All Knowing in Chinese / Japanese...

知 means realization or true knowing.

This can also translate as to know, to be aware, wisdom, or higher knowledge.

From older Buddhist ideas, this can represent विद्या (Vidyā or Vidya) or ज्ञान (Jñāna or Jnana) and even the combination Sanskrit word विज्ञान (Vijñāna or Vijnana) which can translate as wisdom arising from perception or knowing.

However, 知 should be distinguished as true knowing versus having a relative understanding or 會.

義を見てせざるは勇なきなり is a Japanese proverb that means “Knowing what is right and not doing is a want of courage.”

I've also seen it translated as:
To see what is right, yet fail to do so, is a lack of courage.
To know righteousness, but take no action is cowardice.
You are a coward if you knew what was the right thing to do, but you did not take action.
Knowing what is right without practicing it betrays one's cowardice.

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

知識 has the very strong meaning of “knowledge” and, in some contexts, “learning.”

The first character represents “to know” or “to realize.”

The second character alone refers to the ability to “recognize” or “realize” and can also be used to mean “knowing.”

See Also:  Wisdom | Learn From Wisdom

失败是成功之母 is a Chinese and Korean proverb that means “Every failure that you experience is a chance to learn from it and find success.”

Knowing what does not work is just as important as finding out what does work.

See Also:  Experience is the Mother of Wisdom

失敗は成功の母 is a Japanese proverb that means exactly what you think.

Every failure that you experience is a chance to learn from it and find success.

Knowing what does not work is just as important as finding out what does work.

Note: This is the Japanese version of an ancient Chinese proverb.

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

See Also:  Experience is the Mother of Wisdom

In Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja, 神明 title refers to deities or gods (can be the singular or plural form).

Depending on the context, this could also mean “divine.”

Specifically, in Japanese, this can refer to Amaterasu (as an enshrined deity).

In some Buddhist contexts, this also means deity but can also refer to “intelligence” (as in all-knowing).

A great way to tell your Chinese friends about your lifestyle while keeping your Anglo friends in the dark.

Kind of a huge bold sign to say “I'm Gay” without anybody knowing.

同性戀 literally means “same-sex feeling” or “same-sex affection” in Chinese.

覺 can mean to feel; to figure out; thinking; awake; aware; bodhi; knowing; understanding; enlightenment; illumination; apprehend; perceive; realize.

覺 is a character that is impossible to define in a single word.

This term is often associated with Buddhism where it's understood to be: Illumination, enlightenment, or awakening in regard to the real in contrast to the seeming. However, it can also refer to enlightenment in regard to morality and evil.

Notes:

In Japanese, this can be the personal name Satoru.

In certain context, and only when pronounced as "jiao" in Chinese, it can refer to a nap, sleep or the state of sleeping. However, as a single character on a wall scroll, everyone will read this with the awareness or enlightenment context.

By no means is this the only way to write enlightenment. In fact, you should only choose this character if you are looking more for a word meaning awareness.

See Also:  Enlightenment | Wisdom | Knowledge

In short, 節制 or temperance is knowing when to say “when.”

Temperance is the practice of moderation and restraint (in fact, this Asian word is often translated as moderation or restraint).

It was one of the five tenets held to be vital to society in Hellenic culture. It is also one of the Four Cardinal Virtues considered central to Christian behavior by the Catholic Church.

Note: Also considered to be one of the Seven Heavenly Virtues.

同性愛 is a great way to tell your Japanese friends about your lifestyle while keeping your Anglo friends in the dark.

Kind of a huge bold sign to say “I'm Gay” without anybody knowing.

These Kanji characters literally mean “same-sex love.” This phrase would also be understood in Chinese but this combination would act to really emphasize the “love” component to a native Chinese person.

理直氣壯 is a Chinese proverb that means “to do something while knowing you’re in the right.”

This can also be translated as and is appropriate when you are:

“In the right and self-confident”
“Bold and confident with justice on one's side”
“Having the courage of one's convictions”
“Justified and forceful”
“To be confident and vigorous because reason and logic are on one's side”
“Justified and confident”

醒悟 is a Chinese word that expresses the idea of reality or coming to understand what is true and real.

The first character means to wake up, awaken, comprehend, introspect, or visit.

The second character means to comprehend or understand (be enlightened).

The meanings of Chinese words are not necessarily the sum of their parts. In this case, at best, you can derive that the characters express “understanding what is real” or “knowing what is real.” Any Chinese person will perceive this word in a similar way to how we use “reality” in English.

Note: The first character can also be written in a different form as shown to the right. Same meaning in Chinese, either way it’s written.

知足 means content with one's situation or to know contentment (hence happiness).

From the Zen Buddhist context, Chisoku or 知足 (knowing what’s enough) means always to know and be satisfied with one’s lot.

Human pain and suffering are born of greed, and that greed arises because we do not know what’s enough.

The Chinese philosopher, Menzi (372-289 BCE) said, “to nourish the mind, there is nothing better than to make the desires few.” This relays the idea that the best method to cultivate the mind is to have little desire.

Being tolerant is accepting differences. You don't expect others to think, look, speak or act just like you. You are free of prejudice, knowing that all people have feelings, needs, hopes, and dreams. Tolerance is also accepting things you wish were different with patience and flexibility.

寬容 can also be translated as magnanimity, generosity, or leniency.

Note: There is a tiny deviation in the first character when written in Japanese. If you choose our Japanese master calligrapher, the little dot on the lower right of the first character will be omitted. With or without the dot, this can be read in Chinese, Japanese, and old Korean.

See Also:  Patience

巾幗 is the very old way to say woman in Chinese.

A common title in ancient China, this actually refers to the scarf or head wrapping worn by virtually all women at that time.

巾幗 is kind of a cool way to say Woman now. The actual gender character alone on a wall scroll would actually look like a fancy sign for the woman's restroom (WC).
If you are curious, the character to the right means female or woman. Knowing 女 is useful information if you are a woman searching for a toilet in China or Japan.

輪回 is a universal word in Japanese and Chinese that expresses the Buddhist idea of “reincarnation,” “transmigration of souls,” or “the eternal cycle of birth and death.”

In some contexts, this can also mean “karma,” and others will say it represents “samsara.”

The first character means wheel, ring, turn, circle, loop, or rotate.
The second character can be thought of as a suffix meaning “-times.” This second character can also refer to something that revolves, returns, goes back, or is a counter of the number of occurrences of some event.
Together the sum supersedes the parts, and it means reincarnation. But knowing the essence of each character may help you understand some of the meaning behind the word.

Shown to the right is the more common way to write the second character in Japanese. it’s an alternate form of this character in Chinese (so neither way is technically wrong in either language). If you select a Japanese calligrapher, expect that is will look like the Kanji to the right.

See Also:  Buddhism | Rebirth

協作 is a Chinese, Japanese, and old Korean word that means cooperation or collaboration.

Cooperation is working together and sharing the load. When we cooperate, we join with others to do things that cannot be done alone. We are willing to follow the rules which keep everyone safe and happy. Together we can accomplish great things.

The first character means “united” or “to coordinate.” The second character means “to do,” “to make,” or “to compose.” Knowing this, you can understand why together, these characters create a word that can be defined as “cooperation” in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean.

It is implied that you are cooperating to create some project or product.

See Also:  Partnership

迫力 is a Chinese word that is a form of personal strength.

It is a word that describes a person who is willing to take a risk. In English, we might say, “Someone with guts.”

An example might be a person that is not rich but invests a lot of money into something (knowing they could double their money or lose it all). Win or lose, this is a person that knows or pushes their potential.

Tearing this word apart, the first character means “to compel,” urgent, urge, force, imminent, or “spur on.” The second means power, strong, bear, or exert.

Note: 迫力 is also a word in Japanese Kanji and Korean Hanja but with a meaning more like force, intensity, appeal, strength, impact, force, or simply power.

無為 or “Wu Wei” is a Daoist (Taoist) tenet that speaks to the idea of letting nature take its course.

Some will say it's about knowing when to take action and when not to. In reality, it's more about not going against the flow. What will happen is controlled by the Dao (Tao), for which one who follows the Dao will not resist or struggle against.

You can think of 無為 as the Chinese way to express “laissez-faire.”

There is a lot more to this concept, but if you are looking for this entry, you already know the expanded concept.

Warning: Outside of the Daoist context, this means idleness or inactivity (especially in Japanese, where not everyone knows this as a Daoist concept, though it does pair well with the Japanese concept of Wabi-Sabi).

Beyond wisdom, 智慧 can be translated as knowledge, sagacity, sense, and intelligence.

The first character means “wise” or “smart,” and the second character means “intelligence.”

Note: 智慧 is used commonly in Chinese and is a less-common word in Japanese and Korean. If your audience is Japanese, I suggest our other Japanese wisdom option.

This means intellect or wisdom in Japanese too but is a more unusual way to write this word (though both versions are pronounced the same in Japanese).

See Also:  Learn From Wisdom