The Name Dictionary.php in Chinese/Japanese on a Personalized Wall Scroll.

樂天 is about being optimistic and also making the best of whatever life throws at you.

This is hard to define. One dictionary defines this as “acceptance of fate and happy about it.” There is one English word equivalent, which is sanguinity or sanguinary.

You can also say that this means “Be happy with whatever Heaven provides,” or “Find happiness in whatever fate Heaven bestows upon you.” 樂天 suggests being an optimist in life.

Note: This is sometimes a given name in China.

Please note that Japanese tend to write the first character in a slightly-different form (as seen to the right). Let us know if you have a preference when you place your order.

花鳥風月 is the Japanese Kanji proverb for “Beauties of Nature.”

The dictionary definition is “the traditional themes of natural beauty in Japanese aesthetics.”

The Kanji each represents an element of nature that constitutes beauty in traditional Japanese art and culture.

The Kanji breakdown:
花 = ka = flower (also pronounced “hana”)
鳥 = chou = bird (also pronounced “tori”).
風 = fuu = wind (also pronounced “kaze”).
月 = getsu = moon (also pronounced “tsuki”)

初心 is often translated in Japanese as “beginner's mind” or “beginner's spirit.”

In Chinese, the dictionary definition is “one's original intention.”

The first character means first, initial, primary, junior, beginning, or basic.

The second character means heart, mind, soul, or essence.

初心 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 state of shoshin is that of a beginners mind. It is a state of awareness that always remains fully conscious, aware, and prepared to see things for the first time. The attitude of shoshin is essential to continued learning.

安貧樂道 means “It's better to be happy than rich” in Chinese.

Even if you are poor, you should still feel satisfied in your life...

...Satisfaction, happiness and the meaning of your life come from within yourself and not from money or riches of the world.

In Chinese, there are a lot of four-character proverbs which express some very old philosophies.
Though there are only four characters on this scroll, in Chinese, the meanings often surpass the dictionary definition of each character.

In this case, you should not set your expectations too high for the money or riches you wish to have. One who sets their expectations too high is almost always disappointed. Instead, you should cherish what you have, seek to improve yourself from within, and not measure your worth by the size of your bank account.

See Also:  A Sly Rabbit Will Have Three Openings to Its Den

This Kanji represents a bond, as in the bond between mother and daughter, father and son, family ties, or a family bond.

絆 is the kind of character that says, no matter what happens (difficult times), we have this bond that cannot be broken.

If you go to the Japanese dictionary, the definition is the bonds (between people), (emotional) ties, relationship, connection, link, tether, or fetters.

Read this before ordering...
This Kanji is best if your audience is Japanese. While this is also a Chinese character, it has a completely different meaning in Chinese (it means to hinder or stumble in Chinese). it’s a very rare character in Korean Hanja but does mean bond in Korean (used in Korean words for certain kinds of glue and sticking plaster).

In the Buddhist context, 公案 is a Zen question for meditation.

From the Buddhist dictionary, this is:
Problems set by Zen masters, upon which thought is concentrated as a means to attain inner unity and illumination.

The secular meaning of this word can mean a judge's desk, a complex legal case, a contentious issue, a dossier, a case record, public laws, regulations, or case law.

鎮靜 represents the idea of being calm, cool, or relaxed in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.

My Korean dictionary further defines this as quiet, calm, tranquility, and pacification.
From my Japanese dictionary: calm, quiet, tranquility, appeasement, pacification.

Note: This term is also used in Korean Hanja but there is a slight deviation in the way they write the second character in Korean. Still, a Korean person who can read Hanja, will be able to read this word. We can write it in the Korean form if you wish (just let us know when you place your order). In Korean, this is the word you might use to tell someone to "calm down" or "take it easy."

櫻花 is how to write “cherry blossom” in Chinese and traditional Japanese Kanji.

The first character means “cherry” or sometimes “cherry tree.”
The second character means “flowers” or “blossoms.”

Oddly, my Chinese dictionary also defines these two characters as “Japanese oriental cherry tree” or “Oriental cherry blossom.” However, the first character is the only one that means “cherry,” so it can refer to any cherry blossoms in the whole world (not just those in Asia).

There is an alternate version of the first character, which has become the standard for Japanese Kanji. If you want this version, instead of the one shown to the upper left, please click on the Kanji shown to the right instead of the button above. Although this is an alternate form in Chinese, most Chinese people will think this is just the Japanese version (Chinese people don’t necessarily know the history and all alternate forms of Chinese characters from the past). Therefore, this version shown to the right is best if your audience is Japanese (though most Japanese will recognize the form shown in the upper left).

決心 is a Chinese, Japanese, and Korean word that holds the dictionary definition of determination but literally means determined heart.

The first character means to determine or determined.

The second character means heart, mind, or soul, so you can imagine that this form of determination partially means putting your heart into something. It can also be translated as resolve, resolution, or decision (as in a decision made and followed).

See Also:  Devotion | Tenacious | Passion | Dedication | Will-Power

專心 makes a word that means “paying attention with your heart.”

It's often translated as “dedication,” as in “be absorbed in” or “concentrate one's efforts.” It's also used to mean “with the single mind,” “whole-heartedly,” “paying attention,” “undivided attention,” “concentration (-ed),” “engrossed,” “devotionally (listening/watching),” and/or “attentive.”

The first character means “for a particular person, occasion, or purpose,” “focused on one single thing,” “concentrated,” and sometimes, “special.”

The second character means “heart” or “mind” by itself.

My favorite translation, which comes from the Oxford Advanced Chinese/English Dictionary, is, “wholehearted devotion.”

If it seems like the meaning of this word is quite open, you are correct. The context in which the word is used matters a lot. It can mean different things depending on how you use it. This makes it kind of nice as you can decide what this means to you (within some limits). This is always positive in meaning, so even if a Chinese person reads it differently than you, it will still have a good meaning.

In Japanese, they tend to use a variation of the second character which has one less stroke. If you want your calligraphy written this Japanese form, please click on the Kanji shown to the right instead of the button above. Note: Japanese and Chinese people will recognize either form.

See Also:  Faith | Devotion

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

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

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

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

See Also:  Self-Control | Will-Power

天意 is a way to express destiny in a slightly religious way.

天意 means “Heaven's Wish” or “Heaven's Desire,” with the idea of fate and destiny being derived as well. It suggests that your destiny comes from God / Heaven and that your path has already been chosen by a higher power.

My Japanese dictionary defines this word as “divine will” or “providence,” but it also holds the meaning of “the will of the emperor.” Therefore, I don't suggest this phrase if your audience is Japanese - it feels strange in Japanese anyway.

風輪 is a Chinese and Japanese Buddhist word that means Rings of Wind, or Wind Wheel.

I found this in my Buddhist dictionary while trying to figure out which “furin” people were searching for. 風輪 is one of several Japanese words that romanize as furin.

芸者 is the real basis for the way we spell geisha.

However, there are many more ways to refer to a woman that fills the role that westerners think of when they hear the word geisha.

In Japanese, these characters literally mean “artful person.” But in English, it might be better translated as “a person (woman) highly trained/accomplished in the arts.”

However, my Japanese dictionary says “a singing and dancing girl.”

Many will argue as to whether “geisha” = “prostitute” or not. My Japanese friends seem to have the opinion that a geisha is so highly trained in the art of playing musical instruments and dancing that the fact she might also be a prostitute is secondary to her performance on stage.

芸者 is a “Japanese only” term, they use a slightly different first character to express “geisha” in Chinese. Since this is a Japanese term, I have not included the Chinese version.

神さまが守るように is about as close as you can get to, “God Bless You” in Japanese.

This literally means “[May] God Protect [You].” It can also mean “God is Always With You,” as the word in this phrase that means “protect” can also mean to follow or be with. In fact, the Japanese dictionary entry for that word reads like this: to protect; to guard; to defend; to keep (i.e. a promise); to abide; to observe; to follow.

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

整 is a single Chinese character that can mean: in good order, whole, complete, entire, in order, orderly, to repair, to mend, to renovate, and/or to fix something or somebody.

This was added for a customer who wanted a single character that meant orderly. It's kind of unusual for a wall scroll.

My Korean Hanja dictionary defines it as orderly, neat, tidy, and/or whole.

Note: In Japanese, this Kanji is usually understood as a male given name Hitoshi (other Kanji can also be Hitoshi). It is used in combination with other Kanji or Hiragana to create words about orderliness. Unless your name is Hitoshi, this single character is best if your audience is Chinese.

The dictionary definition is:
Relations/relationship, to concern, to affect, to have to do with, or connection.

But there's more to it...

In China, the relationship that you have with certain people can open doors for you. Having guanxi with someone also means they would never defraud you but are honor-bound to treat you fairly (of course, this goes both ways). Sometimes it is suggested that guanxi is the exchange of favors. 關繫 / 関繫 / 關係 is more about having a relationship that allows you to ask for and expect favors without shame.

There is no concept in western culture that exactly matches guanxi, but perhaps having a social or professional network is similar.

Note that there are some variations common within Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and Korean Hanja for this word...

Japanese tend to use a Chinese alternate form as shown to the right for
the first character.

There's also another alternate form of that first character (currently used as the official Simplified form in mainland China) which looks like the character shown to the right. It's basically the central radical of the alternate version shown above but without the “door radical” around it. In more free-flowing calligraphy styles, this version would be the likely choice for a calligrapher.

In Modern Japanese, they use the character shown to the right.
They also tend to use this same form in Korean Hanja (I've only checked this word in my Korean dictionary, but it has not been confirmed by a translator's review).

If that was not confusing enough, there is another alternate form of that second character. See right.

An Asian calligrapher of any nationality may use these forms at their discretion. However, They would tend to stick to the most common form used in their respective languages.

If you have any preference on any of these issues, please give us a special note with your order, and we'll make sure it's done the way you want.

The dictionary definition is:
relation, relationship, connection, participation, involvement, concern, influence, effect, related to, connected to, or as a suffix to sexual it can mean sexual relations or relationship.

But there's more to it...

In Japan, the relationship that you have with certain people can open doors for you. Having this relationship with someone also means they would never rip you off but instead are honor-bound to treat you fairly.

See our Chinese Guanxi entry for more information. This term is used in very similar ways in China, Japan, and Korea.

See Also:  Guanxi

圓光 is one of many ways to express “halo” in Chinese.

圓光 means radiance emanating from the head.

This can refer to the halo surrounding the head of a Buddha.

This is occasionally used to mean “halo” in Japanese, but it is more commonly the surname Enkō in Japan.

You may want to check our dictionary for many more versions of halo.

We struggled to find a word that encompasses the English, “hella” with a meaning like, “really,” “a lot,” “totally,” and/or “very.”

In Chinese, Japanese, and old Korean, 太 is a character that is often said as an adjective in front of other words, to make “good” into “too good,” or “extremely good.”

The meaning of this character from the dictionary is highest, greatest, too (much), very, extremely, fat, grand, magnificent, excellent, or great.

英雄 is the best way to write hero in Chinese and Japanese - especially for calligraphy.

英雄 is also the name of the Chinese movie titled Hero starring Jet Li.

The first character means brave (it can also mean British or English but not in this case).
The second character means heroic but also suggests a male person.
My Japanese dictionary also defines this as “a great man.”

想像力 is probably the best way to express “imagination” in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.

It literally means “your strength to imagine.” The last character means strength or ability, while the first two mean imagine or conceptualize. My Japanese dictionary defines this as “The power of imagination.” While my Korean dictionary says, “imaginative power.”

回教 means “Hui Religion” in Chinese.

It refers specifically to the Hui people (Huizu), who have typical Oriental looks but are Muslim (practice the religion of Islam). Hui people can be found throughout China, often establishing Muslim neighborhoods in many cities.

My Japanese dictionary lists this as the all-Kanji way to write Islam as well.

In Korean, the first character is used as a short name to say Muslim.

This word has a few possible meanings.

It can refer to a room, hall, or place (a dojo or small theater). The dictionary suggests that in some context, this can refer to a special geisha who is talented in certain musical arts.

姻緣 means “Destiny that brings lovers together.” It can also be translated technically as “Predestined matrimonial affinity” (wow, talk about taking the romance out of this word - that was from the Oxford C-E dictionary).

This speaks to the fate (or karma) that brings a husband and wife together. I would translate this as “Together by fate” or “Joined by destiny” but in the context of marriage. You could use this for non-married lovers, but the first character has a suggestion that this refers to those that are married.

This is the simplest way to express the idea of Karma. This is the Buddhist concept of actions committed in a former life affecting the present and future.

Out of the context of Buddhism, this Karma character means one's profession in life, trade, occupation, business, study, or career.

The Karma definition applies to both Chinese and Japanese for this character. This also works as Korean Hanja as Karma; although the meaning can vary depending on context (my Korean dictionary gives the definition of profession/occupation).

See Also:  Buddhism

型 is often used in Japanese martial arts to mean a certain set of movements and techniques.

The meaning in other contexts (and in Chinese or Korean) can be model, type, style, pattern, mold/mould, template, or form.

One Japanese dictionary defines it as a “standard form of a movement, posture, etc. in martial arts, sport, etc.”

拳法 is a form of martial arts that can be translated in several ways.

Some will call it “fist principles,” “the way of the fist,” or even “law of the fist.” The first character literally means fist. The second can mean law, method, way, principle, or Buddhist teaching.

Kempo is really a potluck of martial arts. Often a combination of Chinese martial arts such as Shaolin Kung Fu with Japanese martial arts such as Karate, Jujutsu (Jujitsu), Aikido, and others. You may see the term “Kempo Karate,” which basically means Karate with other disciplines added. In this way, Kempo becomes an adjective rather than a title or school of martial arts.

These facts will long be argued by various masters and students of Kempo. Even the argument as to whether it should be spelled “kenpo” or “Kempo” ensues at dojos around the world (the correct Romaji should actually be “kenpou” if you precisely follow the rules).

The benefit of Kempo is that the techniques are easier to learn and master than pure Kung Fu (wu shu). Students are often taught basic Karate moves, kicks, and punches before augmenting the basic skills with complex Kung Fu techniques. This allows students of Kempo to achieve a level where they can defend themselves or fight in a relatively short amount of time (a few years rather than a decade or more).

Because the definition of this word is so fluid, I should make some notes here:

1. Purists in Okinawa will claim that “Okinawa Kenpo” or “Ryukyu Hon Kenpo” is the original and true version of this martial art from the old kingdom. It is actually little or no connection between Okinawa Kenpo and the way the word is used elsewhere.

2. In Chinese, where these characters are pronounced “quan fa” (sometimes Romanized as “chuan fa” because the Chinese-pinyin “q” actually sounds like an English “ch” sound), these characters do not hold the connotation of being a mixed martial art. It is simply defined as “the law of the fist.”

3. My Japanese dictionary oddly defines Kenpo as the “Chinese art of self-defense.” I personally don't feel this is the most common way that people perceive the word but just something you should know.

When you meet a wise person, you should learn from them and be inspired to become as wise as they are.

見賢思齊 is a pretty long proverb in English, but in Chinese, it's only four characters.
However, in Chinese, the deeper meaning often surpasses the dictionary definition of each character.

In this case, you should seek wise people to learn from throughout your life...
Always try to learn enough to become equal to them. It also suggests that learning and seeking wisdom is a non-ending cycle.

See Also:  Knowledge

In modern Japanese, 門主 is the title of a head priest of a temple or monastery.

This can also refer to the spiritual leader of the sect and/or direct descendant of its founder.
In the past, this could refer to the founder of a Buddhist sect.

The literal meaning of 門主 is gatekeeper or keeper of the gate.

In the Chinese Buddhist dictionary, this entry comes up as the controller of a gate or sect. However, this term is not commonly used in Chinese.

忍術 is the “art of the ninja” in Japanese. Most Japanese people associate ninjas with romance and reverence for Japan's ancient past. But most will accept that the ninja is an idea or way of life whose time has passed. However, this has not stopped floods of movies about ninjas and dojos offering Ninjutsu training from keeping the idea of the ninja alive in modern times.

My modern Japanese dictionary defines this as “assassination, stealth, and combat techniques” or “fighting art of the ninja.”

Note that when writing this as Kanji, Japanese tend to write the first character in the form shown to the right. Because this is specifically a Japanese title, we only suggest a Japanese calligrapher for this selection - and you will get the form shown to the right if you do that (please ignore the fact that some of the images you see during the following pages in the options process will be the Chinese/alternate form).

古道 is the Japanese word meaning “The Old Way.” The first character means old or ancient. The second character means “the way” and is the same character as used in Taoism / Daoism (Taoism literally means “the way”).

This second character can also be translated as “method,” as in a way of doing things.

古道 is sometimes Romanized as “Kodo,” though officially, the Romaji should be “Kodou.”

My Japanese-English dictionary further translates this word as the old road, ancient methods, ancient moral teachings, and the way of learning.

Note that this would be understood differently in Chinese. Most Chinese people would just read this as “The old road” without the other meanings derived in Japanese.

一心 literally reads as “one heart” in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.

Colloquially or figuratively, it means: wholeheartedly; heart and soul; of one mind; wholeheartedness; one's whole heart; with the whole mind or heart; one mind in heart.
I'm not kidding, all of those came right from the dictionary for this one title. In Buddhism, this can refer to the bhūtatathatā, or the whole of things; the universe as one mind, or a spiritual unity.

In Japanese, this can be the female given name, Hitomi.

安心 can be defined as relief, peace of mind, feeling at ease, to be relieved, to set one's mind at rest, and easiness.

安心 is a nice word that encompasses great meanings within just two characters. Some of the other meanings include pacifying, settling the mind, and peace of mind. It's also the idea of feeling a sense of security, safety, and confidence in your state of well-being.

This can be used by everyone, but some consider it to be a Buddhist concept (You'll find it in your Zen dictionary).

Note: Can be romanized as Anshin or Anjin in Japanese.

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

貴重品 means precious or treasured as an adjective or as a noun, valuables or treasures in Japanese.

貴重品 exists in the Korean dictionary but is rarely if ever, used in Korea.

光彩 is the Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja for radiance.

Other meanings include luster, splendor/splendour, and brilliance.

光彩 is the radiance you see when a person's arrival brings happiness and joy to the room. Or the radiance on the face of a new bride etc.

If you delve into the dictionary, other forms of radiance will refer to isotopes emitting radiation. 光彩 is not related to radiation and is not the kind that causes cancer.

In Japanese, this can be several female given names such as Misa, Hikari, Hiiro, Teresa, or Arisa. And a more unisex given name of Kousai or Kosai.

閱 is a Chinese character that means to read. It can also refer to observing (the world, and learning from it), or gaining life experiences. 閱 is a good character to relay the idea of being “well-read,” which can include reading books, studying, and learning through experience.

The dictionary definition also includes: to inspect; to review; to peruse; to go through; to experience.

Technically, this is also a Japanese Kanji but only some Japanese Buddhists use it (most of the population will not recognize it).

In Chinese and Japanese Buddhism, this means examining, inspecting, and/or looking over.

リリサ is the name Ririsa in Japanese Katakana.

This would be the western name Ririsa in Japanese. If you are looking for the original Japanese name, it will be different (search our dictionary for that - as there are at least 10 variations that romanize as a Japanese female given name Ririsa).

Note: Because this title is entirely Japanese Katakana, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.

薔薇 is the universal way to write rose (as in the flower) because it is understood in both Chinese and Japanese (same characters in either language). 薔薇 is also a common way to write about roses in Asian poetry. This can be translated as “wild rose” if you are looking for that title.

薔薇 is also how to write “rose” in old Korean Hanja (though they now use Hangul, and most Koreans of this generation will not be able to read this without a dictionary).

妖艶 means sexy, fascinating, voluptuous, or bewitching in Japanese Kanji. 妖艶 / 妖艷 is specifically in regards to women.

This has a dictionary meaning of flirtatious or bewitchingly pretty in Chinese. However, in practice, this would refer to a sexy but bitchy woman in modern China.

This is also a word in old Korean Hanja; however, I have not confirmed how it is perceived in Korean culture.

This may not be appropriate for a wall scroll unless your audience is Japanese only.

Note: The second character can also be written in the alternate version shown to the right.

鼈 refers to a species of turtle.

鼈 is Trionyx Sinensis.

鼈 refers to different turtles in different languages. See individual language notes below:

Japanese: 鼈 means “snapping turtle” or “mud turtle.” But rarely used as a single Kanji like this in Japanese.

Chinese: 鼈 means soft-shelled turtle. A specific species, Trionyx Sinensis is native to Asia.
In China, this species is related to the “wang ba,” a soft-shelled turtle sometimes known in English as a banjo turtle (due to its long neck, and general shape). Unfortunately, there is a word, “wang ba dan” which means the egg of this species of turtle. That term has come to mean “bastard” in Chinese (a turtle hatches from an abandoned egg, and does not know who his mother or father is). 鼈 is not a good selection for a wall scroll if your audience is Chinese.

In Korean, this character can be pronounced (though most Koreans would have to look it up in a dictionary). It has not been in common use in Korea for at least a few hundred years.

General notes: You may notice that the bottom half of this character is the same as some other turtle-related titles. That bottom half is actually an ancient character that means “toad.” Though not seen in this way today, most turtle-related characters hold the meaning of “a toad with a shell” in their ancient origin. That toad character is rarely used alone anymore but you can see what it looks like in the image to the right.

精神 is the kind of spirit you have if you perform well in sports or competitions. It is the idea of having a good attitude and putting your all into something - so much so that others can see or feel your spirit. It is the essence of your being that can only be subjectively described because there are no words that can fully explain what “spirit” really is.

For your information:
My Japanese dictionary further tries to explain this word by comparing it to mind, soul, heart, or intention.
My Chinese dictionary compares these characters to meanings like vigor, vitality, drive, and mentality.
My Korean dictionary defines this as mind, spirit, and soul.

See Also:  Vitality | Heart | Soul

靈 is spirit or soul in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.

If you look in the dictionary, you'll also find definitions for this character like:
quick; alert; efficacious; effective; departed soul; coffin; spiritual; energy; effective; clever.

There is a modern Japanese version of this character. The button above will get you the traditional/ancient form. But, if you want the modern Japanese, click on the Kanji to the right instead.

These Japanese Kanji, 安心立命, can be translated as “religious enlightenment” or “spiritual peace gained through faith.”

Other dictionaries define as “spiritual peace and enlightenment” or “keeping an unperturbed mind through faith.”

My Buddhist dictionary defines it as “spiritual peace and realization of enlightenment.”

In the Zen school, this is about settling one's body and life; attaining complete peace, and establishing one's course of life in accord with the ultimate reality.

This Chinese and Japanese word for “success” is often used to refer to “career success” but is also used for other successes in life.

It matches the western dictionary definition of “The achievement of something desired, planned, or attempted.” And It's also used in this old Chinese proverb: which means Failure is the Mother of Success.

Sometimes this word is translated as prosperity, but success, succeed, or successfully are more correct definitions.

See Also:  Prosperity

These four characters together relay the meaning that can be expressed in English as “When three people say there's a tiger running in the street, you believe it.”

Of course, there is an ancient story behind this idiom...

三人成虎 is actually a proverb that resulted from a conversation that occurred around 300 B.C.

The conversation was between the king of the Wei kingdom and one of the king's ministers named Pang Cong.

It was near the end of one of many wars, this time with the Zhao kingdom. Pang Cong was to be sent by the king to the Zhao kingdom with the king's son, who was to be held hostage. It was common at the time for a king to make his son a hostage to secure stable peace between warring kingdoms.

Before minister Pang Cong departed, he asked his king, “If one person told you a tiger was running in the street, would you believe it?.”

“No,” the king said.

The minister continued, “What if two people told you?”

The king replied, “Well, I would have my doubts but I might believe it.”

The minister continued, “So, what if three people told you that a tiger is running in the streets?”

The king replied, “Yes, I would believe it. It must be true if three people say it.”

The minister then reminded the king, “Your son and I are now traveling far away to live in the distant Zhao kingdom - much farther from your palace than the street. Rumors may fly about me in my absence, so I hope your majesty will weight such rumors appropriately.”

The king replied, “I have every trust in you, do not worry”

While the minister was gone, the king's enemies gossiped about minister Pang Cong on many occasions. At first, the king thought nothing of these comments and rumors. But slowly, as the rumors mounted, the king began to suspect ill of his minister.

Sometime later, when peace was well-established, the minister and prince were freed and returned to the kingdom of Wei. The king received his son BUT DID NOT EVEN SUMMON MINISTER PANG CONG TO THE PALACE!

Hopefully, this story will help you see how dangerous words can be when used to promote rumors or create ill will. And perhaps will inspire you not to believe everything you hear.

There is also a secondary suggestion in this idiom that gossip is as ferocious as a tiger. Some Chinese people who don't know the ancient story above may believe that this scroll means that rumors are as vicious as three tigers.

Note: This proverb appears in my Korean dictionary but is not well-known in Korea.

大公無私 is a Chinese proverb that comes from an old story from some time before 476 BC. About a man named Qi Huangyang, who was commissioned by the king to select the best person for a certain job in the Imperial Court.

Qi Huangyang selected his enemy for the job. The king was very confused by the selection, but Qi Huangyang explained that he was asked to find the best person for the job, not necessarily someone that he liked or had a friendship with.

Later, Confucius commented on how unselfish and impartial Qi Huangyang was by saying, “Da Gong Wu Si” which, if you look it up in a Chinese dictionary, is generally translated as “Unselfish” or “Just and Fair.”

If you translate each character, you'd have something like

“Big/Deep Justice Without Self.”

Direct translations like this leave out a lot of what the Chinese characters really say. Use your imagination, and suddenly you realize that “without self” means “without thinking about yourself in the decision” - together, these two words mean “unselfish.” The first two characters serve to drive the point home that we are talking about a concept that is similar to “blind justice.”

One of my Chinese-English dictionaries translates this simply as “just and fair.” So that is the short and simple version.

Note: This can be pronounced in Korean, but it's not a commonly used term.

See Also:  Selflessness | Work Unselfishly for the Common Good | Altruism

禪宗 is one way to title “Zen Buddhism.” Because the original pronunciation of Zen in Chinese is Chan, you'll also see this expressed as Chan Buddhism.

From the Buddhist Dictionary:
The Chan, meditative or intuitional, sect is usually said to have been established in China by Bodhidharma, the twenty-eighth patriarch, who brought the tradition of the Buddha-mind from India. This sect, believing in direct enlightenment, disregarded ritual and sūtras and depended upon the inner light and personal influence for the propagation of its tenets, founding itself on the esoteric tradition supposed to have been imparted to Kāśyapa by the Buddha, who indicated his meaning by plucking a flower without further explanation. Kāśyapa smiled in apprehension and is supposed to have passed on this mystic method to the patriarchs. The successor of Bodhidharma was 慧可 Huike, and he was succeeded by 僧璨 Sengcan, 道信 Daoxin, 弘忍 Hongren, 慧能 Huineng, and 神秀 Shenxiu, the sect dividing under the two latter into the southern and northern schools: the southern school became prominent, producing 南嶽 Nanyue and 靑原 Qingyuan, the former succeeded by 馬祖 Mazu, the latter by 石頭 Shitou. From Mazu's school arose the five later schools.

First, let's correct something: The Japanese romanization for this character, “Zen” has penetrated the English language. In English, it's almost always incorrectly used for phrases like “That's so zen.” Nobody says, “That's so meditation” - right? As the title of a sect, this would be like saying, “That's so Baptist!"

禪 by itself just means “meditation.” In that context, it should not be confined to use by any one religion or sect.

Regardless of the dictionary definition, more often than not, this character is associated with Buddhism. And here is one of the main reasons:
Zen is used as the title of a branch of Mahayana Buddhism, which strongly emphasizes meditation practice.
However, it should be noted that Buddhism came from India, and “Chan Buddhism” evolved and developed in medieval China. The Chinese character “Chan” was eventually pronounced as “Zen” in Japanese. Chan Buddhists in China have much in common with Zen Buddhists in Japan.

More about the history of Zen Buddhism here.

Please also note that the Japanese Kanji character for Zen has evolved a little in Japan, and the two boxes (kou) that you see at the top of the right side of the character have been replaced by three dots with tails. The original character would still be generally understood and recognized in Japanese (it's considered an ancient version in Japan) but if you want the specifically modern Japanese version, please click on the zen Kanji to the right. Technically, there is no difference between the Tensho and Reisho versions of Zen since they are ancient character styles that existed long before Japan had a written language.

There is also an alternate/shorthand/simplified Chinese version, which has two dots or tails above the right-side radical. This version is also popular for calligraphy in China. If you want this version, just click the character to the right.

Further notes: Zen is just one of seven sects of Buddhism practiced in Japan. The others are 律 Ritsu (or Risshū), 法相 Hossō, 論 Sanron 華嚴 Kegon, 天台 Tendai, and 眞言 Shingon.