean serious/earnest. The literal translation is “real sword.”
勝負 in the simplest terms, means match, contest, game, or bout. Depending on the context, it could also mean victory or defeat, winning and losing, or the outcome of a battle.
There is a suggestion in Shinken Shobu that you train with serious and real intent, as we should train with the same fervor and dedication as if the battle was real. “Train as we fight.”
See Also: The More We Sweat in Training the Less We Bleed in Battle | Cry in the Dojo - Laugh on the Battlefield
入木三分 is a four-character Chinese proverb that translates in English to a strong form of “profound” or “written with a forceful hand.”
But there is much more to the story...
The deep meaning behind this proverb comes from a man named Wan Xizhi, who lived in the third century.
He was a great writer and calligrapher whose writing style influenced generations of other writers and calligraphers.
He once wrote words on a piece of wood to be taken to an engraver.
When the engraver began to carve the characters into the wood, he found that Wang Xizhi's writing had penetrated the wood about 3/8 of an inch.
Thus people believed that his words were so powerful and profound that they caused the ink from his brush to penetrate the wood deeply.
The proverb literally means “penetrated wood three fen” (A fen is an ancient Chinese measurement of a little over 1/8 of an inch or almost 4mm).
心印 is a Buddhist concept that simply stated is “appreciation of truth by meditation.”
It's a deep subject, but my understanding is that you can find truth through meditation, and once you've found the truth, you can learn to appreciate it more through further meditation. This title is not commonly used outside of the Buddhist community (your Asian friends may or may not understand it). The literal translation would be something like “the mind seal,” I've seen this term translated this way from Japanese Buddhist poetry. But apparently, the seal that is stamped deep in your mind is the truth. You just have to meditate to find it.
Soothill defines it this way: Mental impression, intuitive certainty; the mind is the Buddha-mind in all, which can seal or assure the truth; the term indicates the intuitive method of the Chan (Zen) school, which was independent of the spoken or written word.
Reference: Soothill-Hodous Dictionary of Chinese Buddhism
See Also: Zen
無常 is the state of being “not permanent,” “not enduring,” transitory, or evolving.
It can also mean variable or changeable. In some contexts, it can refer to a ghost that is supposed to take a soul upon death. Following that, this term can also mean to pass away or die.
In the Buddhist context, this is a reminder that everything in this world is ever-changing, and all circumstances of your life are temporary.
If you take the Buddhist philosophy further, none of these circumstances are real, and your existence is an illusion. Thus, the idea of the eternal soul is perhaps just your attachment to your ego. Once you release your attachment to all impermanent things, you will be on your way to enlightenment and Buddhahood.
Language notes for this word when used outside the context of Buddhism:
In Korean Hanja, this means uncertainty, transiency, mutability, or evanescent.
In Japanese, the definition orbits closer to the state of being uncertain.
Age is just a number
老當益壯 is a Chinese proverb that means “old but vigorous” or “hale and hearty despite the years.”
Said of someone who is more spirited when he/she grows older.
The story behind this Chinese proverb:
In the Eastern Han Dynasty, there was a man named Ma Yuan. He had been planning to herd animals on the frontier since he was young. When he grew up, Ma became a minor official of a county.
Once, he was sending some prisoners to another location. He felt pity for them, so he set them free, and then he fled to another county in the north. He herded animals there, and thus his dream came true. He always said: “If you want to be a great man, the poorer you are, the firmer in spirit you have to be; the older you are, the more spirited you should be.”
Later, when he was even older, Ma Yuan became a famous general of the Eastern Han Dynasty and contributed to many battles.
The most famous Samurai
Miyamoto Musashi is probably the most famous Samurai in all of Japanese history.
武蔵 is the short title for a man long in legend. While coming from a lower class, his new sword and fighting techniques put him on par with the best that feudal Japan had to offer. His long career started with his first duel at age 13!
He is credited with using two swords at once and never losing a single battle in his career. After becoming a Buddhist, and getting older, like many old warriors, he took up a peaceful and solitary life until his death around 1645 A.D.
Note: Technically, Musashi is his given name, and Miyamoto is his surname. However, it's suggested that he assumed both of these names and had a few other names in childhood, as well as being given a Buddhist name. It's hard to know what to call him, as with most Kanji, there are multiple pronunciations. The characters for Musashi can also be pronounced Takezō. But everyone in modern times seems to know him by the name Musashi.
The most famous tattoo in Chinese history
盡忠報國 is a proverb that is the tattoo worn on the back of Yue Fei, a famous Chinese warrior who lived until 1142 A.D.
The tattoo can be translated as “Serve the country with the utmost loyalty.” More literally, it means “[The] Ultimate Loyalty [is too] Duty [of] Country.”
Legend has it that this tattoo once saved his life when he was accused of treason.
The first two characters have come to create a word that means “serve the country faithfully” or “die for the country.” Note: It's more a willingness to die for one's country than the actual act of dying.
The last two characters have come to mean “Dedicate oneself to the service of one's country.”
Both of these words are probably only in the Chinese lexicon because of this famous tattoo.
If you break it down, character-by-character, here is what you get:
1. To the utmost, to the limit of something, the ultimate.
2. Loyalty or duty (a sense of duty to one's master, lord, country, or job).
3. Report, recompense, give back to (in this case, you are giving yourself to your country as payback).
4. Country, state, nation, kingdom.
In Japanese, 無心 means innocent or without knowledge of good and evil. It literally means “without mind.”
無心 is one of the five spirits of the warrior (budo) and is often used as a Japanese martial arts tenet. Under that context, places such as the Budo Dojo define it this way: “No mind, a mind without ego. A mind like a mirror which reflects and dos not judge.” The original term was “mushin no shin,” meaning “mind of no mind.” It is a state of mind without fear, anger, or anxiety. Mushin is often described by the phrase “Mizu no Kokoro,” which means “mind like water.” The phrase is a metaphor describing the pond that clearly reflects its surroundings when calm but whose images are obscured once a pebble is dropped into its waters.
This has a good meaning in conjunction with Chan / Zen Buddhism in Japan. However, out of that context, it means mindlessness or absent-mindedness. To non-Buddhists in China, this is associated with doing something without thinking.
In Korean, this usually means indifference.
Use caution and know your audience before ordering this selection.
More info: Wikipedia: Mushin
孔子 is how to write the name of the great sage, known in the West as Confucius.
His real name is Kongzi (The name Confucius is a westernized version of his name - his family name is Kong, and “zi” was added as a title of distinction).
He lived some 2500 years ago in Qufu, a town in modern-day Shandong Province of Northern China (about 6 hours south of Beijing by bus). He was a consort to Emperors, and after his death, the impact of his philosophies still served to advise emperors, officials, and common people for generations.
Also during these thousands of years, the Kong family remained powerful in China, and the Kong estate was much like the Vatican in Rome. The Kong estate existed as if on sovereign ground with its own small garrison of guards and the privileges of a kingdom within an empire.
This was true up until the time the Kong family had to flee to Taiwan in 1949 when the Red Army took victory over the Nationalists during the Revolution. The home of Confucius was later razed and all statues were defaced or stolen during the Cultural Revolution. Finally, after years of smearing his name and image, it is once again okay to celebrate the teachings of Confucius in mainland China.
Known as Khổng Tử in Vietnamese.
兼聽則明偏聽則暗 is an ancient Chinese proverb about getting all the information from all sides so that you truly understand a situation.
Wei Zheng
A man named Wei Zheng lived between 580-643 AD. He was a noble and wise historian and minister in the court of the early Tang Dynasty. The emperor once asked him, “What should an emperor do to understand the real-world situation, and what makes an emperor out-of-touch with reality?”
Wei Zheng replied, “Listen to both sides and you will be enlightened; listen to only one side and you will be left in the dark.”
Then Wei Zheng went on to cite examples of leaders in history that were victorious after heeding both sides of the story, and other leaders that met their doom because they believed one-sided stories which often came from flattering lips.
Please note that there is an unwritten rule when the same character appears twice in the same phrase, the calligrapher will alter the appearance so that no two characters are exactly alike in the same piece. This calligraphy has two repeating characters that will be written differently than they appear here.
Kill the goose that lays the golden eggs
In 632 BC, Duke Wen of the Kingdom of Jin was about to lead an army against the forces of the Kingdom of Chu.
The Duke asked one of his advisers, Jiu Fan, how they could win the impending battle, as they were drastically outnumbered.
Jiu Fan said, “All is fair in war,” and suggested a plan of dishonorable tactics (cheating).
The Duke was unsure of this advice, so he asked another adviser, Yong Ji, who replied, “If you catch fish by draining the pond, you can certainly get all the fish. But there will be no fish the following year. You can cheat this one time in battle, but such tactics can only be used once, as the enemy will be wise in future encounters.”
The Duke heard the words of his wiser adviser but cheated to gain victory in the battle. However, he rewarded Yong Ji more than Jiu Fan at the victory celebration, stating that while Jiu Fan's advice gained one victory, the wise words of Yong Ji would last forever.
This Chinese idiom/proverb is still used, over 2600 years later to remind people not to burn bridges, cheat, or dishonor themselves in exchange for a short-term gain while sacrificing the future.
竭澤而漁 is very similar to the meaning of the English phrase, “Kill the goose that lays the golden eggs.”
茶緣 is a special title for the tea lover. This kind of means “tea fate,” but it's more spiritual and hard to define. Perhaps the tea brought you in to drink it. Perhaps the tea will bring you and another tea-lover together. Perhaps you were already there, and the tea came to you. Perhaps it's the ah-ha moment you will have when drinking the tea.
I've been told not to explain this further, as it will either dilute or confuse the purposefully-ambiguous idea embedded in this enigma.
I happen to be the owner of a piece of calligraphy written by either the son or nephew of the last emperor of China, which is the title he wrote. It was given to me at a Beijing tea house in 2001. 茶緣 is where I learned to love tea after literally spending weeks tasting and studying everything I could about Chinese tea. I did not understand the significance of the authorship or the meaning of the title at all. Some 10 years later, I realized the gift was so profound and had such providence. Only now do I realize the value of a gift that it is too late to give proper thanks for. It was also years later that I ended up in this business and could have the artwork properly mounted as a wall scroll. It has been borrowed for many exhibitions and shows and always amazes native Chinese and Taiwanese who read the signature. This piece of calligraphy I once thought was just a bit of ink on a thin and wrinkled piece of paper, is now one of my most valued possessions. And fate has taught me to be more thankful for seemingly simple gifts.
It's Never Too Late Too Mend
Long ago in what is now China, there were many kingdoms throughout the land. This time period is known as “The Warring States Period” by historians because these kingdoms often did not get along with each other.
Sometime around 279 B.C. the Kingdom of Chu was a large but not particularly powerful kingdom. Part of the reason it lacked power was the fact that the King was surrounded by “yes men” who told him only what he wanted to hear. Many of the King's court officials were corrupt and incompetent which did not help the situation.
The King was not blameless himself, as he started spending much of his time being entertained by his many concubines.
One of the King's ministers, Zhuang Xin, saw problems on the horizon for the Kingdom, and warned the King, “Your Majesty, you are surrounded by people who tell you what you want to hear. They tell you things to make you happy and cause you to ignore important state affairs. If this is allowed to continue, the Kingdom of Chu will surely perish, and fall into ruins.”
This enraged the King who scolded Zhuang Xin for insulting the country and accused him of trying to create resentment among the people. Zhuang Xin explained, “I dare not curse the Kingdom of Chu but I feel that we face great danger in the future because of the current situation.” The King was simply not impressed with Zhuang Xin's words.
Seeing the King's displeasure with him and the King's fondness for his court of corrupt officials, Zhuang Xin asked permission from the King that he may take leave of the Kingdom of Chu, and travel to the State of Zhao to live. The King agreed, and Zhuang Xin left the Kingdom of Chu, perhaps forever.
Five months later, troops from the neighboring Kingdom of Qin invaded Chu, taking a huge tract of land. The King of Chu went into exile, and it appeared that soon, the Kingdom of Chu would no longer exist.
The King of Chu remembered the words of Zhuang Xin and sent some of his men to find him. Immediately, Zhuang Xin returned to meet the King. The first question asked by the King was “What can I do now?”
Zhuang Xin told the King this story:
A shepherd woke one morning to find a sheep missing. Looking at the pen saw a hole in the fence where a wolf had come through to steal one of his sheep. His friends told him that he had best fix the hole at once. But the Shepherd thought since the sheep is already gone, there is no use fixing the hole.
The next morning, another sheep was missing. And the Shepherd realized that he must mend the fence at once. Zhuang Xin then went on to make suggestions about what could be done to reclaim the land lost to the Kingdom of Qin, and reclaim the former glory and integrity of the Kingdom of Chu.
The Chinese idiom shown above came from this reply from Zhuang Xin to the King of Chu almost 2,300 years ago.
It translates roughly into English as...
“Even if you have lost some sheep, it's never too late to mend the fence.”
This proverb, 亡羊补牢犹未为晚, is often used in modern China when suggesting in a hopeful way that someone change their ways, or fix something in their life. It might be used to suggest fixing a marriage, quitting smoking, or getting back on track after taking an unfortunate path in life among other things one might fix in their life.
I suppose in the same way that we might say, “Today is the first day of the rest of your life” in our western cultures to suggest that you can always start anew.
Note: This does have Korean pronunciation but is not a well-known proverb in Korean (only Koreans familiar with ancient Chinese history would know it). Best if your audience is Chinese.
Persistence to overcome all challenges
百折不撓 is a Chinese proverb that means “Be undaunted in the face of repeated setbacks.”
More directly translated, it reads, “[Overcome] a hundred setbacks, without flinching.” 百折不撓 is of Chinese origin but is commonly used in Japanese and somewhat in Korean (same characters, different pronunciation).
This proverb comes from a long, and occasionally tragic story of a man that lived sometime around 25-220 AD. His name was Qiao Xuan, and he never stooped to flattery but remained an upright person at all times. He fought to expose the corruption of higher-level government officials at great risk to himself.
Then when he was at a higher level in the Imperial Court, bandits were regularly capturing hostages and demanding ransoms. But when his own son was captured, he was so focused on his duty to the Emperor and the common good that he sent a platoon of soldiers to raid the bandits' hideout, and stop them once and for all even at the risk of his own son's life. While all of the bandits were arrested in the raid, they killed Qiao Xuan's son at first sight of the raiding soldiers.
Near the end of his career, a new Emperor came to power, and Qiao Xuan reported to him that one of his ministers was bullying the people and extorting money from them. The new Emperor refused to listen to Qiao Xuan and even promoted the corrupt Minister. Qiao Xuan was so disgusted that in protest, he resigned from his post as minister (something almost never done) and left for his home village.
His tombstone reads “Bai Zhe Bu Nao” which is now a proverb used in Chinese culture to describe a person of strong will who puts up stubborn resistance against great odds.
My Chinese-English dictionary defines these 4 characters as “keep on fighting despite all setbacks,” “be undaunted by repeated setbacks,” and “be indomitable.”
Our translator says it can mean “never give up” in modern Chinese.
Although the first two characters are translated correctly as “repeated setbacks,” the literal meaning is “100 setbacks” or “a rope that breaks 100 times.” The last two characters can mean “do not yield” or “do not give up.”
Most Chinese, Japanese, and Korean people will not take this absolutely literal meaning but will instead understand it as the title suggests above. If you want a single big word definition, it would be indefatigability, indomitableness, persistence, or unyielding.
See Also: Tenacity | Fortitude | Strength | Perseverance | Persistence
This in-stock artwork might be what you are looking for, and ships right away...
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These search terms might be related to Once:
Attack When the Enemy Has Low Morale
Faith is the Bird That Feels the Light When the Dawn is Still Dark
Undaunted After Repeated Setbacks
When the Sun Rises It First Shines on the Highest Mountain
When Three People Gather, One Becomes a Teacher
When Three People Gather, Wisdom is Multiplied
The following table may be helpful for those studying Chinese or Japanese...
Title | Characters | Romaji (Romanized Japanese) | Various forms of Romanized Chinese | |
Once in a Lifetime | 一期一會 一期一会 | ichigo ichie ichigoichie | yī qī yī huì yi1 qi1 yi1 hui4 yi qi yi hui yiqiyihui | i ch`i i hui ichiihui i chi i hui |
You Only Live Once | 一度だけ生きる | ichi do da ke i ki ru ichidodakeikiru | ||
Opportunity Knocks Only Once | 機會隻敲一次門 机会只敲一次门 | jī huì zhǐ qiāo yī cì mén ji1 hui4 zhi3 qiao1 yi1 ci4 men2 ji hui zhi qiao yi ci men jihuizhiqiaoyicimen | chi hui chih ch`iao i tz`u men chihuichihchiaoitzumen chi hui chih chiao i tzu men |
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Opportunity Knocks Only Once | 機不可失時不再來 机不可失时不再来 | jī bù kě shī shí bù zài lái ji1 bu4 ke3 shi1 shi2 bu4 zai4 lai2 ji bu ke shi shi bu zai lai jibukeshishibuzailai | chi pu k`o shih shih pu tsai lai chipukoshihshihputsailai chi pu ko shih shih pu tsai lai |
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You Only Live Once | 生命隻有一次 生命只有一次 | shēng mìng zhǐ yǒu yí cì sheng1 ming4 zhi3 you3 yi2 ci4 sheng ming zhi you yi ci shengmingzhiyouyici | sheng ming chih yu i tz`u shengmingchihyuitzu sheng ming chih yu i tzu |
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Hearing a Hundred Times is Not as Good as Seeing Once | 百聞不如一見 百闻不如一见 | bǎi wén bù rú yī jiàn bai3 wen2 bu4 ru2 yi1 jian4 bai wen bu ru yi jian baiwenburuyijian | pai wen pu ju i chien paiwenpujuichien |
|
8. Right Concentration Perfect Concentration | 正定 | sei jou / seijou / sei jo | zhèng dìng zheng4 ding4 zheng ding zhengding | cheng ting chengting |
Seeing is Believing | 百聞は一見に如かず | hyakubun wa ikken ni shikazu hyakubunwaikkennishikazu hyakubun wa iken ni shikazu | ||
Seeing is Believing | 百聞不如一見 百闻不如一见 | bǎi wén bù rú yí jiàn bai3 wen2 bu4 ru2 yi2 jian4 bai wen bu ru yi jian baiwenburuyijian | pai wen pu ju i chien paiwenpujuichien |
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Mind Like Water | 水の心 | mizu no kokoro mizunokokoro | ||
Bad Experience, Caution Lingers | 傷弓之鳥 伤弓之鸟 | shou kyuu no tori shoukyuunotori sho kyu no tori | shāng gōng zhī niǎo shang1 gong1 zhi1 niao3 shang gong zhi niao shanggongzhiniao | shang kung chih niao shangkungchihniao |
Four Noble Truths: Path Leading Away From Suffering | 道諦 道谛 | doutai / dotai | dào dì / dao4 di4 / dao di / daodi | tao ti / taoti |
Four Noble Truths: Elimination of Desire or Attachment | 滅諦 灭谛 | mettai | miè dì / mie4 di4 / mie di / miedi | mieh ti / miehti |
Pride | 自尊 | jison | zì zūn / zi4 zun1 / zi zun / zizun | tzu tsun / tzutsun |
Purity of Mind | 心澄淨 | shin chou jou shinchoujou shin cho jo | xīn chéng jìng xin1 cheng2 jing4 xin cheng jing xinchengjing | hsin ch`eng ching hsinchengching hsin cheng ching |
Drinking the water of a well: One should never forget who dug it | 吃水不忘掘井人 | chī shuǐ bú wàng jué jǐng rén chi1 shui3 bu2 wang4 jue2 jing3 ren2 chi shui bu wang jue jing ren chishuibuwangjuejingren | ch`ih shui pu wang chüeh ching jen chih shui pu wang chüeh ching jen |
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Fire Tiger | 火虎 | hi tora / hitora | huǒ hǔ / huo3 hu3 / huo hu / huohu | |
Phoenix Rise from the Ashes | 鳳凰涅磐 凤凰涅磐 | fèng huáng niè pán feng4 huang2 nie4 pan2 feng huang nie pan fenghuangniepan | feng huang nieh p`an fenghuangniehpan feng huang nieh pan |
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Four Noble Truths (Buddhism) | 四諦 四谛 | shitai | sì dì / si4 di4 / si di / sidi | ssu ti / ssuti |
Learn From Your Predecessors | 前車之覆后車之鑒 前车之覆后车之鉴 | qián chē zhī fù hòu chē zhī jiàn qian2 che1 zhi1 fu4 hou4 che1 zhi1 jian4 qian che zhi fu hou che zhi jian | ch`ien ch`e chih fu hou ch`e chih chien chien che chih fu hou che chih chien |
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Prosperity | 祿 禄 | fuchi | lù / lu4 / lu | |
Che Guevara | 切格瓦拉 | qiè gé wǎ lā qie4 ge2 wa3 la1 qie ge wa la qiegewala | ch`ieh ko wa la chiehkowala chieh ko wa la |
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Ice Frost | 冰 氷 | koori / kori | bīng / bing1 / bing | ping |
Smooth Sailing | 一帆風順 一帆风顺 | yī fán fēng shùn yi1 fan2 feng1 shun4 yi fan feng shun yifanfengshun | i fan feng shun ifanfengshun |
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Police Public Security Bureau | 公安 | kou an / kouan / ko an | gōng ān / gong1 an1 / gong an / gongan | kung an / kungan |
Shinken Shobu | 真剣勝負 | shinken shoubu shinkenshoubu shinken shobu | ||
Profound Powerful Words | 入木三分 | rù mù sān fēn ru4 mu4 san1 fen1 ru mu san fen rumusanfen | ju mu san fen jumusanfen |
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Appreciation of Truth by Meditation | 心印 | shin nin / shinnin | xīn yìn / xin1 yin4 / xin yin / xinyin | hsin yin / hsinyin |
Impermanence | 無常 无常 | mujou / mujo | wú cháng / wu2 chang2 / wu chang / wuchang | wu ch`ang / wuchang / wu chang |
Old, But More Vigorous in Spirit | 老當益壯 老当益壮 | lǎo dāng yì zhuàng lao3 dang1 yi4 zhuang4 lao dang yi zhuang laodangyizhuang | lao tang i chuang laotangichuang |
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Musashi | 武蔵 | mu sashi / musashi | ||
Ultimate Loyalty to Your Country | 盡忠報國 尽忠报国 | jìn zhōng bào guó jin4 zhong1 bao4 guo2 jin zhong bao guo jinzhongbaoguo | chin chung pao kuo chinchungpaokuo |
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No Mind Mushin | 無心 无心 | mu shin / mushin | wú xīn / wu2 xin1 / wu xin / wuxin | wu hsin / wuhsin |
Confucius | 孔子 | koushi / koshi | kǒng zǐ / kong3 zi3 / kong zi / kongzi | k`ung tzu / kungtzu / kung tzu |
Listen to Both Sides and be Enlightened, Listen to One Side and be in the Dark | 兼聽則明偏聽則暗 兼听则明偏听则暗 | jiān tīng zé míng, piān tīng zé àn jian1 ting1 ze2 ming2, pian1 ting1 ze2 an4 jian ting ze ming, pian ting ze an | chien t`ing tse ming, p`ien t`ing tse an chien ting tse ming, pien ting tse an |
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Drain the pond to get all the fish | 竭澤而漁 竭泽而渔 | jié zé ér yú jie2 ze2 er2 yu2 jie ze er yu jiezeeryu | chieh tse erh yü chiehtseerhyü |
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Tea Fate | 茶緣 茶缘 | chá yuán / cha2 yuan2 / cha yuan / chayuan | ch`a yüan / chayüan / cha yüan | |
Better Late Than Never | 亡羊補牢猶未為晚 亡羊补牢犹未为晚 | wáng yáng bǔ láo yóu wèi wéi wǎn wang2 yang2 bu3 lao2 you2 wei4 wei2 wan3 wang yang bu lao you wei wei wan | wang yang pu lao yu wei wei wan wangyangpulaoyuweiweiwan |
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Undaunted After Repeated Setbacks | 百折不撓 百折不挠 | hyaku setsu su tou hyakusetsusutou hyaku setsu su to | bǎi zhé bù náo bai3 zhe2 bu4 nao2 bai zhe bu nao baizhebunao | pai che pu nao paichepunao |
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. |
Successful Chinese Character and Japanese Kanji calligraphy searches within the last few hours...
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.
Some people may refer to this entry as Once Kanji, Once Characters, Once in Mandarin Chinese, Once Characters, Once in Chinese Writing, Once in Japanese Writing, Once in Asian Writing, Once Ideograms, Chinese Once symbols, Once Hieroglyphics, Once Glyphs, Once in Chinese Letters, Once Hanzi, Once in Japanese Kanji, Once Pictograms, Once in the Chinese Written-Language, or Once in the Japanese Written-Language.