We have many options to create artwork with Truth characters on a wall scroll or portrait.
If you want to create a cool Truth Asian character tattoo, just email us and we'll help you select from many forms of ancient Asian symbols that express the idea of truth.
Since you are looking for truth, don't forget to check out Honesty
Quick links to words on this page...


This 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 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.


Honesty is being truthful and sincere. It is important because it builds trust. When people are honest, they can be relied on not to lie, cheat or steal. Being honest means that you accept yourself as you are. When you are open and trustworthy, others can believe in you.
Please note that the second Kanji sometimes has an alternate form in Japanese. Let us know if you want the alternate form shown to the right.
Note: This entry is cross-listed as "integrity" because it also fits that definition.

This character means real, true, honest, or solid. It is one of several ways to express the idea of truth.
Note: In some context, this can carry extended meanings of reality, actuality, really, sincerity, or substance.


Integrity is living by your highest values. It is being honest and sincere. Integrity helps you to listen to your conscience, to do the right thing, and to tell the truth. You act with integrity when your words and actions match. Integrity gives you self-respect and a peaceful heart.
Please note that the second Kanji sometimes has an alternate form in Japanese. Let us know if you want the alternate form shown to the right.
Note: This entry is cross-listed as "honesty" because it also fits that definition.
Beyond Integrity, this word also means "upright" and "honest" in Chinese. Means "integrity", "honesty" or "frankness" in Japanese.


Trust is having faith in someone or something. It is a positive attitude about life. You are confident that the right thing will happen without trying to control it or make it happen. Even when difficult things happen, trust helps us to find the gift or lesson in it.
This word can also be translated as confidence, reliance, or dependence; thus it can also mean "to rely on" or "to depend on".
There is a slight deviation in the Japanese Kanji form of the second character. 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... Confidence | Honor


This is a Chan / Zen Buddhism concept that means "to understand (mystery) from meditation", or "to see truth flash through the mind".
This is a pretty deep idea, therefore, your own study and contemplation may be required before you can fully appreciate it.


Beyond "truth" in Chinese, this can also be used to say "the actual facts" depending on context.
This also means "truth" in Japanese, just not as commonly used.
See Also... Honesty


Means "truth", "actual" or "reality" in Japanese. The second character is modified or no longer used in Chinese vocabulary - so this is Japanese only.





This is a nice one if you know a vintner or wine seller - or wine lover - although the actual meaning might not be exactly what you think or hope.
The literal meaning is that someone drinking wine is more likely to let the truth slip out.
It's long-believed in many parts of Asia that one can not consciously hold up a facade of lies when getting drunk, and therefore the truth will come out with a few drinks.
I've had the experience where a Korean man would not trust me until I got drunk with him (I was trying to gain access to the black market in North Korea which is tough to do as an untrusted outsider) - so I think this idea is still well-practiced in many Asian countries.
See Also... Honesty
Wall scroll artwork shown on this page is priced as follows:
1 character $28.88 each
2-3 characters $39.88 each
5-10 characters $59.88 each
After you select your calligraphy, our website will take you through the process of customizing your artwork.
Options for other mounting such as portraits are available for $12 less.
We also offer the services of a famous master calligrapher for a $40 fee on any scroll if you are looking for investment-quality calligraphy.
If you chose our famous master-calligrapher, you also get more choices for silk and paper colors and the option for larger artwork.
All of our calligraphy is completely done by hand in the ancient way.
When the calligrapher finishes creating your artwork, it is taken to our 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.
Therefore, allow at least 3 weeks for delivery from the time you place your order.
When you select your calligraphy, you'll be taken to another page where you can choose various custom options.
The scroll that I am holding in this picture is a "regular size"
4-character wall scroll.
As you can see, it is a great size to hang on your wall.
(We also offer custom wall scrolls in larger sizes)
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.
The following table is only helpful for those studying Chinese (or Japanese), and perhaps helps search engines to find this page when someone enters Romanized Chinese or Japanese
| Title | Characters Simplified Traditional |
Japanese Romaji (Romanized Japanese) | Various forms of Hanyu-Pinyin (Romanized Chinese) | |||
| Appreciation of Truth by Meditation | 心印 心印 | n/a | xīn yìn | xin1 yin4 | ||
| Honesty | 正直 正直 | shoujiki | zhèng zhí | zheng4 zhi2 | ||
| Honesty | 实 實 | n/a | shí | shi2 | ||
| Integrity | 正直 正直 | shoujiki | zhèng zhí | zheng4 zhi2 | ||
| Trust | 信赖 信賴 | shinrai | xìn lài | xin4 lai4 | ||
| Truth Flashed Through The Mind | 参悟 參悟 | n/a | cān wù | can1 wu4 | ||
| Truth | 真相 真相 | shinsou | zhēn xiàng | zhen1 xiang4 | ||
| Truth | 真実 真實 | shinjitsu | n/a | |||
| In Wine there is Truth | 酒后吐真言 酒后吐真言 | n/a | jiǔ hòu tǔ tù zhēn yán | jiu3 hou4 tu3 tu4 zhen1 yan2 | ||
| If you have not set up your computer to display Chinese, the characters in this table probably look like empty boxes or random text garbage.
This is why we spent hundreds of hours making images so that you could view the characters in the "Truth" listings above. If you want your Windows computer to be able to display Chinese characters you can either head to your Regional and Language options in your Win XP control panel, select the [Languages] tab and click on [Install files for East Asian Languages]. This task will ask for your Win XP CD to complete in most cases. If you don't have your Windows XP CD, or are running Windows 98, you can also download/run the simplified Chinese font package installer from Microsoft which works independently with Win 98, ME, 2000, and XP. It's a 2.5MB download, so if you are on dial up, start the download and go make a sandwich. | ||||||
All custom calligraphy items are made-to-order in our little Beijing artwork-mounting workshop.
Normal delivery isjust over 3 weeksfor these handmade items.
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