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3. You are who you hang out with
4. Daodejing / Tao Te Ching - Chapter 33
5. Stay Strong / Indestructible / Unbreakable
6. Discipline
7. Furinkazan
14. Unbreakable
美麗的女人 is the best and most polite way to express “beautiful woman” in Chinese.
Note: Some people may like the simple 2-character 美女 way to express this, but there are some bad connotations with that, so better to stay with this longer and more respectful title.
See Also: Beautiful Girl | Beauty
冷靜 means calm and cool-headed in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean.
Other translations: calmness, composure, coolness, serenity, tranquility.
冷靜 is a good wall scroll for someone that wants to remind themselves to stay calm and level-headed.
See Also: Sober Calm
金似金挨玉似玉 is a Chinese proverb that literally translates as: [One who is] close to gold [is] like gold [and one who is] close to jade [is] like jade.
Figuratively, this means:
A good environment produces good people.
People are influenced by the company they keep.
Basically, if you hang out with good people, you are likely to become or stay good yourself. The opposite also is true. 挨This is like the moral version of “You are what you eat.”
Note: In Japanese, they have a similar phrase, 類は友を呼ぶ (rui wa tomo o yobu) Birds of a feather flock together. However, this is not a good meaning, so we’re not offering it for wall scrolls.
This is referred to as passage or chapter 33 of the Dao De Jing (often Romanized as “Tao Te Ching”).
These are the words of the philosopher Laozi (Lao Tzu).
Notes:
During our research, the Chinese characters shown here are probably the most accurate to the original text of Laozi. These were taken for the most part from the Mawangdui 1973 and Guodan 1993 manuscripts which pre-date other Daodejing texts by about 1000 years.
Grammar was a little different in Laozi’s time. So you should consider this to be the ancient Chinese version. Some have modernized this passage by adding, removing, or swapping articles and changing the grammar (we felt the oldest and most original version would be more desirable). You may find other versions printed in books or online - sometimes these modern texts are simply used to explain to Chinese people what the original text really means.
This language issue can be compared in English by thinking how the King James (known as the Authorized version in Great Britain) Bible from 1611 was written, and comparing it to modern English. Now imagine that the Daodejing was probably written around 403 BCE (2000 years before the King James Version of the Bible). To a Chinese person, the original Daodejing reads like text that is 3 times more detached compared to Shakespeare’s English is to our modern-day speech.
Extended notes:
While on this Biblical text comparison, it should be noted, that just like the Bible, all the original texts of the Daodejing were lost or destroyed long ago. Just as with the scripture used to create the Bible, various manuscripts exist, many with variations or copyist errors. Just as the earliest New Testament scripture (incomplete) is from 170 years after Christ, the earliest Daodejing manuscript (incomplete) is from 100-200 years after the death of Laozi.
The reason that the originals were lost probably has a lot to do with the first Qin Emperor. Upon taking power and unifying China, he ordered the burning and destruction of all books (scrolls/rolls) except those pertaining to Chinese medicine and a few other subjects. The surviving Daodejing manuscripts were either hidden on purpose or simply forgotten about. Some were not unearthed until as late as 1993.
We compared a lot of research by various archeologists and historians before deciding on this as the most accurate and correct version. But one must allow that it may not be perfect, or the actual and original as from the hand of Laozi himself.
金剛不壞 is originally a Buddhist term for “The diamond indestructible.”
Sometimes, it's written 金剛不壞身, The diamond-indestructible body.
Outside that context, it still means firm and solid, sturdy and indestructible, unshakable, or adamantine (a mythological indestructible material).
Note: If you order this from the Japanese master calligrapher, the last Kanji will look like the one shown to the right.
紀律 is a Chinese and Korean word that conveys the idea of extreme self-control and perhaps self-sacrifice, and obedience.
This word matches the kind of “discipline” I was in the Marine Corps. There is also an additional idea of maintaining order or being orderly in your tasks.
This idea would also fit an athlete training for the Olympics who gives up many pleasures to stay focused on their training.
See Also: Self-Control | Will-Power
military strategy
風林火山 is the battle strategy and proverb of Japanese feudal lord Takeda Shingen (1521-1573 AD).
This came from the Art of War by Chinese strategist and tactician Sun Tzu (Sunzi).
You can think of this as an abbreviation to remind officers and troops how to conduct battle.
風林火山 is a word list: Wind, Forest, Fire, Mountain.
The more expanded meaning is supposed to be...
“Swift as the wind, quiet as the forest, fierce as fire, and immovable as a mountain”
“As fast as the wind, as quiet as the forest, as daring as fire, and immovable as the mountain”
“Move as swift as the wind, stay as silent as a forest, attack as fierce as fire, undefeatable defense like a mountain”
“Move swiftly like the wind, stay silent like the forest, attack fiercely like fire, take a tactical position on the mountain”
See Also: Art of War
Home away from home
This Chinese phrase suggests that a good host will make guests feel like they are returning home or are as comfortable as they would be at their own homes.
賓至如歸 is also the Chinese equivalent of “a home away from home,” and is used by Chinese hotels, guest houses, and inns to suggest the level of their hospitality that will make you feel at home during your stay.
Zanshin
First off, 殘心 should only be used in the context of Japanese martial arts. In Chinese, it's a rather sad title (like a broken heart). In Chinese, the first character alone means destroyed, spoiled, ruined, injured, cruel, oppressive, savage, incomplete, or disabled. However, in Japanese, it's remainder, leftover, balance, or lingering.
The second character means heart, mind, soul, or essence in both languages.
殘心 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: The spirit of zanshin is the state of the remaining or lingering spirit. It is often described as a sustained and heightened state of awareness and mental follow-through. However, true zanshin is a state of focus or concentration before, during, and after the execution of a technique, where a link or connection between uke and nage is preserved. Zanshin is the state of mind that allows us to stay spiritually connected, not only to a single attacker but to multiple attackers and even an entire context; a space, a time, an event.
In modern Japan (and Simplified Chinese), they use a different version of the first character, as seen to the right. Click on this character to the right instead of the button above if you want this modern Japanese version of lingering mind / zanshin.
無 is the simple way to express “nothing.”
However, this single character leaves a bit of mystery as to what you might really mean if you hang it as a wall scroll. I'm not saying that's a bad thing; as you can decide what it means to you, and you won't be wrong if you stay within the general context.
More info: 無 is usually used as a suffix or prefix for Chinese and Japanese words (also old Korean). It can be compared to “un-” or “-less” in English. It can also mean “not to have,” no, none, not, “to lack,” or nothingness.
四拳波羅蜜大光明 is “shiken haramitsu daikōmyō,” a famous Japanese Buddhist mantra.
四拳 = shi-ken = four fists (many translate this as “four hearts”).
波羅蜜 = ha-ra-mitsu = A loanword representing pāramitā, or entrance into Nirvana. Awkwardly, it also means jackfruit.
大光明 = dai-kou-myo = big/great light bright (great bright light).
Shiken represents four hearts:
1. The Merciful Heart - Love and caring for all living things.
2. The Sincere Heart - Pursues righteousness, or the right path - sincerely trying to do what is right.
3. The Attuned Heart - Knows that nature and fate have their ways, and thus stay in tune with the universe.
4. The Dedicated Heart - Steadfast on the chosen path to the end.
歳月人を待たず is a Japanese idiom “Saigetsu hito o matazu” which means “Time waits for no one.”
Another way to put it is, “Time and tide stay for no man.”
Note: Because this selection contains some special Japanese Hiragana characters, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.
壊れない means unbreakable in Japanese.
The first two characters mean to be broken, to break, to fall through, and to come to nothing. But the last two characters create a negative meaning (like adding “un-” to “breakable”).
Note: Because this selection contains some special Japanese Hiragana characters, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.
See Also: Indomitable Spirit
鉄心石腸 is a Japanese proverb that suggests you should have the inner-strength and will as hard and steadfast as iron.
It's the Japanese way of saying, “stay strong.” This is an especially uplifting thing to say to a person in distress or recovering from a disaster. It's kind of the survivor's creed.
If you literally translate this, it means “iron will, stone guts” or “iron heart, rock-hard bowels.”
沈魚落雁 is an old proverb that literally means “fish sink, goose alights.”
...But this takes some explaining. This is a proverb from Zhuangzi (莊子), who lived in the late 4th century BC.
This figuratively refers to female beauty that is so captivating that even the birds and beasts take notice.
Perhaps a better and more accurate way to describe this is to say that it speaks of the charms of a uniquely beautiful woman who is so beautiful that fish stay on the bottom of the water and flying wild geese fall from the sky in shame.
This proverb is so famous that it is also known and used in Japan (same characters, different pronunciation).
Note: This can also be written 沉魚落雁 instead of 沈魚落雁 (just the first character varies slightly).
These search terms might be related to Stay:
Ikiru / to Live
Live and Let Die
Live by the Sword Die by the Sword
Live for the Day
Live for the Day / Seize the Day
Live for What You Love
Live Free or Die
Live in Peace and Contentment
Live in Prosperity
Live in the Moment / Live in the Now
Live Laugh Love
Live Long and Prosper
Live Love Die
Live Strong
Live Together and Help Each Other
Live Well
Live Without Regret
Living / Live Life
Never Put Off Until Tomorrow What You Can Do Today
Time and Tide Wait for No Man
Traveler / to Live Abroad
You Only Live Once
The following table may be helpful for those studying Chinese or Japanese...
Title | Characters | Romaji (Romanized Japanese) | Various forms of Romanized Chinese | |
Beautiful Woman | 美麗的女人 美丽的女人 | měi lì de nǚ rén mei3 li4 de nv3 ren2 mei li de nv ren meilidenvren | mei li te nü jen meilitenüjen |
|
Calm Cool-Headed | 冷靜 冷静 | rei sei / reisei | lěng jìng leng3 jing4 leng jing lengjing | leng ching lengching |
You are who you hang out with | 挨金似金挨玉似玉 | āi jīn sì jīn āi yù sì yù ai1 jin1 si4 jin1 ai1 yu4 si4 yu4 ai jin si jin ai yu si yu aijinsijinaiyusiyu | ai chin ssu chin ai yü ssu yü aichinssuchinaiyüssuyü |
|
Daodejing Tao Te Ching - Chapter 33 | 知人者知也自知者明也勝人者有力也自勝者強也知足者富也強行者有志也不失其所者久也死而不亡者壽也 知人者知也自知者明也胜人者有力也自胜者强也知足者富也强行者有志也不失其所者久也死而不亡者寿也 | zhī rén zhě zhī yě zì zhī zhě míng yě shèng rén zhě yǒu lì yě zì shèng zhě qiáng yě zhī zú zhě fù yě qiáng xíng zhě yǒu zhì yě bù zhī qí suǒ zhě jiǔ yě sǐ ér bù wáng zhě shòu yě zhi1 ren2 zhe3 zhi1 ye3 zi4 zhi1 zhe3 ming2 ye3 sheng4 ren2 zhe3 you3 li4 ye3 zi4 sheng4 zhe3 qiang2 ye3 zhi1 zu2 zhe3 fu4 ye3 qiang2 xing2 zhe3 you3 zhi4 ye3 bu4 zhi1 qi2 suo3 zhe3 jiu3 ye3 si3 er2 bu4 wang2 zhe3 shou4 ye3 zhi ren zhe zhi ye zi zhi zhe ming ye sheng ren zhe you li ye zi sheng zhe qiang ye zhi zu zhe fu ye qiang xing zhe you zhi ye bu zhi qi suo zhe jiu ye si er bu wang zhe shou ye | chih jen che chih yeh tzu chih che ming yeh sheng jen che yu li yeh tzu sheng che ch`iang yeh chih tsu che fu yeh ch`iang hsing che yu chih yeh pu chih ch`i so che chiu yeh ssu erh pu wang che shou yeh chih jen che chih yeh tzu chih che ming yeh sheng jen che yu li yeh tzu sheng che chiang yeh chih tsu che fu yeh chiang hsing che yu chih yeh pu chih chi so che chiu yeh ssu erh pu wang che shou yeh |
|
Stay Strong Indestructible Unbreakable | 金剛不壞 / 金剛不壊 金刚不坏 | kon gou fu e kongoufue kon go fu e | jīn gāng bù huài jin1 gang1 bu4 huai4 jin gang bu huai jingangbuhuai | chin kang pu huai chinkangpuhuai |
Discipline | 紀律 纪律 | jì lǜ / ji4 lv4 / ji lv / jilv | chi lü / chilü | |
Furinkazan | 風林火山 风林火山 | fuu rin ka zan fuurinkazan fu rin ka zan | fēng lín huǒ shān feng1 lin2 huo3 shan1 feng lin huo shan fenglinhuoshan | |
Make Guests Feel at Home | 賓至如歸 宾至如归 | bīn zhì rú guī bin1 zhi4 ru2 gui1 bin zhi ru gui binzhirugui | pin chih ju kuei pinchihjukuei |
|
Lingering Mind | 殘心 残心 | zan shin / zanshin | cán xīn / can2 xin1 / can xin / canxin | ts`an hsin / tsanhsin / tsan hsin |
Nothing Nothingness | 無 无 | mu | wú / wu2 / wu | |
Shiken Haramitsu Daikomyo | 四拳波羅蜜大光明 | shi ken ha ra mitsu dai kou myou shi ken ha ra mitsu dai ko myo | ||
Time Waits For No One | 歳月人を待たず | sai getsu hito o ma ta zu saigetsuhitoomatazu | ||
Together Forever in Love | 永遠愛在一起 永远爱在一起 | yǒng yuǎn ài zài yī qǐ yong3 yuan3 ai4 zai4 yi1 qi3 yong yuan ai zai yi qi yongyuanaizaiyiqi | yung yüan ai tsai i ch`i yungyüanaitsaiichi yung yüan ai tsai i chi |
|
Unbreakable | 壊れない | kowa re na i kowarenai | ||
Stay Strong Iron Will | 鉄心石腸 | tesshin sekichou tesshinsekichou teshin sekicho | ||
Beautiful Woman Proverb | 沈魚落雁 沈鱼落雁 | chin gyo raku gan chingyorakugan | chén yú luò yàn chen2 yu2 luo4 yan4 chen yu luo yan chenyuluoyan | ch`en yü lo yen chenyüloyen chen yü lo yen |
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.
Some people may refer to this entry as Stay Kanji, Stay Characters, Stay in Mandarin Chinese, Stay Characters, Stay in Chinese Writing, Stay in Japanese Writing, Stay in Asian Writing, Stay Ideograms, Chinese Stay symbols, Stay Hieroglyphics, Stay Glyphs, Stay in Chinese Letters, Stay Hanzi, Stay in Japanese Kanji, Stay Pictograms, Stay in the Chinese Written-Language, or Stay in the Japanese Written-Language.
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