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Personalize your custom “Old Spirit” project by clicking the button next to your favorite “Old Spirit” title below...
1. Demon
3. The Spirit of the Dragon Horse
4. The Spirit of the Dragon Horse and Power of a Tiger
7. Essence
12. Mind Body Spirit
13. Never Forget Your First Resolution
14. Ghost Demon
15. Soul Mates
16. Spirit / Spiritual Essence
17. Spirit / Soul
19. The Holy Trinity
20. Warrior
22. Dragon
惡魔 is a common way to say demon, fiend, evil spirit, devil, or Satan in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.
This is a strange choice for a wall scroll, so consider this entry for reference only.
熱誠 is universal in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.
It can mean earnestness, enthusiasm, ardor, zeal, devotion, spirit, or fervor.
龍馬精神 is an old proverb that is used to wish someone good health and success combined as a great compliment.
The meaning is “The vigor and spirit of the legendary dragon-horse.” These four characters are often accompanied by four more which mean “...and the power and prestige of the tiger.” Here we are just offering the first part which is considered the short version.
By giving a wall scroll like this to someone, you were either wishing or telling them that they have an amazing quality. There is also a suggestion of good health - at least anyone with the vigor of a dragon horse would seem to also be in good health.
Note: In Japanese, this would be read as the spirit of 坂本龍馬 (Sakamoto_Ryōma), a beloved rebel who help abolish the old Japanese feudal system. This can be confusing, so I am declaring this proverb to be Chinese only.
龍馬精神虎虎生威 is an old proverb that is used to wish someone great health and success combined as a great compliment.
The meaning is “The vigor and spirit of the legendary dragon-horse and the power and prestige of the tiger.”
By giving a wall scroll like this to someone, you were either wishing or telling them that they have these qualities. There is also a suggestion of good health - at least anyone with the vigor of a dragon horse would seem to also be in good health.
龍神 is a Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja title that can mean “dragon god,” “dragon king,” or “dragon spirit.”
In the context of Buddhism, this is one of eight kinds of spiritual beings found in Mahāyāna texts.
熱心 literally means “warm-hearted” (can also mean warm-spirited or warm-souled).
This is one of a few ways to say Enthusiasm in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.
熱心 is also used to express the ideas of earnestness or eagerness.
Can mean “zeal” in Japanese.
精髓 is the Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja for essence.
This can also be translated as marrow, pith, quintessence, kernel, spirit, etc.
This often refers to the nature or basis of whatever element, plant, animal, being, person, or thing you are talking about.
The original Chinese version (also Korean Hanja) and modern Japanese version of the second character differ a tiny bit:
vs.
Both versions are so close that both Chinese and Japanese people will recognize this word. If you want the specifically-Japanese version, click on this link instead of the button above: Order Essence in Japanese
魂魄 is a Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja term for ghost, soul, or spirit.
It's used in the context of Buddhism as:
Animus and anima; the spiritual nature or mind, and the animal soul; the two are defined as mind and body or mental and physical, the invisible soul inhabiting the visible body, the former being celestial, the latter terrestrial.
豪氣 is heroic spirit or heroism in Chinese and old Korean Hanja.
This might come across as a bit arrogant to hang on your wall.
聖靈 is the title for the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost as used by Jewish, Catholic, and Protestant (and other Christian) Chinese people.
And yes, Chinese Jews do exist, but there are not many of them.
The first character means Holy, Sacred, Saint, or Sage. The second means ghost, spirit, efficacious, or intelligence.
This is valid in Chinese characters and old Korean Hanja. This will be recognized in Japan but see the note below...
In modern Japan, they now use a variant/simplified Kanji of the second character of Holy Spirit. If you want this Japanese version, click on the Kanji to the right instead of the button above.
不屈不撓 means “Indomitable” or “Unyielding.”
不屈不撓 is a long word by Chinese standards. At least, it is often translated as a single word into English. It's actually a proverb in Chinese.
If you want to break it down, you can see that the first and third characters are the same. Both mean “not” (they work as a suffix to make a negative or opposite meaning to whatever character follows).
The second character means “bendable.”
The last means “scratched” or “bothered.”
So this really means “Won't be bent, can't be bothered.” I have also seen it written as “Will not crouch, will not submit.” This comes from the fact that the second character can mean “to crouch” and the last can mean “to submit” (as in “to give in” such as “submitting to the rule of someone else”). This may explain better why these four characters mean “indomitable.”
Notes:
Some will translate this as “indomitable spirit”; however, technically, there is no character to suggest the idea of “spirit” in this word.
Other translations include indefatigability, indomitableness, or unremitting tenacity.
The first two characters can be stand-alone words in Chinese.
In Japanese, this is considered two words (with very similar meanings). It's more common to see the word order flipped to 不撓不屈 in Japanese.
The same characters are used in old Korean Hanja. Just like in Japanese, the words are swapped to 不撓不屈 creating a word pronounced “불요불굴” in Korean.
See 不撓不屈
身心靈 is probably the best way to express the idea of “Body, Mind, and Spirit” in Chinese and old Korean Hanja. We are actually using the word “heart” here because, for thousands of years, the heart was thought to be the place where your thoughts, feelings, and emotions came from. We do something similar in the west when we say “warm-hearted” or “I love you with all of my heart.” In this context, heart = mind in Asian language and culture.
The very literal translation of these three characters is “body, heart & spirit,” which could also be interpreted as “body, mind & soul.”
We have arranged these characters in this order because it simply “feels” like the proper order in the Chinese language. Word lists like this are not so common for calligraphy artwork, so we must be careful to put them in the most natural order. It should be noted that this is not a common title in Asia, nor is it considered an actual phrase (as it lacks a clear subject, verb, and object).
In Japanese Kanji, they use an alternate form of the character for soul or spirit. If you want this using the Japanese alternate, please click on the Kanji shown to the right instead of the button above.
Japanese disclaimer: This is not a natural phrase/list in Japanese. While not totally-natural in Chinese, this word list is best if your audience is Chinese.
Never Lose Your Beginner's Spirit
初心忘るべからず is an old Japanese proverb that suggests you try to never forget the enthusiasm you had as a child when you try new things (or even face the day-to-day). Basically, avoid having the mundane attitude that many people get with age.
You'll find this Japanese proverb translated in a few different ways. Here are some of them:
Don't forget your first resolution.
Never forget your childlike enthusiasm.
Forget not the beginner's mind.
Try never to lose your initial enthusiasm (freshness of attitude).
Note: This is sometimes written as 初心忘る可からず. The one shown above is used about 10x more often. There’s only one character difference between the two versions.
Note: Because this selection contains some special Japanese Hiragana characters, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.
鬼 can mean ghost, ogre, demon, or “spirit of a deceased person,” in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.
In some context, it can also mean sly, crafty, ogre-like person (i.e. fierce, relentless, merciless, etc.)
This can also be the “ghost” constellation (one of the 28 mansions in Chinese folklore).
An extended list of meanings includes departed; dead; a disembodied spirit; dead person; evil being; hungry ghost.
靈魂伴侶 is the literal translation of “Soul Mates.”
This is kind of the western way to express “soul mates” but translated into Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.
The first two characters mean “soul” or “spirit.”
The second two characters mean “mate,” “companion” or “partner.”
Although not the most common title, these characters have good meaning and will be received well in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. It's a universal title!
神 is the simplest way to write spirit in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean.
This single character alone will conjure up ideas of the spiritual world. 神 can also be translated as “vital awareness” as in the fact that one must know they exist to exist (I think, therefore, I am).
Other translations include:
God, deity, mysterious, divine essence, lively, spiritual being, divinity, supernatural, soul, mind, nerves, and energy. In some extended context, it can mean genius or unusual.
Japanese romanizations vary a lot when this character is combined into other words. However, shin is the original pronunciation taken from Chinese into Japanese. You'll also see it romanized as kami, gami, jin, and a few others, depending on context.
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.
廉耻精進忍耐遵守克己謙遜百折不屈 are the tenets of Tang Soo Do.
English | Old Hanja | Modern Hangul | Pronunciation |
1. Integrity | 廉耻 | 렴치 or 염치 | yeom ci |
2. Concentration | 精進 | 정진 | jeong jin |
3. Perseverance | 忍耐 | 인내 | in nae |
4. Respect & Obedience | 遵守 | 준수 | jun su |
5. Self-Control | 克己 | 극기 | geug gi |
6. Humility | 謙遜 | 겸손 | gyeom son |
7. Indomitable Spirit | 百折不屈 | 백절불굴 | baeg jeor bur gur |
After some research, it appears this list was compiled in English based on Taekwondo tenets. We filled in a few of the words that did not have a corresponding Hanja or Hangul. If someone else has a better list with characters included, please contact me.
三位一體 is the Chinese and old Korean way to write Holy Trinity.
This would be understood in Japanese as well, but they tend to write it with the last character simplified like 三位一体 in modern Japan.
This can be translated literally as “Three Thrones, One Body.”
Asian Christians will understand this as the Trinity, God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
The first character, 武, is the spirit or essence of a warrior. The second character, 士, means soldier, officer, or official. 武士 is also used appropriately enough to describe a piece of a chess game. 武士 can also be translated as a soldier, cavalier, palace guard, or samurai, and sometimes as a knight. I've occasionally seen this translated as strong man or tough man (gender not necessarily implied).
By far, 武士 is the most common way to write warrior in Chinese characters, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.
Note: In Japanese, this is Bushi, as in Bushido.
精神勇士 can be translated as the spirit or soul of a warrior. The first two characters can be translated as vigor, vitality, drive, spirit, mind, heart, mental essence, and psychological component. Basically, “your soul.”
The second two characters mean “warrior” or literally “brave soldier/man,” although some will translate this word as “hero.” Therefore, this is also how to say “soul of a hero.”
Note: This title is best for Chinese and old Korean. It does make sense in Japanese but is not a common or natural Kanji combination in Japanese.
We have two versions of this phrase. The only difference is the first two and last two characters are swapped. The version here suggests that you are the warrior or hero. The other version suggests that you admire or like the idea of the spirit of a warrior.
Year of the Dragon / Zodiac Sign
龍 is the character for dragon in Chinese, old Korean Hanja, and Japanese Kanji.
The dragon is a creature of myth and legend that dominates Chinese, Japanese, and even European folklore. In China, the dragon is the symbol of the Emperor, strength, and power, and the Chinese dragon is known as the god of water.
From the Chinese Zodiac, if you were born in the year of the Dragon, you . . .
Have a strong body and spirit.
Are full of energy.
Have vast goals.
Have a deep level of self-awareness.
Will do whatever you can to “save face.”
See also our Chinese Zodiac or Dragon Calligraphy pages.
Age is just a number
老當益壯 is a Chinese proverb that means “old but vigorous” or “hale and hearty despite the years.”
Said of someone who is more spirited when he/she grows older.
The story behind this Chinese proverb:
In the Eastern Han Dynasty, there was a man named Ma Yuan. He had been planning to herd animals on the frontier since he was young. When he grew up, Ma became a minor official of a county.
Once, he was sending some prisoners to another location. He felt pity for them, so he set them free, and then he fled to another county in the north. He herded animals there, and thus his dream came true. He always said: “If you want to be a great man, the poorer you are, the firmer in spirit you have to be; the older you are, the more spirited you should be.”
Later, when he was even older, Ma Yuan became a famous general of the Eastern Han Dynasty and contributed to many battles.
無常の風 is an old Japanese proverb that means the wind of impermanence or the wind of change in Japanese.
This can refer to the force that ends life, like the wind scattering a flower's petals. Life is yet another impermanent existence that is fragile, blown out like a candle.
The first two characters mean uncertainty, transiency, impermanence, mutability, variable, and/or changeable.
In some Buddhist contexts, 無常 can be analogous to a spirit departing at death (with a suggestion of the impermanence of life).
The last two characters mean “of wind” or a possessive like “wind of...” but Japanese grammar will have the wind come last in the phrase.
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The following table may be helpful for those studying Chinese or Japanese...
Title | Characters | Romaji (Romanized Japanese) | Various forms of Romanized Chinese | |
Demon | 惡魔 恶魔 | aku ma / akuma | è mó / e4 mo2 / e mo / emo | o mo / omo |
Devotion Enthusiasm | 熱誠 热诚 | nessei / nesei | rè chéng / re4 cheng2 / re cheng / recheng | je ch`eng / jecheng / je cheng |
The Spirit of the Dragon Horse | 龍馬精神 龙马精神 | lóng mǎ jīng shén long2 ma3 jing1 shen2 long ma jing shen longmajingshen | lung ma ching shen lungmachingshen |
|
The Spirit of the Dragon Horse and Power of a Tiger | 龍馬精神虎虎生威 龙马精神虎虎生威 | lóng mǎ jīng shén hǔ hǔ shēng wēi long2 ma3 jing1 shen2 hu3 hu3 sheng1 wei1 long ma jing shen hu hu sheng wei | lung ma ching shen hu hu sheng wei | |
Dragon Spirit | 龍神 龙神 | ryuu jin / ryuujin / ryu jin | lóng shén long2 shen2 long shen longshen | lung shen lungshen |
Enthusiasm Warm-Hearted | 熱心 热心 | nesshin / neshin | rè xīn / re4 xin1 / re xin / rexin | je hsin / jehsin |
Essence | 精髓 / 精髄 精髓 | sei zui / seizui | jīng suǐ / jing1 sui3 / jing sui / jingsui | ching sui / chingsui |
Ghost Soul Spirit | 魂魄 | kon paku / konpaku | hún pò / hun2 po4 / hun po / hunpo | hun p`o / hunpo / hun po |
Heroic Spirit Heroism | 豪氣 豪气 | háo qì / hao2 qi4 / hao qi / haoqi | hao ch`i / haochi / hao chi | |
Holy Spirit Holy Ghost | 聖靈 / 聖霊 圣灵 | sei rei / seirei | shèng líng sheng4 ling2 sheng ling shengling | |
Indomitable Unyielding | 不屈不撓 不屈不挠 | fu kutsu fu tou fukutsufutou fu kutsu fu to | bù qū bù náo bu4 qu1 bu4 nao2 bu qu bu nao buqubunao | pu ch`ü pu nao puchüpunao pu chü pu nao |
Mind Body Spirit | 身心靈 / 身心霊 身心灵 | mi shin rei mishinrei | shēn xīn líng shen1 xin1 ling2 shen xin ling shenxinling | shen hsin ling shenhsinling |
Never Forget Your First Resolution | 初心忘るべからず / 初心忘る可からず 初心忘るべからず | sho shin wasu ru be ka ra zu shoshinwasurubekarazu | ||
Ghost Demon | 鬼 | oni | guǐ / gui3 / gui | kuei |
Soul Mates | 靈魂伴侶 灵魂伴侣 | reikon hanryo reikonhanryo | líng hún bàn lǚ ling2 hun2 ban4 lv3 ling hun ban lv linghunbanlv | ling hun pan lü linghunpanlü |
Spirit Spiritual Essence | 神 | shin / kami | shén / shen2 / shen | |
Spirit Soul | 靈 灵 | ryou / ryo | líng / ling2 / ling | |
Tang Soo Do Tenets | 廉耻精進忍耐遵守克己謙遜百折不屈 / 廉恥精進忍耐遵守克己謙遜百折不屈 廉耻精进忍耐遵守克己谦逊百折不屈 | lián chǐ jīng jìn rěn nài zūn shǒu kè jǐ qiān xùn bǎi zhé bù qū lian2 chi3 jing1 jin4 ren3 nai4 zun1 shou3 ke4 ji3 qian1 xun4 bai3 zhe2 bu4 qu1 lian chi jing jin ren nai zun shou ke ji qian xun bai zhe bu qu | lien ch`ih ching chin jen nai tsun shou k`o chi ch`ien hsün pai che pu ch`ü lien chih ching chin jen nai tsun shou ko chi chien hsün pai che pu chü |
|
The Holy Trinity | 三位一體 三位一体 | sān wèi yì tǐ san1 wei4 yi4 ti3 san wei yi ti sanweiyiti | san wei i t`i sanweiiti san wei i ti |
|
Warrior | 武士 | bu shi / bushi | wǔ shì / wu3 shi4 / wu shi / wushi | wu shih / wushih |
Soul of a Warrior | 精神勇士 | jīng shén yǒng shì jing1 shen2 yong3 shi4 jing shen yong shi jingshenyongshi | ching shen yung shih chingshenyungshih |
|
Dragon | 龍 龙 | ryuu / tatsu ryu / tatsu | lóng / long2 / long | lung |
Old, But More Vigorous in Spirit | 老當益壯 老当益壮 | lǎo dāng yì zhuàng lao3 dang1 yi4 zhuang4 lao dang yi zhuang laodangyizhuang | lao tang i chuang laotangichuang |
|
Mujo no Kaze Wind of Impermanence | 無常の風 | mu jou no kaze mujounokaze mu jo no kaze | ||
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.
Some people may refer to this entry as Old Spirit Kanji, Old Spirit Characters, Old Spirit in Mandarin Chinese, Old Spirit Characters, Old Spirit in Chinese Writing, Old Spirit in Japanese Writing, Old Spirit in Asian Writing, Old Spirit Ideograms, Chinese Old Spirit symbols, Old Spirit Hieroglyphics, Old Spirit Glyphs, Old Spirit in Chinese Letters, Old Spirit Hanzi, Old Spirit in Japanese Kanji, Old Spirit Pictograms, Old Spirit in the Chinese Written-Language, or Old Spirit in the Japanese Written-Language.
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