Eye to Eye in Chinese / Japanese...

以眼還眼 is the same proverb that seems to be used in virtually every language and culture worldwide.

Whether you are Arab, Persian, Jewish, European, British, Asian, or American, this proverb is well known as the “original form of justice.”

Here's the full proverb, 以牙还牙以眼还眼, with the first and second parts.

However, in Chinese, it's more natural to put the “tooth” part first, so this more accurately reads “Tooth for a tooth, eye for an eye.”

If revenge is important to you, I suppose this is the phase you want on your wall.

以牙還牙 is a phrase that often goes with “An eye for an eye,” even in Chinese. Revenge seems to cross all languages, cultures, and even species (animals are known to take revenge too).

If a Chinese person uses just one part of the full proverb, it will be this “tooth for a tooth” one. Although, we are more likely to say “eye for an eye” alone in English.

Chinese people may also read this with the meaning of “Bite me, and I will bite you back.” However, it literally means “tooth for a tooth” or “you take my tooth, I take yours.”

This means mind's eye.

Other definitions include: intention; conscience; consideration; the eye of the mind; mental vision.

佛眼 is the “Eye of Buddha,” the enlightened one who sees all and is omniscient.

In modern Japan, they also write the first Kanji as shown to the right. Both versions are correct but if you want the modern Japanese version, click on the Kanji to the right instead of the button above.

一視同仁 is how to write “universal benevolence.” This is also how to express the idea that you see all people the same.

If you are kind and charitable to everyone, this is the best way to state that virtue. It is the essence of being impartial to all mankind, regardless of social standing, background, race, sex, etc. You do not judge others, but instead, you see them eye to eye on the same level as you.

See Also:  Benevolence | Compassion | Equality | Justice | Right Decision | Selflessness | Work Unselfishly for the Common

ジャイ is the name Jai in Japanese.

This version sounds like “Jai” with a vowel sound like “eye.”

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

This is an alternate way to transliterate the name Kayla into Mandarin Chinese.

This one has a first syllable vowel sound like eye and kite.

写輪眼 is the Japanese name Sharingan from Naruto.

The meaning of this name is “Mirror Wheel Eye.”

眼 is the simplest way to write eyes or eyeballs in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.

This can also mean eyesight, sight, vision, look, stare, glance, viewpoint, insight, perceptivity, the power of observation, or simply the eye.

美しさは見る人の目の中にある means “Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder” in Japanese.

Japanese grammar and word order are different than English, but I will partially break this down for you:
美しさ = Beauty
は = is/relates
見る = to look/see
人の = person's
目の = eye's
中にあ = inside
る = !

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

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.

See Also:  Hearing a Hundred Times is Not as Good as Seeing Once

If you are a government spy, engaged in business espionage, or in some military intelligence department, 情報 is both the title of what you are doing and what you are collecting about your enemy.

It is suggestive by itself of military intelligence but applies to corporate intelligence if you are keeping an eye on your competition in business.

參宿四 is the title for Betelgeuse (star in the constellation Orion) in Chinese.

Also known as “α Orionis” (Alpha Orionis), Alpha Ori, or in Japan the Heike-boshi or Heike-star.

Note: 参宿 (Shēn Xiù) is the name given by ancient Chinese astronomers for a constellation of three stars (the three naked-eye visible belt stars of Orion). Therefore, 參宿四 means the Fourth Star of the constellation of Three Stars (which sounds like a joke). As telescopes got better, it should be noted that there are actually 10 stars in the constellation.

伊斯蘭教 both means and sounds like “Islam” in Mandarin Chinese.

The first three characters sound like the word “Islam,” and the last character means “religion” or “teaching.” It's the most general term for “Islam” in China. The highest concentration of Muslims in China is Xinjiang (the vast region in northwest China that was called The East Turkistan Republic until 1949 and is sometimes called Chinese Turkistan, Uyghuristan). Here you will find Uygurs, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, and others that are descendants of Turkmen (possibly mixed with Persians and Arabs). Many of their ancestors were traders who traveled the silk road to buy and sell spices and silk and exchange other goods from the Orient and the Middle East.

I spent some time in Xinjiang and got to know this community. They are strong people who can endure much. They are friendly and love to have a good time. I was a stranger but was treated by villagers (near China's border with Afghanistan) as if I was a good friend.
However, I have heard that it's best not to cross them, as in this land, the law is the blade, and everything is “eye for an eye.” The Chinese government has little control in Xinjiang, with almost no police officers except in the capital of Urumqi (so it's a 60-hour roundtrip train ride to seek the aid of law enforcement in most cases).

While few seem devout, there are at least small mosques in every village. And you will never see a man or woman outside without a head covering.

It should be noted that these people are all citizens of China, but they are officially of the Caucasian race. A visit to Xinjiang will change your idea of what it means to be Chinese.

五十步笑百步 is a Chinese proverb that means the one who retreats 50 paces mocks the one who retreats 100 paces.

During the Warring States Period of what is now China (475 - 221 B.C.), the King of Wei was in love with war. He often fought with other kingdoms just for spite or fun.

One day, the King of Wei asked the philosopher Mencius, “I love my people, and all say I do the best for them. I move the people from famine-stricken areas to places of plenty and transport grains from rich areas to the poor. Nobody goes hungry in my kingdom, and I treat my people far better than other kings. But why does the population of my kingdom not increase, and why does the population of other kingdoms not decrease?”

Mencius answered, “Since you love war, I will make this example: When going to war, and the drums beat to start the attack, some soldiers flee for their lives in fear. Some run 100 paces in retreat, and others run 50 steps. Then the ones who retreated 50 paces laugh and taunt those who retreated 100 paces, calling them cowards mortally afraid of death. Do you think this is reasonable?

The King of Wei answered, “Of course not! Those who run 50 paces are just as timid as those who run 100 paces.”

Mencius then said, “You are a king who treats his subjects better than other kings treat their people, but you are so fond of war that your people suffer from great losses in battle. Therefore, your population does not grow. While other kings allow their people to starve to death, you send your people to die in war. Is there any difference?”

This famous conversation led to the six-character proverb shown here. It serves as a warning to avoid hypocrisy. It goes hand-in-hand with the western phrase, “The pot calls the kettle black,” or the Biblical phrase, “Before trying to remove a splinter from your neighbor's eye, first remove the plank from your own eye.”

In China, 哄堂大笑 is a proverb that is used in response to a good joke or witty comment.

The story goes that Mr. Feng and Mr. He were both senior officials in the Song Dynasty (about a thousand years ago). One day, Mr. Feng walked into their shared office wearing a new pair of boots. The boots caught the eye of Mr. He who said, “New boots! - how much were they?.” Mr. Feng lifted one of the boots off the ground as if to show it off and responded, “900 coins.”
Astonished, Mr. Feng explained, “900? How can that be? - I paid 1800 coins for my boots!.” Mr. Feng then lifted his other foot off the ground and said, “This boot was also 900 coins.”

It is said that the whole room was shaking from the laughter of all that heard Mr. Feng's joke on Mr. He.