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2. Daodejing / Tao Te Ching - Chapter 81
3. Diligence
4. Dynamic
5. Enjoy Life
6. Enthusiasm
7. Everything Happens for a Reason
10. The Mysterious Bond Between People
11. Fate / Opportunity / Chance
12. Karma Connection
15. No Pain No Gain
17. Enthusiasm / Passion for a Cause
18. Rago
19. Sacrifice / Devotion / Dedication
20. Self-Love / Love Yourself / Love Oneself
23. Solidarity / Working Together as One
24. Dim Mak
25. Men Die for Wealth, Birds Die for Food
26. Tathagata
烈 is a Chinese word that means ardent; intense; fierce; stern; upright; to give one's life for a noble cause.
In another context, this character can refer to one's exploits or achievements.
In the Buddhist context, this is burning, fierce, virtuous, and/or heroic.
While technically, it had the same meaning in Japanese, it's usually a female given name, Retsu in Japanese these days.
信言不美美言不信知者不博博者不知善者不多多者不善聖人無積既以為人己癒有既以予人矣已癒多故天之道利而不害聖人之道為而不爭 is the Mawangdui version of Daodejing chapter 81.
勤勉 can be translated as diligence, industrious, assiduity, assiduous, diligent, or sedulity.
Diligence is working hard and doing your absolute best. You take special care by doing things step by step. Diligence helps you to get things done with excellence and enthusiasm. Diligence leads to success.
See Also: Hard Work | Tenacity | Commitment
勤 is a single character that means diligence or “sense of duty” in Chinese and Korean (also understood in Japanese but not commonly seen as a stand-alone Kanji).
As a single character on a wall scroll, this will only be seen with this meaning. However, it can also mean industrious, hardworking, frequent, regular, constant, energy, zeal, fortitude, or virility.
In Buddhism, this can represent vīrya (viriya), the idea of energy, diligence, enthusiasm, or effort. It can be defined as an attitude of gladly engaging in wholesome activities, and it functions to cause one to accomplish wholesome or virtuous actions. Some Buddhists may even define this as “manliness” (a definition from a hundred years ago, before equality).
If you or someone you know is a hard worker (or needs a reminder to be diligent), then this is the wall scroll to have in your/their office.
Moving / Motion / Ever-Changing
動 is the only Chinese/Japanese/Korean word that can encompass the idea of “dynamic” into one character.
動 can also mean:
to use; to act; to move; to change; motion; stir.
In the Buddhist context, it means: Movement arises from the nature of wind which is the cause of motion.
The key point of this word is that it represents motion or always moving. Some might say “lively” or certainly the opposite of something that is stagnant or dead.
Note: In Japanese, this can also be a female given name, Yurugi.
人生を楽しみにしている is one way to write “enjoy life” in Japanese.
The character breakdown:
人生 (jinsei) life (i.e. conception to death) human lifetime, living.
を (o) connecting particle.
楽しみ (tanoshimi) enjoyment; pleasure; anticipation; looking forward to.
に (ni) connecting particle.
し (shi) to do; to cause; to become; to make (into).
て (te) connecting particle.
いる (iru) indicates continuing action or resulting state.
Note: Because this selection contains some special Japanese Hiragana characters, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.
熱情 is a Chinese and Korean word for enthusiasm that can also be translated as passion (for a cause), ardency, ardor/ardour, enthusiasm, or zeal.
Enthusiasm is being warm, cheerful, happy, and full of spirit. It is doing something wholeheartedly and eagerly. When you are enthusiastic, you have a positive attitude.
In some contexts, this could mean being extremely fond of something or having a fondness for a cause or person.
This Chinese word can also be translated as "sincere and warm" or literally "warm sentiment / affection."
See Also: Motivation | Passion | Commitment | Tenacity
萬事皆因果 means “Everything happens for a reason” in Chinese.
The first two characters mean “all things” or “everything.”
The middle character kind of means “in all cases.”
The last two characters create a complex word that can be defined in many ways, such as “karma,” “cause and effect,” “fate,” and “every cause has its effect, as every effect arises from a cause.”
Keep in mind that Chinese grammar is a bit different than English, so trust me that this makes a natural-sounding proverb in Chinese.
Meaning: You reap what you sow
悪因悪果 is a Japanese proverb that means “Evil cause, evil effect” or “Bad causes bring bad results.”
The English equivalent is probably, “Sow evil and reap evil” or more commonly, “You reap what you sow.”
Note: 悪因悪果 is also considered to be a Buddhist phrase encompassing the idea of karmic retribution.
貞烈 is the Japanese Kanji for “Extreme Faithfulness.”
The first Kanji means “firm adherence to one's principles,” chastity (of a woman), chaste, etc.
The second Kanji means ardent, intense, fierce, stern, upright, to give one's life for a noble cause, exploits, achievements, virtuous, and in some contexts, heroic.
Now you get the idea why this refers to someone who is extremely faithful (to a cause, themselves, their religious beliefs, or their philosophy.
The invisible force that brings people together forever
緣 represents the fate that brings and bonds people together.
緣 is a complicated single character. It can mean a lot of different things depending on how you read it.
In Japanese, it can mean fate, destiny, a mysterious force that binds two people together, a relationship between two people, bond, link, connection, family ties, affinity, opportunity, or chance (to meet someone and start a relationship). It can also mean “someone to rely on,” relative, reminder, memento, or the female given name, Yori.
It's the same in Chinese, where it's defined as cause, reason, karma, fate, or predestined affinity.
In the Buddhist context, it's Pratyaya. This is the concept of indirect conditions, as opposed to direct causes. It's when something happens (meeting someone) by circumstance or a contributing environment. Instead of a direct cause or act, it is a conditioning cause without direct input or action by the involved people.
Occasionally, this character is used in a facetious way to say hem, seam, or edge of clothing. In this case, it's the seam that brings or holds the clothing together.
Note: Japanese will tend to use the variant of this Kanji shown to the right. If you want this version (and are ordering this from the Japanese master calligrapher), click on the Kanji at the right instead of the button above.
The Buddhist idea of Fate
因緣 is the Buddhist concept of a chance meeting or an opportunity that presents itself by fate.
Sometimes this is used to describe a cosmic chain of events or cause and effect.
It also is used to describe predestined relationships between people - and sometimes married couples (although if you want one about marriage, try this: Fate / Destiny of Lovers.
因緣 can also be translated as origin, karma, destiny, affinity, connection, and relation. This all depends on context - seen alone on a wall scroll, this will be read with a “fate/chance” meaning by a Chinese person or a Korean person who can read Hanja.
The more complex definition of this word would be, “Direct causes and indirect conditions, which underlie the actions of all things.”
This concept is known as nidana in the original Sanskrit. Also sometimes presented as hetupratyaya (or “hetu and prataya”), which I believe is Pali.
Note: Japanese will tend to use this version of the second Kanji:
If you order this from the Japanese master calligrapher, expect that you’ll get this version. However, this word often carries a negative connotation in Japanese (bad things happen), as it is used that way in a certain Japanese idiom. Therefore, this may not be the best choice if Japanese is your target language.
See Also: Buddhism | Opportunity
有緣 means: related; brought together by fate; same karma; those who have the cause, link, or connection.
有緣 is a common word in Chinese but usually only used in the context of Buddhism in Japanese.
Buddhists will say this refers to those that are influenced by and responsive to the Buddha.
It's Never Too Late Too Mend
Long ago in what is now China, there were many kingdoms throughout the land. This time period is known as “The Warring States Period” by historians because these kingdoms often did not get along with each other.
Sometime around 279 B.C. the Kingdom of Chu was a large but not particularly powerful kingdom. Part of the reason it lacked power was the fact that the King was surrounded by “yes men” who told him only what he wanted to hear. Many of the King's court officials were corrupt and incompetent which did not help the situation.
The King was not blameless himself, as he started spending much of his time being entertained by his many concubines.
One of the King's ministers, Zhuang Xin, saw problems on the horizon for the Kingdom, and warned the King, “Your Majesty, you are surrounded by people who tell you what you want to hear. They tell you things to make you happy and cause you to ignore important state affairs. If this is allowed to continue, the Kingdom of Chu will surely perish, and fall into ruins.”
This enraged the King who scolded Zhuang Xin for insulting the country and accused him of trying to create resentment among the people. Zhuang Xin explained, “I dare not curse the Kingdom of Chu but I feel that we face great danger in the future because of the current situation.” The King was simply not impressed with Zhuang Xin's words.
Seeing the King's displeasure with him and the King's fondness for his court of corrupt officials, Zhuang Xin asked permission from the King that he may take leave of the Kingdom of Chu, and travel to the State of Zhao to live. The King agreed, and Zhuang Xin left the Kingdom of Chu, perhaps forever.
Five months later, troops from the neighboring Kingdom of Qin invaded Chu, taking a huge tract of land. The King of Chu went into exile, and it appeared that soon, the Kingdom of Chu would no longer exist.
The King of Chu remembered the words of Zhuang Xin and sent some of his men to find him. Immediately, Zhuang Xin returned to meet the King. The first question asked by the King was “What can I do now?”
Zhuang Xin told the King this story:
A shepherd woke one morning to find a sheep missing. Looking at the pen saw a hole in the fence where a wolf had come through to steal one of his sheep. His friends told him that he had best fix the hole at once. But the Shepherd thought since the sheep is already gone, there is no use fixing the hole.
The next morning, another sheep was missing. And the Shepherd realized that he must mend the fence at once. Zhuang Xin then went on to make suggestions about what could be done to reclaim the land lost to the Kingdom of Qin, and reclaim the former glory and integrity of the Kingdom of Chu.
The Chinese idiom shown above came from this reply from Zhuang Xin to the King of Chu almost 2,300 years ago.
It translates roughly into English as...
“Even if you have lost some sheep, it's never too late to mend the fence.”
This proverb, 亡羊补牢犹未为晚, is often used in modern China when suggesting in a hopeful way that someone change their ways, or fix something in their life. It might be used to suggest fixing a marriage, quitting smoking, or getting back on track after taking an unfortunate path in life among other things one might fix in their life.
I suppose in the same way that we might say, “Today is the first day of the rest of your life” in our western cultures to suggest that you can always start anew.
Note: This does have Korean pronunciation but is not a well-known proverb in Korean (only Koreans familiar with ancient Chinese history would know it). Best if your audience is Chinese.
痛みなくして得るものなし is a Japanese phrase that means “no pain, no gain.”
This suggests that with pain, a gain must follow.
The pain Kanji here can also be translated as sorrow or suffering. The gain can also mean profit, advantage, or benefit. In the Japanese Buddhist context, that gain Kanji can mean rebirth in paradise, entering nirvana.
The character breakdown:
痛みなく (itami naku) pain; ache; sore; grief; distress. The naku part adds the meaning of “a lot of” or “extended”
して (shite) and then. (indicates a causative expression; acts as a connective particle)
得る (eru) to get; to acquire; to obtain; to procure; to earn; to win; to gain; to secure; to attain.
もの (mono) conjunctive particle indicating a cause or reason.
なし (nashi) none of; -less; without; no.
Note: Because this selection contains some special Japanese Hiragana characters, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.
Depending on the context, 熱情 can mean “cordial,” “enthusiastic,” “passionate,” or “passionately.”
This version is sometimes used in Japanese, but the character order is more common in Chinese and Korean Hanja. The meaning in Japanese for this Kanji order is ardor/ardour or zeal but rarely used in modern Japan. I suggest you choose a different version of “passion” if your audience is Japanese.
See Also: Persistence | Devotion | Tenacity | Commitment | Motivation
情熱 is the Japanese word that means enthusiasm or “passion for a cause.”
In some contexts, this could mean being extremely fond of something or having a fondness for a cause or person.
Can also be translated as passion, zeal, ardor/ardour, or fervor.
Note: This word (or character order) is not natural in Chinese. However, a typical Chinese person can guess this is a Japanese or Korean word and understand the intended meaning. This selection is best if your audience is Japanese or old-school Korean.
See Also: Persistence | Devotion | Tenacity | Commitment | Motivation
This is a Japanese personal name, Rago.
The meaning can be the intersection of the Moon's orbit with the ecliptic in Vedic astronomy (from Sanskrit Rāhu).
In Buddhist context, this can be, “the demon who is supposed to seize the sun and moon and thus cause eclipses.”
This is a variant of the Chinese 羅睺. It can also be written 羅護 or 羅虎. If you need the more ancient Chinese version, just let me know.
(complete bodily devotion)
獻身 is used to describe being so devoted to something that you will make sacrifices for that goal/thing/person.
You can also translate this word as any of the following:
This can be a dedication to or for someone but is often used as a dedication or making sacrifices for your country, public service, or a cause. For instance, an Olympic athlete makes great sacrifices to train in his/her sport for their country and compatriots.
While the form shown to the upper-left is considered an ancient Japanese version, in modern Japan, they use the simplified version of the first Kanji (shown to the right). Click on the Kanji at the right instead of the button above if you want this modern Japanese version.
If you are looking for a more religious meaning of devotion, see Faith.
See Also: Confidence | Dedication
自愛 means self-love, self-regard, regard for oneself, cherishing one's good name, taking care of oneself, or love myself.
In the Buddhist context, this is the cause of all pursuit or seeking, which in turn causes all suffering. All Buddhas discharge themselves from self-love and all pursuits of personal gratification. Such elimination of self-love is a step towards nirvāṇa.
This title can be taken as positive or negative, depending on how you read it. Some will see it as arrogant, and others will read it as a token of self-respect. Because of this ambiguity, I do not recommend this title for a wall scroll.
奮鬥 means strive (as in to put great effort into something or a cause).
It can also be translated as a struggle.
The second character of this word can also be written as shown to the right. Yes. it’s very different. If you want this alternate version, just let us know when you place your order (in the special instructions).
盟友 means a sworn friend or ally. If you stand on the same side of an issue with someone and perhaps fight for the same cause together, this is the term you would use to describe such a partner.
There may not be a personal relationship, as this term is also used to describe whole countries that make a coalition or fight against a common enemy.
This would be most appropriate if you are a high-level military officer, giving this wall scroll to an officer of another country as you join forces together and go to war.
Dim Mak or 點脈 is a martial arts term that refers to hitting a pressure point.
It is often theorized that hitting just the right (or wrong) pressure point can cause instant death. Hence, I have seen Dim Mak mistranslated as “death punch” or “touch of death.” But really, this is just the point (點) of pulse or meridian (脈) - aka pressure point.
See Also: 點穴
人為財死鳥為食亡 is a Chinese proverb that literally states that human beings will die for riches, just as birds will for food.
Figuratively it means that man will do anything in his means to become rich. Personally, I think dying for food is a more noble cause.
Often translated as “Men die in pursuit of wealth, birds die in pursuit of food. The 人 in this proverb just means human, so “men” is a placeholder for human with that translation - an English language problem that we have no easy gender-neutral nouns.
This proverb is meant to serve as a warning about the follies of greed.
These search terms might be related to Cause:
Doing Good is the Greatest Source of Happiness
Everything Happens for a Reason
Failure is the Origin of Success
Love Without Reason
The Foundation of Good Conduct
Trigger Fish
The following table may be helpful for those studying Chinese or Japanese...
Title | Characters | Romaji (Romanized Japanese) | Various forms of Romanized Chinese | |
Ardent Fierce | 烈 | retsu | liè / lie4 / lie | lieh |
Daodejing Tao Te Ching - Chapter 81 | 信言不美美言不信知者不博博者不知善者不多多者不善聖人無積既以為人己癒有既以予人矣已癒多故天之道利而不害聖人之道為而不爭 信言不美美言不信知者不博博者不知善者不多多者不善圣人无积既以为人己愈有既以予人矣已愈多故天之道利而不害圣人之道为而不争 | |||
Diligence | 勤勉 | kinben | qín miǎn / qin2 mian3 / qin mian / qinmian | ch`in mien / chinmien / chin mien |
Diligence | 勤 | kin | qín / qin2 / qin | ch`in / chin |
Dynamic | 動 动 | dou / do | dòng / dong4 / dong | tung |
Enjoy Life | 人生を楽しみにしている | jin sei o tano shi mi ni shi te i ru | ||
Enthusiasm | 熱情 热情 | rè qíng / re4 qing2 / re qing / reqing | je ch`ing / jeching / je ching | |
Everything Happens for a Reason | 萬事皆因果 万事皆因果 | wàn shì jiē yīn guǒ wan4 shi4 jie1 yin1 guo3 wan shi jie yin guo wanshijieyinguo | wan shih chieh yin kuo wanshihchiehyinkuo |
|
Evil Cause, Evil Result | 悪因悪果 | akuin akka / akuinakka / akuin aka | ||
Extreme Faithfulness | 貞烈 | tei retsu / teiretsu | ||
The Mysterious Bond Between People | 緣 / 縁 缘 | en | yuán / yuan2 / yuan | yüan |
Fate Opportunity Chance | 因緣 因缘 / 因縁 | in nen / innen | yīn yuán / yin1 yuan2 / yin yuan / yinyuan | yin yüan / yinyüan |
Karma Connection | 有緣 有缘 | uen | yǒu yuán / you3 yuan2 / you yuan / youyuan | yu yüan / yuyüan |
Karma - Cause and Effect | 因果 | inga | yīn guǒ / yin1 guo3 / yin guo / yinguo | yin kuo / yinkuo |
Better Late Than Never | 亡羊補牢猶未為晚 亡羊补牢犹未为晚 | wáng yáng bǔ láo yóu wèi wéi wǎn wang2 yang2 bu3 lao2 you2 wei4 wei2 wan3 wang yang bu lao you wei wei wan | wang yang pu lao yu wei wei wan wangyangpulaoyuweiweiwan |
|
No Pain No Gain | 痛みなくして得るものなし | itami naku shite erumono wa nashi | ||
Passion for a Cause | 熱情 热情 | netsujou / netsujo | rè qíng / re4 qing2 / re qing / reqing | je ch`ing / jeching / je ching |
Enthusiasm Passion for a Cause | 情熱 情热 | jou netsu / jounetsu / jo netsu | qíng rè / qing2 re4 / qing re / qingre | ch`ing je / chingje / ching je |
Rago | 羅喉 | ragou / rago | luó hóu / luo2 hou2 / luo hou / luohou | lo hou / lohou |
Sacrifice Devotion Dedication | 獻身 献身 | ken shin / kenshin | xiàn shēn xian4 shen1 xian shen xianshen | hsien shen hsienshen |
Self-Love Love Yourself Love Oneself | 自愛 自爱 | ji ai / jiai | zì ài / zi4 ai4 / zi ai / ziai | tzu ai / tzuai |
Strive Struggle | 奮鬥 / 奮斗 奋斗 / 奋鬥 | fèn dòu / fen4 dou4 / fen dou / fendou | fen tou / fentou | |
Strive Struggle | 奮闘 / 奮鬥 奋斗 / 奋鬥 | fun tou / funtou / fun to | ||
Sworn Friend Ally | 盟友 | meiyuu / meiyu | méng yǒu / meng2 you3 / meng you / mengyou | meng yu / mengyu |
Solidarity Working Together as One | 一致団結 | icchidanketsu ichidanketsu | ||
Dim Mak | 點脈 点脉 | diǎn mài / dian3 mai4 / dian mai / dianmai | tien mai / tienmai | |
Men Die for Wealth, Birds Die for Food | 人為財死鳥為食亡 人为财死鸟为食亡 | rén wèi cái sǐ niǎo wèi shí wáng ren2 wei4 cai2 si3 niao3 wei4 shi2 wang2 ren wei cai si niao wei shi wang | jen wei ts`ai ssu niao wei shih wang jen wei tsai ssu niao wei shih wang |
|
Tathagata | 如來 如来 | nyorai | rú lái / ru2 lai2 / ru lai / rulai | ju lai / julai |
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.
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