Many custom options...

Tan Paper and Copper Silk Love Wall Scroll
Red Paper and Ivory Silk Love Wall Scroll
Orange Paper Love Scroll
Crazy Blue and Gold Silk Love Scroll


And formats...

Love Vertical Portrait
Love Horizontal Wall Scroll
Love Vertical Portrait

The name The Meaning of Life in Chinese / Japanese...

Buy a The Meaning of Life calligraphy wall scroll here!

Personalize your custom “The Meaning of Life” project by clicking the button next to your favorite “The Meaning of Life” title below...


  1. Year-In Year-Out Have Abundance

  2. Ardent / Fierce

  3. Beautiful Life / Life in Perfect Harmony

  4. You are always a beauty in your lover’s eyes

  5. Better to be Happy than Rich

  6. Birth / Life

  7. Doctor

  8. Drinking the water of a well: One should never forget who dug it

  9. Empress

10. Fall Down Seven Times, Get Up Eight

11. Ikigai

12. A Life of Serenity Yields Understanding

13. Ivy

14. John 3:16

15. Karma

16. Learn from Wisdom

17. Life Force

18. Life Goes On

19. Life is What You Make It

20. Live Laugh Love

21. Longevity / Long Life

22. Energy Sword Body in Concert

23. Accept the Situation and Move On

24. Once in a Lifetime

25. Undaunted After Repeated Setbacks

26. Purified Spirit / Enlightened Attitude

27. One Who Does Not Do Bad Things, Worries Not of Knocks at His Door

28. Reiki

29. Sacrifice

30. Simplicity

31. The Single Life

32. Smooth Sailing

33. Soul Mates

34. Student

35. Vitality

36. Vitality / Virility

37. Way of Life / Art of Life

38. Work Unselfishly for the Common Good

39. Kama - Desire Wish Longing

40. Release of Desires


Year-In Year-Out Have Abundance

 nián nián yǒu yú
Year-In Year-Out Have Abundance Scroll

年年有餘 is a common proverb or wish of prosperity you'll hear around the time of Chinese New Year.

Directly translated character by character, it means “Year Year Have Surplus.” A more natural English translation including the deeper meaning would be “Every Year may you Have Abundance in your life.”

On a side note, this phrase often goes with a gift of something related to fish. This is because the last character, “yu” which means surplus or abundance, has exactly the same pronunciation in Mandarin as the word for “fish.”

This is also one of the most common titles for traditional paintings that feature koi fish.

In China, this phrase might make an odd wall scroll - a customer asked especially for this common phrase which is why it appears here. See my other abundance-related words if you want a wall scroll that will seem more comfortable in Chinese culture.

Note: This can be pronounced in Korean, but it's not a commonly used term.


See Also:  Prosperity | Good Fortune

Ardent / Fierce

 liè
 retsu
Ardent / Fierce Scroll

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.

Beautiful Life / Life in Perfect Harmony

 hé měi
 wa mi
Beautiful Life / Life in Perfect Harmony Scroll

和美 is a word that means “harmonious” or, “in perfect harmony.”

The deeper meaning or more natural translation would be something like, “beautiful life.”

The first character means peace and harmony.

The second character means beautiful. But in this case, when combined with the first character, beautiful refers to being satisfied with what you have in your life. This can be having good relations, good feelings, comfort, and having enough (with no feeling of wanting).


Note: In Japanese, this is often used as the name "Wami." This title is probably more appropriate if your audience is Chinese.

You are always a beauty in your lover’s eyes

 qíng rén yǎn lǐ chū xī shī
You are always a beauty in your lover’s eyes Scroll

Any woman with affection for Asian art will love a gift of this Chinese proverb calligraphy on a wall scroll.

She will melt in your arms as you tell her the meaning of these characters.

Contained in this phrase is a reference to the most beautiful woman in Chinese history. Her name was Xi Shi, and she was known to have good looks that need not have fine robes or makeup. Her charms were so powerful that she brought down an entire kingdom (in a successful effort to bring honor and pride back to her people).

情人眼里出西施 is a great way to express that the woman in your life is your one love.

Better to be Happy than Rich

 ān pín lè dào
Better to be Happy than Rich Scroll

安貧樂道 means “It's better to be happy than rich” in Chinese.

Even if you are poor, you should still feel satisfied in your life...

...Satisfaction, happiness and the meaning of your life come from within yourself and not from money or riches of the world.

In Chinese, there are a lot of four-character proverbs which express some very old philosophies.
Though there are only four characters on this scroll, in Chinese, the meanings often surpass the dictionary definition of each character.

In this case, you should not set your expectations too high for the money or riches you wish to have. One who sets their expectations too high is almost always disappointed. Instead, you should cherish what you have, seek to improve yourself from within, and not measure your worth by the size of your bank account.


See Also:  A Sly Rabbit Will Have Three Openings to Its Den

Birth / Life

 shēng
 shou / iku
 
Birth / Life Scroll

生 is a Chinese word that means “to be born” and “to give birth.”

Also, it's often used to refer to life itself, and sometimes “to grow.”

生 is used in a lot of compound words such as “yi sheng,” which means “doctor” (literally “healer of life”), “sheng ri” which means “birthday” (literally “birth-day”), and “xue sheng” which means student (literally “studying life” or “learner [about] life”). Few Chinese people will think of the literal meaning when this uses words like doctor and student - but it is interesting to note.

生 has the same root meaning in Korean Hanja and Japanese. However, in Japanese, there are many possible pronunciations, and this can be used to mean “raw” or “unprocessed” (as in draft beer). Therefore, not be the best if your audience is Japanese.


See Also:  Vitality

 yī shēng
Doctor Scroll

醫生 is the title used to refer to medical doctors or physicians in China.

Note: Sometimes, this same term is used in Korean, but not common.

The meaning is close to “healer [of] life” as the first character, 醫, can mean medicine, the healing art, healing, curing, medical, to cure, or to treat. The second character, 生, means birth or life.

医 生 In Japan, they use a simplified version of the first character (医生 is also used as the Simplified Chinese version of Doctor). If you want this version, please click the characters to the right instead of the button above.

Drinking the water of a well: One should never forget who dug it

 chī shuǐ bú wàng jué jǐng rén
Drinking the water of a well: One should never forget who dug it Scroll

This proverb suggests that one should always be grateful to those who helped one succeed.

And remember your ancestors and those that came before you whose sacrifices made your present life better.

Some Chinese will separate the intended meaning from this proverb and translate this as “Don't forget the people who once helped you.” In Modern China, this idiom is virtually never used to refer to an actual well.

Note: This can be pronounced in Korean but it's not a commonly used phrase.

 huáng hòu
 kou gou
Empress Scroll

皇后 is the title of empress/emperess, the female form of the emperor.

皇后 is used in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.

While the emperor's reign was for life, if he died, his wife would hold his power. In this case, a woman was the ultimate ruler of the greater part of East Asia (now China) until her death and the succession of the emperor's firstborn son to lead the empire. Numerous times in various Chinese dynasties, an empress took power in this way.

The first character means emperor by itself.

The second character alone can mean “wife of an emperor or king” (the first character clarifies that we are talking about an empress and not a queen). It can also mean sovereign or last offspring, depending on context.

Note: In some books, this word is translated as queen. While only incorrect if you get technical (because an empress is theoretically a higher level than a queen), the meaning is very similar.

皇后 is sometimes used for the title of queen, but more technically, this is the wife of the emperor (a higher level than a queen).


See Also:  Emperor | King | Queen | Phoenix

Fall Down Seven Times, Get Up Eight

Always rising after a fall or repeated failures

 shichi ten hakki / nana korobi ya oki
Fall Down Seven Times, Get Up Eight Scroll

七転八起 is a Japanese proverb that relays the vicissitudes of life, with the meaning “seven times down eight times up.”

Some would more naturally translate it into English as “Always rising after a fall or repeated failures” or compare it to the English, “If at first, you don't succeed, try, try again.”

The first Kanji is literally “7.” The second means “fall down” (sometimes this Kanji means “turn around,” “revolve” or “turn over” but in this case, it holds the meaning of “fall”). The third is “8.” And the last is “get up,” “rouse,” or “rise.”

Basically, if you fail 7 times, you should recover from those events and be prepared to rise an 8th time. This also applies if it is the world or circumstances that knock you down seven times...
...just remember that you have the ability to bounce back from any kind of adversity.

Note: This can be pronounced in two ways. One is “shichi ten hakki” or “shichitenhakki.” The other is “nana korobi ya oki” also written, “nanakorobi-yaoki.”

Special Note: The second character is a Kanji that is not used in China. Therefore, please select a Japanese calligrapher for this title.

 ikigai
Ikigai Scroll

生き甲斐 is a Japanese word that means something one lives for, a reason for being, a purpose in life, or French, raison d'etre.

Everyone has an ikigai. Finding it requires a deep and often lengthy search for self. Finding your Ikigai is the way to also find satisfaction and meaning in life.

Your Ikigai could be almost anything. For some, it is running for president. For others, satisfaction is found in raising children.

Ikigai is why you get up in the morning; bringing meaning to your life and pursuing your Ikigai makes life worthwhile.

A Life of Serenity Yields Understanding

 dàn bó yǐ míng zhì, níng jìng ér zhì yuǎn
A Life of Serenity Yields Understanding Scroll

淡泊以明志寧靜而致遠 is a kind of complex ten-character proverb composed by Zhuge Liang about 1800 years ago.

This is a Chinese proverb that means “Leading a simple life will yield a clear mind, and having inner peace will help you see far (into the world).”

What I have translated as “simple life” means NOT being materialistic and NOT competing in the rat race.

The last word means “far” but the deeper meaning is that you will surpass what you can currently see or understand. Perhaps even the idea of opening up vast knowledge and understanding of complex ideas.

The whole phrase has a theme that suggests if you are NOT an aggressive cut-throat person who fights his way to the top no matter how many people he crushes on the way, and instead seek inner peace, you will have a happier existence and be more likely to understand the meaning of life.


See Also:  Serenity

 cháng chūn téng
Ivy Scroll

This is a common way to write “ivy” in Chinese.
There are varieties of ivy plant, and other ways to say ivy in Chinese but this version is probably the nicest. It's the one you would use if writing a poem about ivy etc.

If you want the actual meaning, this is, “Always Young Vine,” or “Ever Living Vine.” The literal meaning of the characters is more like, “Always Spring[time] Vine.” But Spring can have other representations in Chinese such as new life, youth, freshness, joyfulness, etc.

 shén ài shì rén shèn zhì jiāng tā de dú shēng zǐ cì gè tā mén jiào yí qiè xìn tā de bú zhì miè wáng fǎn dé yǒng shēng
John 3:16 Scroll

神愛世人甚至將他的獨生子賜給他們叫一切信他的不至滅亡反得永生 is the full translation of John 3:16 into Chinese.

This is from the Chinese Union Bible which comes from a revised version of the King James. This Chinese Bible was originally translated and printed in 1919 (several revisions since then).

Because of the origin being the KJV, I'll say that in English, this would be, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

As with any translation, there are interesting cultural and linguistic issues. For instance, the word used for “world” in Chinese can also mean “common people.” So you could say that it means “For God so loved the common people...”
This does not take away from the text, as it will be understood with the same meaning and connotation.

There is no direct Greek-to-Chinese translation in print (that I know of), so this is the best available. Of course, you can ask any Greek person of faith, and they will claim that a bit is lost from the original Greek of the New Testament to any of the English versions of the Bible in print.

Karma

Single character for Buddhist Karma

 yè
 gou
 
Karma Scroll

This is the simplest way to express the idea of Karma. This is the Buddhist concept of actions committed in a former life affecting the present and future.

Out of the context of Buddhism, this Karma character means one's profession in life, trade, occupation, business, study, or career.

The Karma definition applies to both Chinese and Japanese for this character. This also works as Korean Hanja as Karma; although the meaning can vary depending on context (my Korean dictionary gives the definition of profession/occupation).


See Also:  Buddhism

Learn from Wisdom

(When you see a wise person, try to be like them)

 jiàn xián sī qí
Learn from Wisdom Scroll

When you meet a wise person, you should learn from them and be inspired to become as wise as they are.

見賢思齊 is a pretty long proverb in English, but in Chinese, it's only four characters.
However, in Chinese, the deeper meaning often surpasses the dictionary definition of each character.

In this case, you should seek wise people to learn from throughout your life...
Always try to learn enough to become equal to them. It also suggests that learning and seeking wisdom is a non-ending cycle.


See Also:  Knowledge

 shēng mìng
 seimei / inochi
Life Force Scroll

This Chinese, Korean and Japanese word means “life force” or simply “life.”

The first character means “life” or “birth.” The second means “life” or “fate.” Together they create the meaning of “life force,” though some will translate this as “existence” and sometimes “vitality.”


See Also:  Vitality | Birth

Life Goes On

 shēng huó zài jì xù
Life Goes On Scroll

生活在繼續 means “No matter what happens, life goes on” or “For better or worse, life goes on.”

生活在繼續 is kind of modern Chinese proverb, but the meaning is generational.

生活 = to live; life; livelihood.
在 = (used before a verb to indicate an action in progress).
繼續 = to continue; to proceed with; to go on with.

Life is What You Make It

 shēng huó shì zì jǐ chuàng zào de
Life is What You Make It Scroll

生活是自己創造的 is a Chinese phrase meaning “Life is what you make of it,” or “Life is your own creation.”

Live Laugh Love

 xiào ài shēng huó
Live Laugh Love Scroll

In English, the word order shown in the title is the most natural or popular. In Chinese, the natural order is a little different:

The first character means laugh (sometimes means smile).

The second character means love.

The last two characters mean “live” as in “to be alive” or “pursue life.”

Please note: 笑愛生活 is not a normal phrase in that it does not have a subject, verb, or object. It is a word list. Word lists are not common in Asian languages/grammar (at least not as normal as in English). We only added this entry because so many people requested it.

We put the characters in the order shown above, as it almost makes a single word with the meaning “A life of laughter and love.” It's a made-up word, but it sounds good in Chinese.


We removed the Japanese pronunciation guide from this entry, as the professional Japanese translator deemed it "near nonsense" from a Japanese perspective. Choose this only if your audience is Chinese and you want the fewest-possible characters to express this idea.

In Korean, this would be 소애생활 or "so ae saeng hwar" but I have not confirmed that this makes sense in Korean.

Longevity / Long Life

 cháng shòu
 chouju
Longevity / Long Life Scroll

Used as a noun, this word means “longevity” or “the ability to live long.”

It can also be an adjective meaning “long-lived.”


Japanese LongevityPlease note that Japanese use a simplified version of the second character of longevity - it also happens to be the same simplification used in mainland China. Click on the character to the right if you want the Japanese/Simplified version of this two-character longevity calligraphy.

Energy Sword Body in Concert

Spirit, Sword & Body as One

 ki ken tai icchi
Energy Sword Body in Concert Scroll

气剑体一致 often gets translated as “Mind Sword Body,” or “Spirit, Sword, and Body as One.” But I think these translations don't tell you enough about what this is really saying.

In this context, 気, which is the modern Japanese version of 氣, means spiritual and unseen energy or “life energy.” In some cases, 気 can be translated as spirit, feeling, or nature. If defined as the mind, it's more about the invisible or intangible parts of one's mind (or soul).

剣 is the Japanese version of 劍 meaning sword.

体 is the modern Japanese version of 體 meaning body.

The Kanji 一 means one, and in this case, suggests “all in one.” The Kanji 到 means to send, deliver, or convey. But together, 一到 suggests all these things in agreement, union cooperation, or in concert.

Note: Arguments exist as to whether this should be romanized as Kikentaiitchi, Kikentaiicchi, or kikentaiichi. Technically, if you drop the last character, you get 気剣体一 and kikentaiichi (ki ken tai ichi), which is also a valid phrase.

Accept the Situation and Move On

 xiǎng kāi
Accept the Situation and Move On Scroll

想開 is a Chinese title that translates as “move on.”

It can mean getting over a shock or bereavement. More often, it means avoiding dwelling on unpleasant things or accepting the situation and moving on. It's a suggestion to get over it and get on with life.

The literal meaning of the characters is something like “thoughts opening.” But it's understood more as getting over the same old thoughts and opening yourself up to new thoughts or ways of thinking.

Once in a Lifetime

 yī qī yī huì
 ichigo ichie
Once in a Lifetime Scroll

This Japanese title can be translated as “for this time only,” “chance meeting,” “one meeting, one opportunity,” “never again,” or “one chance in a lifetime.”

The characters literally mean “one time one meeting” - of course, the Kanji characters have meaning far beyond a direct translation like this.

Some might use this proverb to talk of an opportunity that presents itself just once in your life. It could also be a one-and-only chance meeting with your true soul mate. An expression of any event that might happen once in a lifetime.


This is primarily a Japanese title, however, there is also a Traditional Chinese (and old Korean) version of this proverb. Just the last character is different.
會The traditional form was used in Japan before WWII and in Korea prior to 1900. This title is somewhat known in China.

If you want the older traditional form, just click on the character to the right.

Undaunted After Repeated Setbacks

Persistence to overcome all challenges

 bǎi zhé bù náo
 hyaku setsu su tou
Undaunted After Repeated Setbacks Scroll

百折不撓 is a Chinese proverb that means “Be undaunted in the face of repeated setbacks.”

More directly translated, it reads, “[Overcome] a hundred setbacks, without flinching.” 百折不撓 is of Chinese origin but is commonly used in Japanese and somewhat in Korean (same characters, different pronunciation).

This proverb comes from a long, and occasionally tragic story of a man that lived sometime around 25-220 AD. His name was Qiao Xuan, and he never stooped to flattery but remained an upright person at all times. He fought to expose the corruption of higher-level government officials at great risk to himself.

Then when he was at a higher level in the Imperial Court, bandits were regularly capturing hostages and demanding ransoms. But when his own son was captured, he was so focused on his duty to the Emperor and the common good that he sent a platoon of soldiers to raid the bandits' hideout, and stop them once and for all even at the risk of his own son's life. While all of the bandits were arrested in the raid, they killed Qiao Xuan's son at first sight of the raiding soldiers.

Near the end of his career, a new Emperor came to power, and Qiao Xuan reported to him that one of his ministers was bullying the people and extorting money from them. The new Emperor refused to listen to Qiao Xuan and even promoted the corrupt Minister. Qiao Xuan was so disgusted that in protest, he resigned from his post as minister (something almost never done) and left for his home village.

His tombstone reads “Bai Zhe Bu Nao” which is now a proverb used in Chinese culture to describe a person of strong will who puts up stubborn resistance against great odds.

My Chinese-English dictionary defines these 4 characters as “keep on fighting despite all setbacks,” “be undaunted by repeated setbacks,” and “be indomitable.”

Our translator says it can mean “never give up” in modern Chinese.

Although the first two characters are translated correctly as “repeated setbacks,” the literal meaning is “100 setbacks” or “a rope that breaks 100 times.” The last two characters can mean “do not yield” or “do not give up.”
Most Chinese, Japanese, and Korean people will not take this absolutely literal meaning but will instead understand it as the title suggests above. If you want a single big word definition, it would be indefatigability, indomitableness, persistence, or unyielding.


See Also:  Tenacity | Fortitude | Strength | Perseverance | Persistence

Purified Spirit / Enlightened Attitude

A Japanese martial arts title/concept

 xǐ xīn
 sen shin
Purified Spirit / Enlightened Attitude Scroll

The first Kanji alone means to wash, bathe, primness, cleanse or purify.

The second Kanji means heart, mind, soul, or essence.

Together, these two Kanji create a word defined as “purified spirit” or “enlightened attitude” within Japanese martial arts.

洗心 is one of the five spirits of the warrior (budo) and is often used as a Japanese martial arts tenet. Under that context, it's often defined as a spirit that protects and harmonizes the universe. Senshin is a spirit of compassion that embraces and serves all humanity and whose function is to reconcile discord in the world. It holds all life to be sacred. It is the Buddha mind.

This title will only be familiar to Japanese who practice certain martial arts. Others may not recognize this word at all.

洗心 does not show up as a word in too many Chinese dictionaries, but it can be read and has the same meaning in Chinese.


先心 There is an issue with the first character. The original, and probably most correct version is shown above. However, many dojo documents and other sources have used a more simple first character. Arguments ensue about which version is correct. If you want to be correct in the Japanese language, use the "Select and Customize" button above. If you want to match the Kanji used by your dojo, click the Kanji shown to the right. There is a slightly different meaning with this first character which means before, ahead, previous, future, precedence.

One Who Does Not Do Bad Things, Worries Not of Knocks at His Door

 bái tiān bú zuò kuī xīn shì yè bàn qiāo mén bù chī jīng
One Who Does Not Do Bad Things, Worries Not of Knocks at His Door Scroll

白天不做亏心事夜半敲门不吃惊 literally translates as: [If one does] not do bad things in the daytime, one need not be alarmed at knocks on the door in the middle of the night.

The meaning is something like, “A quiet conscience sleeps in thunder.” Basically, the message is, “don't commit crimes and you won't be jumpy every time the doorbell rings (so don't do anything wrong and your life will have fewer worries and you can sleep at night).”

 líng qì
 reiki
Reiki Scroll

靈氣 is the title of a healing practice now found globally but with origins in Japan.

Special note: Outside of the context of the healing practice of Reiki, this means “aura” or “spiritual essence that surrounds all living things.” A Japanese person unfamiliar with the practice will take the “aura” meaning.

Reiki is a technique for stress reduction and relaxation that also heals. It can be compared to massage but is based on the idea that an unseen “life force energy” flows through us and is what causes us to be alive. If your life force energy is low, you'll be more likely to get sick or feel stressed. If your life force energy is abundant and flowing well, you become more capable of being happy and healthy.

There is a lot of information available if you want to Google this term - my job is to offer the calligraphy while you can decide if it is right for you.

Note: We are showing the ancient (traditional) form of the Reiki Kanji. I have seen Reiki written with the slightly simplified version and this more classic form. If you want the form of Reiki with the two strokes in the shape of an X on the second character and the modern first character, simply click on the Kanji characters to the right.

Note: 靈氣 is also a Chinese word, but in Chinese, these characters create a word that refers to a smart person or someone with high aspirations. It is not read as a healing method in Chinese.
In Korean Hanja, this can be read as a “mysterious atmosphere” by a Korean who is not familiar with the practice of Reiki (still has a cool meaning in Korean).

 xī shēng
 gi sei
Sacrifice Scroll

犧牲 means sacrifice in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.

There is a suggestion in this word that this regards sacrificing your life.

Note: Depending on the context, this can also mean victim or scapegoat in Japanese.

In original and ancient Chinese, this word referred to sacrificial animals. It can still have this meaning in a Buddhist context.


犠The version of the first character used in modern Japan looks like the image to the right. If you order this from the Japanese master calligrapher, it will be written in this Japanese version.

 jiǎn
 kan
 
Simplicity Scroll

簡 expresses the idea of something simple or the essence of simplicity in life in Chinese.

This can also refer to a simple slip of bamboo for taking notes or writing a letter (especially in Korean Hanja).

Technically this is a word meaning simplicity and brevity in Japanese but it's rarely used in modern Japanese. Therefore, you should probably only select this character if your audience is Chinese.


See Also:  Brevity

The Single Life

Dokushin-Kizoku

 do kushin ki zoku
The Single Life Scroll

独身贵族 is a Japanese proverb that means “Single Aristocrat” or “Single Noble.”

The understood meaning is that single people can live freely without a spouse or kids to support them. To put it in an old cliché, they are footloose and fancy-free.

If you are a bachelor or bachelorette with few responsibilities and just a thirst for freedom and a worry-free life, this could be your title.

Smooth Sailing

 yī fán fēng shùn
Smooth Sailing Scroll

一帆風順 is just what you think it means. It suggests that you are on a trouble-free voyage through life, or literally on a sailing ship or sailboat. It is often used in China as a wish for good luck on a voyage or as you set out on a new quest or career in your life. Some may use this in place of “bon voyage.”

The literal meaning is “Once you raise your sail, you will get the wind you need, and it will take you where you want to go.” Another way to translate it is “Your sail and the wind follow your will.”

This is a great gift for a mariner, sailor, adventurer, or someone starting a new career.

Note: Can be understood in Korean Hanja but is rarely used.


See Also:  Bon Voyage | Adventure | Travel

 líng hún bàn lǚ
 reikon hanryo
Soul Mates Scroll

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!

 xué shēng
 gakusei
Student Scroll

學生 is how to write “student” in Chinese, pre-WWII Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.

If you are a “student of life,” this might be an interesting wall scroll to hang in your reading room.

The first character means “study” or “learning.”
The second character means “life” or “birth.” Don't read too much into that second character unless you decide that this means “the birth of studies” or “the life of learning.” Everyone in China, Japan (and those who can read Hanja in Korea) will just read this word with the meaning of “student.”

If you put the character for “little” in front of this word, it becomes “elementary school student.” Prefixed with “middle,” it becomes “middle school student.” Prefixed with “big,” it becomes “university student” (though when these two characters for student are seen alone, it often suggests “university student”). The term “high school student” is written differently.


学There is a very common simplified version of the first character for this word. You will see this form in modern Japan and mainland China, Singapore, and other places. If you want this simplified version, please click on the character shown to the right instead of the "select and customize" button above.

 shēng mìng lì
 seimeiryoku
Vitality Scroll

生命力 can mean “vitality” or “libido.”

The first two characters mean “life” or “life force.” The last character is a common word that means “strength.” So together, you get the meaning of “life strength” which is the essence of vitality.

Some will also translate this word as “good health.”


See Also:  Life Force | Health

Vitality / Virility

 jīng qì
 seiki
Vitality / Virility Scroll

精氣 is a Chinese, Japanese, and Korean word that means vitality or virility.

Depending on the context, this can also mean “mind and spirit,” “life energy,” or “essence.”

This term is often used in Buddhism with the same meaning.


気Note: In modern Japanese, they have simplified the last Kanji to look like the version shown to the right. If you want this modern version, please click on this Kanji. Otherwise, if you click the button above, you’ll get the ancient or traditional version (which is also universal between Chinese, old Korean, and old Japanese).

Way of Life / Art of Life

 shēng huó fǎ
 seikatsuhou
Way of Life / Art of Life Scroll

生活法 is a Japanese and Chinese title meaning “art of living” or “way of life.”

This can also be translated in a few other ways, such as “rule of life” and “the act of living.”

The “art” title kind of comes from the fact that the last character is the same as the book, “The Art of War.” So when you write your book, this is the title for “The Art of Life,” in Chinese and Japanese.

Work Unselfishly for the Common Good

 kè jǐ fèng gōng
Work Unselfishly for the Common Good Scroll

克己奉公 is a Chinese proverb that is often used to express how one should act as a government official. Most of us wish our public officials would hold themselves to higher standards. I wish I could send this scroll, along with the meaning to every member of Congress, and the President (or if I was from the UK, all the members of Parliament, and the PM)

This can also mean: “Place Strict Standards on Oneself in Public Service.”
The story behind this ancient Chinese idiom:
Cai Zun was born in China a little over 2000 years ago. In 24 AD, he joined an uprising led by Liu Xiu, who later became the emperor of the Eastern Han Dynasty.

Later, the new emperor put Cai Zun in charge of the military court. Cai Zun exercised his power in strict accordance with military law, regardless of the offender's rank or background. He even ordered the execution of one of the emperor's close servants after the servant committed a serious crime.

Cai Zun led a simple life but put great demands on himself to do all things honorably. The emperor rewarded him for his honest character and honorable nature by promoting him to the rank of General and granting him the title of Marquis.

Whenever Cai Zun would receive an award, he would give credit to his men and share the reward with them.
Cai Zun was always praised by historians who found many examples of his selfless acts that served the public interest.
Sometime long ago in history, people began to refer to Cai Zun as “ke ji feng gong.”


See Also:  Unselfish | Selflessness | Altruism

Kama - Desire Wish Longing

 yù lè
 yokuraku
Kama - Desire Wish Longing Scroll

欲樂 is the Chinese and Japanese title representing the Buddhist and Jainist joys of the five desires.

Kama comes from the Pali/Sanskrit काम. The meaning is “desire, wish, longing.”

In Jainism, it can include sensual pleasure, sexual desire, and longing.

However, the Buddhist context refers more to any desire, wish, passion, longing, the pleasure of the senses, desire for, longing to and after, the aesthetic enjoyment of life, affection, or love, enjoyment of love is particularly with or without the enjoyment of sexual, sensual and erotic desire, and is often used without sexual connotations.

Release of Desires

 guǎ yù
 keyoku
Release of Desires Scroll

寡欲 is a Buddhist word meaning unselfishness, wanting little, giving up desires, or achieving a reduction of desires in one's life.

When one achieves this, one has a more content and happy life.




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The following table may be helpful for those studying Chinese or Japanese...

Title CharactersRomaji (Romanized Japanese)Various forms of Romanized Chinese
Year-In Year-Out Have Abundance年年有餘
年年有馀
nián nián yǒu yú
nian2 nian2 you3 yu2
nian nian you yu
niannianyouyu
nien nien yu yü
niennienyuyü
Ardent
Fierce
retsuliè / lie4 / lielieh
Beautiful Life
Life in Perfect Harmony
和美wa mi / wamihé měi / he2 mei3 / he mei / hemeiho mei / homei
You are always a beauty in your lover’s eyes情人眼里出西施qíng rén yǎn lǐ chū xī shī
qing2 ren2 yan3 li3 chu1 xi1 shi1
qing ren yan li chu xi shi
qingrenyanlichuxishi
ch`ing jen yen li ch`u hsi shih
chingjenyenlichuhsishih
ching jen yen li chu hsi shih
Better to be Happy than Rich安貧樂道
安贫乐道
ān pín lè dào
an1 pin2 le4 dao4
an pin le dao
anpinledao
an p`in le tao
anpinletao
an pin le tao
Birth
Life
shou / iku / sho / ikushēng / sheng1 / sheng
Doctor醫生
医生
yī shēng / yi1 sheng1 / yi sheng / yishengi sheng / isheng
Drinking the water of a well: One should never forget who dug it吃水不忘掘井人chī shuǐ bú wàng jué jǐng rén
chi1 shui3 bu2 wang4 jue2 jing3 ren2
chi shui bu wang jue jing ren
chishuibuwangjuejingren
ch`ih shui pu wang chüeh ching jen
chih shui pu wang chüeh ching jen
Empress皇后kou gou / kougou / ko gohuáng hòu
huang2 hou4
huang hou
huanghou
Fall Down Seven Times, Get Up Eight七転八起shichi ten hakki / nana korobi ya oki
shichi ten haki / nana korobi ya oki
Ikigai生き甲斐ikigai
A Life of Serenity Yields Understanding淡泊以明志寧靜而致遠
淡泊以明志宁静而致远
dàn bó yǐ míng zhì, níng jìng ér zhì yuǎn
dan4 bo2 yi3 ming2 zhi4, ning2 jing4 er2 zhi4 yuan3
dan bo yi ming zhi, ning jing er zhi yuan
tan po i ming chih, ning ching erh chih yüan
Ivy常春藤cháng chūn téng
chang2 chun1 teng2
chang chun teng
changchunteng
ch`ang ch`un t`eng
changchunteng
chang chun teng
John 3:16神愛世人甚至將他的獨生子賜給他們叫一切信他的不至滅亡反得永生
神爱世人甚至将他的独生子赐给他们叫一切信他的不至灭亡反得永生
shén ài shì rén shèn zhì jiāng tā de dú shēng zǐ cì gè tā mén jiào yí qiè xìn tā de bú zhì miè wáng fǎn dé yǒng shēng
shen2 ai4 shi4 ren2 shen4 zhi4 jiang1 ta1 de du2 sheng1 zi3 ci4 gei3 ta1 men2 jiao4 yi2 qie4 xin4 ta1 de bu2 zhi4 mie4 wang2 fan3 de2 yong3 sheng1
shen ai shi ren shen zhi jiang ta de du sheng zi ci gei ta men jiao yi qie xin ta de bu zhi mie wang fan de yong sheng
shen ai shih jen shen chih chiang t`a te tu sheng tzu tz`u kei t`a men chiao i ch`ieh hsin t`a te pu chih mieh wang fan te yung sheng
shen ai shih jen shen chih chiang ta te tu sheng tzu tzu kei ta men chiao i chieh hsin ta te pu chih mieh wang fan te yung sheng
Karma
gou / goyè / ye4 / yeyeh
Learn from Wisdom見賢思齊
见贤思齐
jiàn xián sī qí
jian4 xian2 si1 qi2
jian xian si qi
jianxiansiqi
chien hsien ssu ch`i
chienhsienssuchi
chien hsien ssu chi
Life Force生命seimei / inochishēng mìng
sheng1 ming4
sheng ming
shengming
Life Goes On生活在繼續
生活在继续
shēng huó zài jì xù
sheng1 huo2 zai4 ji4 xu4
sheng huo zai ji xu
shenghuozaijixu
sheng huo tsai chi hsü
shenghuotsaichihsü
Life is What You Make It生活是自己創造的
生活是自己创造的
shēng huó shì zì jǐ chuàng zào de
sheng1 huo2 shi4 zi4 ji3 chuang4 zao4 de
sheng huo shi zi ji chuang zao de
sheng huo shih tzu chi ch`uang tsao te
sheng huo shih tzu chi chuang tsao te
Live Laugh Love笑愛生活
笑爱生活
xiào ài shēng huó
xiao4 ai4 sheng1 huo2
xiao ai sheng huo
xiaoaishenghuo
hsiao ai sheng huo
hsiaoaishenghuo
Longevity
Long Life
長壽
长寿
chouju / chojucháng shòu
chang2 shou4
chang shou
changshou
ch`ang shou
changshou
chang shou
Energy Sword Body in Concert気剣体一致 / 氣劍體一致
气剑体一致
ki ken tai icchi
kikentaiicchi
ki ken tai ichi
Accept the Situation and Move On想開
想开
xiǎng kāi
xiang3 kai1
xiang kai
xiangkai
hsiang k`ai
hsiangkai
hsiang kai
Once in a Lifetime一期一會
一期一会
ichigo ichie
ichigoichie
yī qī yī huì
yi1 qi1 yi1 hui4
yi qi yi hui
yiqiyihui
i ch`i i hui
ichiihui
i chi i hui
Undaunted After Repeated Setbacks百折不撓
百折不挠
hyaku setsu su tou
hyakusetsusutou
hyaku setsu su to
bǎi zhé bù náo
bai3 zhe2 bu4 nao2
bai zhe bu nao
baizhebunao
pai che pu nao
paichepunao
Purified Spirit
Enlightened Attitude
洗心
先心
sen shin / senshinxǐ xīn / xi3 xin1 / xi xin / xixinhsi hsin / hsihsin
One Who Does Not Do Bad Things, Worries Not of Knocks at His Door白天不做虧心事夜半敲門不吃驚
白天不做亏心事夜半敲门不吃惊
bái tiān bú zuò kuī xīn shì yè bàn qiāo mén bù chī jīng
bai2 tian1 bu2 zuo4 kui1 xin1 shi4 ye4 ban4 qiao1 men2 bu4 chi1 jing1
bai tian bu zuo kui xin shi ye ban qiao men bu chi jing
pai t`ien pu tso k`uei hsin shih yeh pan ch`iao men pu ch`ih ching
pai tien pu tso kuei hsin shih yeh pan chiao men pu chih ching
Reiki靈氣
灵气 霊気
reikilíng qì / ling2 qi4 / ling qi / lingqiling ch`i / lingchi / ling chi
Sacrifice犧牲 / 犠牲
牺牲
gi sei / giseixī shēng / xi1 sheng1 / xi sheng / xishenghsi sheng / hsisheng
Simplicity
kanjiǎn / jian3 / jianchien
The Single Life独身貴族 / 獨身貴族
独身贵族
do kushin ki zoku
dokushinkizoku
Smooth Sailing一帆風順
一帆风顺
yī fán fēng shùn
yi1 fan2 feng1 shun4
yi fan feng shun
yifanfengshun
i fan feng shun
ifanfengshun
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
Student學生
学生
gakuseixué shēng
xue2 sheng1
xue sheng
xuesheng
hsüeh sheng
hsüehsheng
Vitality生命力seimeiryokushēng mìng lì
sheng1 ming4 li4
sheng ming li
shengmingli
Vitality
Virility
精氣
精气
seikijīng qì / jing1 qi4 / jing qi / jingqiching ch`i / chingchi / ching chi
Way of Life
Art of Life
生活法seikatsuhou
seikatsuho
shēng huó fǎ
sheng1 huo2 fa3
sheng huo fa
shenghuofa
Work Unselfishly for the Common Good克己奉公kè jǐ fèng gōng
ke4 ji3 feng4 gong1
ke ji feng gong
kejifenggong
k`o chi feng kung
kochifengkung
ko chi feng kung
Kama - Desire Wish Longing欲樂
欲乐
yokurakuyù lè / yu4 le4 / yu le / yuleyü le / yüle
Release of Desires寡欲keyokuguǎ yù / gua3 yu4 / gua yu / guayukua yü / kuayü
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.


Dictionary

Lookup The Meaning of Life in my Japanese & Chinese Dictionary


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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.


A nice Chinese calligraphy wall scroll

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.

A professional Chinese Calligrapher

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.

Trying to learn Chinese calligrapher - a futile effort

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.

A high-ranked Chinese master calligrapher that I met in Zhongwei

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 The Meaning of Life Kanji, The Meaning of Life Characters, The Meaning of Life in Mandarin Chinese, The Meaning of Life Characters, The Meaning of Life in Chinese Writing, The Meaning of Life in Japanese Writing, The Meaning of Life in Asian Writing, The Meaning of Life Ideograms, Chinese The Meaning of Life symbols, The Meaning of Life Hieroglyphics, The Meaning of Life Glyphs, The Meaning of Life in Chinese Letters, The Meaning of Life Hanzi, The Meaning of Life in Japanese Kanji, The Meaning of Life Pictograms, The Meaning of Life in the Chinese Written-Language, or The Meaning of Life in the Japanese Written-Language.

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