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3. Discipline
4. Exercise
7. Inner Beauty / Beauty of Spirit
10. Ken Zen Ichi Nyo
17. Power / Strength
19. Taido
20. Wellness
21. Great Power
22. Body Mind Spirit
身心 means “body and mind” or “mental and physical” in Chinese and Japanese.
In the Buddhist context, body and mind encompass the five elements (skandha) of a sentient being.
The body is the physical material (rūpa) of life. The mind embraces the other four skandhas, which are consciousness, perception, action, and knowledge.
身土不二 (Shindofuni) is originally a Buddhist concept or proverb referring to the inseparability of body-mind and geographical circumstances.
This reads, “Body [and] earth [are] not two.”
Other translations or matching ideas include:
Body and land are one.
Body and earth can not be separated.
Body earth sensory curation.
You are what you eat.
Indivisibility of the body and the land (because the body is made from food and food is made from the land).
Going further, this speaks of our human bodies and the land from which we get our food being closely connected. This phrase is often used when talking about natural and organic vegetables coming directly from the farm to provide the healthiest foods in Japan.
Character notes: 身(shin) in this context does not just mean your physical body but a concept including both body and mind.
土 (do) refers to the soil, earth, clay, land, or in some cases, locality. It's not the proper name of Earth, the planet. However, it can refer to the land or realm we live in.
Japanese note: This has been used in Japan, on and off, since 1907 as a slogan for a governmental healthy eating campaign (usually pronounced as shindofuji instead of the original shindofuni in this context). It may have been hijacked from Buddhism for this propaganda purpose, but at least this is “healthy propaganda.”
Korean note: The phrase 身土不二 was in use by 1610 A.D. in Korea, where it can be found in an early medical journal.
In modern South Korea, it's written in Hangul as 신토불이. Korea used Chinese characters (same source as Japanese Kanji) as their only written standard form of the language until about a hundred years ago. Therefore, many Koreans will recognize this as a native phrase and concept.
See Also: Strength and Love in Unity
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
(for body or mind)
鍛煉/鍛鍊 means to exercise in much the same way we use the word exercise in English.
This can be exercising your body at the gym or exercising your mind in studies. Most of the time, this refers to physical exercise.
This can also be translated as to temper, to toughen, to train, to drill, to forge, or simply discipline.
四諦 is the title of the Four Noble Truths as taught in virtually all sects of Buddhism.
These truths are suffering (dukkha), desire/attachment (samudaya), release from desire/attachment (nirodha), and the path leading away from suffering (magga).
The suggestion behind these truths is that all things in nature suffer. All things in nature have desire and attachment for things in the physical world. The enlightened can release themselves from the bonds of desire and attachment. And finally, once they release all desire and attachment, the enlightened will find a path that leads away from suffering.
This term is exclusively used by devout Buddhists. It is not a common term, and is remains an unknown concept to most Japanese, Chinese, and Korean people.
See Also: Buddhism | Enlightenment
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.
內在力量 is the slightly-verbose way to say inner strength.
The first two characters mean “intrinsic” or “inner.” The second two characters mean “power,” “force” or “strength” (especially physical strength). 內在力量 is more a short phrase rather than just a word in Chinese and Korean. This can sort of be understood in Japanese but it's not normal/proper Japanese.
Jyorei or Johrei is a healing art that uses divine light to dissolve the spiritual impurities that are the source of all physical, emotional, and personal problems.
浄霊/浄靈 is a Japanese title that can refer to the purification of the spirit described above, but this is also the word for exorcism in Japanese.
Romanization variations include Jyorei, Johrei, Jourei and Jore. Regardless of romanization, the actual pronunciation is like "Joe Ray."
拳禪一如 is a Japanese phrase that is often translated as “train both body and spirit.”
Here's the breakdown of the words in this phrase:
拳 means fist.
禅 is zen, which means meditation.
一如 is a word that means “to be just like,” “oneness,” “true nature,” or “true character.”
So to get to the translation of “train both body and spirit,” you must understand that “fist” is representing “body” and the idea of meditation is representing “mind.”
I have to say, this is not how I would translate this. To me, it's really about training with your mind and remembering that meditation is a huge part of training, not just your fist. As the Shaolin Buddhist monks show us, meditation is just as important as physical training in martial arts.
心技体 is the Japanese title “shin gi tai” or “shingitai.”
This can refer to the three elements of Sumo wrestlers or martial artists, “heart-technique-physique.”
Here is what each character represents:
心 (shin) mind, heart, and spirit.
技 (gi) skill, knowledge, and experience.
体 (tai) body and physical effort.
心技体 have the same meanings in Chinese, though this title is used much more often in Japanese.
魂の伴侶 is a Japanese-only title for soulmates.
魂 means soul, spirit, immortal soul (the part of you that lives beyond your physical body), or the conscious mind. In the Buddhist context, this is vijñāna or viññāṇa (consciousness, life force, or mind).
の is a possessive article that connects everything here.
伴侶 means mates, companions, partners, and spouses.
力量 is a general strength term.
It can refer to mental or physical strength (depending on context). 力量 can also be used to describe strength in terms of capability, capacity, ability, and even tact. Some may translate this as power or force.
力量與榮譽 is “strength and honor” in Chinese.
The first two characters are usually understood as (physical) strength but can also mean power or force.
The middle character is a connecting particle similar to “and.”
The last two characters are a way to say honor but can also be understood as honorable reputation, honorary, or glory.
Physical Strength
氣力 can mean any of the words in the title above, and in some contexts, can also mean effort, will-power, or talent.
This refers mostly to physical strength (as opposed to mental or spiritual).
In modern Japan, they use a simplified first character for this word. If you want to order this title with that special Japanese version, click on the character to the right instead of the button above.
体力 means “physical strength” or “physical power.”
The first character was first simplified in Japan. Later, that simplified version became the standard in mainland China. Just in case you want this version, it is offered here. I suggest it if your audience is Japanese. Most Chinese know the older traditional version, which looks like 體力.
体力 can also be defined: stamina; endurance; physical strength; resilience; resistance to disease; clout; stability.
力 is the simplest form of “power” or “strength.”
In Japanese, it is pronounced “chikara” when used alone, and “ryoku” when used in a sentence (there are also a few other possible pronunciations of this Kanji in Japanese).
In some contexts, this can mean ability, force, physical strength, capability, and influence.
強 is a character that means strong, strength, force, powerful, better, stubborn, and stiff (yes, all of this in one character).
This “strong” has less to do with physical strength and more to do with having a winning attitude, or just having the ability to win at something.
Note that most of the time, this character is pronounced “qiang” but when used with the meaning of stubborn, unyielding, or stiff, it is pronounced “jiang” in Chinese.
Also, sometimes “qiang” is used in modern Chinese to describe people that do crazy things (For example: Bicycling from Beijing to Tibet alone). I sometimes can be found outside my Beijing apartment wearing nothing but shorts and a tee-shirt while eating ice cream during a snow storm, just to hear my neighbors call me “qiang.” Maybe they mean “strong” but perhaps they are using the new meaning of “crazy strong.”
強 can also be a Chinese surname that romanizes as Jiang in the mainland or Chiang if from Taiwan.
強 is a valid Korean Hanja character with the same meaning but is mostly used in compound Korean words.
強 is used in Japanese (though normally in compound words). In Japanese, it has the same meaning but in some contexts can mean “a little more than...” or “a little over [some amount].” Most Japanese would read this as tough, strength, stiff, hard, inflexible, obstinate, or stubborn.
The variant 彊 is sometimes seen in older literature.
Taidō (The Way of the Body) is a style of Karate practiced in Japan and popular worldwide.
Taidō or 躰道 traces a lineage from Genseiryū (玄制流), which came from Shuri-te (首里手), one of the original martial arts schools of ancient Okinawa.
The first character 躰 is a variant of the original Chinese character 體. In modern Japan, they tend to use 体, a more simple character form. 体 is also the modern Simplified Chinese form of 體.
The 躰 character is correct for this 躰道 martial arts title. But it can be confusing with so many variants out there, not to mention other homophonic Japanese words that also romanize as Taidō or Taidou.
To have a bit more fun with this 躰 character, it has a 身 radical on the left, which sets it apart. The meaning doubles up on the “body” as 身 (shin) is a character that also means body in Japanese and Chinese. On the right is 本, which often means root, stem, origin, source, or fundamental (but can also mean “book” in some contexts). This has deviated from the original 體 which was 骨 (bone) + 豊 (vessel). Hence, the body was your “bone vessel” in ancient Asia.
The meaning of 躰, as well as 體 and 体, is usually translated as the body. When related to the physical body, it can also refer to the torso, trunk, build, physique, or the constitution of a person. As an extension of this, it can also refer to someone's health (good body = good health).
However, depending on the context, it can encompass other meanings such as form, style, system, experience, aspect, corpus, corporeal, substance, or essentials.
The second character, 道, is recognized and well-known as the “Way” and is the same “do” as in Karate-do or Aikido.
身體健康 is how to express “wellness” in Chinese. The meaning is not much different than the idea of “good health.” The first two characters alone are often translated as “health.” Some will also translate this title as “physical health.”
If you want to fill your room with a feeling of wellness, this is the wall scroll for you.
This is also the ancient way to express wellness in Japanese Kanji and old Korean Hanja. The modern Japanese form is 身体健康 (the only difference is the second Kanji). Let me know if you need your calligraphy written in modern Japanese.
身心霊 means “body mind spirit” in Japanese.
This refers to your physical, mental, and spiritual presence.
This can also be translated as “body heart spirit” as 心 can mean mind or heart.
Note that this is a "word list" and not a proper phrase (with a subject, verb, and object) nor a typical title in Japanese. So it's not too commonly seen in Japan. However, the term 身心霊整合性医療 that refers to holistic medicine is gaining popularity.
These search terms might be related to Physical:
Animal Kingdom
Beast / Animal
Chastity / Pure Heart
Most Sincere Friend / Honest Friend / Real Friend / Best Friend
Pure Heart
Pure Land / Jodo
Pure Land Buddhism / Jodo Buddhism
Pure Love
True / Real / Genuine
The following table may be helpful for those studying Chinese or Japanese...
Title | Characters | Romaji (Romanized Japanese) | Various forms of Romanized Chinese | |
Body and Mind | 身心 | shin jin / shinjin | shēn xīn / shen1 xin1 / shen xin / shenxin | shen hsin / shenhsin |
Body and Earth in Unity | 身土不二 | shindofuni / shindofuji | ||
Discipline | 鍛練 / 鍛錬 锻练 | tan ren / tanren | duàn liàn duan4 lian4 duan lian duanlian | tuan lien tuanlien |
Exercise | 鍛煉 / 鍛鍊 锻炼 | duàn liàn duan4 lian4 duan lian duanlian | tuan lien tuanlien |
|
Four Noble Truths (Buddhism) | 四諦 四谛 | shitai | sì dì / si4 di4 / si di / sidi | ssu ti / ssuti |
Ghost Soul Spirit | 魂魄 | kon paku / konpaku | hún pò / hun2 po4 / hun po / hunpo | hun p`o / hunpo / hun po |
Inner Beauty Beauty of Spirit | 內在美 内在美 | nèi zài měi nei4 zai4 mei3 nei zai mei neizaimei | nei tsai mei neitsaimei |
|
Inner Beauty Beauty of Spirit | 内面美 | nai men bi / naimenbi | ||
Inner Strength | 內在力量 内在力量 | nèi zài lì liàng nei4 zai4 li4 liang4 nei zai li liang neizaililiang | nei tsai li liang neitsaililiang |
|
Johrei Jyorei | 浄霊 / 浄靈 浄霊 / 浄灵 | jourei / jorei | ||
Ken Zen Ichi Nyo | 拳禪一如 拳禅一如 | ken zen ichi nyo kenzenichinyo | ||
Shingitai Shin Gi Tai | 心技体 | shin gi tai shingitai | xīn jì tǐ xin1 ji4 ti3 xin ji ti xinjiti | hsin chi t`i hsinchiti hsin chi ti |
Spiritual Soul Mates | 魂の伴侶 | tamashii no han ryo tamashiinohanryo tamashi no han ryo | ||
Strength Ability | 力量 | riki ryou / rikiryou / riki ryo | lì liàng / li4 liang4 / li liang / liliang | |
Strength and Honor | 力量與榮譽 力量与荣誉 | lì liàng yǔ róng yù li4 liang4 yu3 rong2 yu4 li liang yu rong yu liliangyurongyu | li liang yü jung yü liliangyüjungyü |
|
Strength Vigor Energy | 氣力 气力 / 気力 | kiryoku | qì lì / qi4 li4 / qi li / qili | ch`i li / chili / chi li |
Physical Strength | 體力 体力 | tai ryoku / tairyoku | tǐ lì / ti3 li4 / ti li / tili | t`i li / tili / ti li |
Physical Strength | 體力 体力 | tairyoku | tǐ lì / ti3 li4 / ti li / tili | t`i li / tili / ti li |
Power Strength | 力 | chikara / ryoku | lì / li4 / li | |
Strong Powerful Force | 強 强 | kyou / kyo | qiáng / qiang2 / qiang | ch`iang / chiang |
Taido | 躰道 | tai dou / taidou / tai do | ||
Wellness | 身體健康 身体健康 | shin tai ken kou shintaikenkou shin tai ken ko | shēn tǐ jiàn kāng shen1 ti3 jian4 kang1 shen ti jian kang shentijiankang | shen t`i chien k`ang shentichienkang shen ti chien kang |
Great Power | 大力 | dai riki / dairiki | dà lì / da4 li4 / da li / dali | ta li / tali |
Body Mind Spirit | 身心霊 | mi shin rei mishinrei | ||
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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