是諸法空相 = All phenomena bear the mark of Emptiness 不生不滅 = no Birth no Death 不垢不浄 = no Defilement no Purity 不増不減 = no Increasing no Decreasing (Translation by Thich Nhat Hanh) The Heart Sutra is one of the most important sutras (religious texts) in Buddhism. It celebrates the idea that all things of theContinueContinue reading “Excerpt from the Heart Sutra”
Tag Archives: Japanese words
抱負 (houfu) “resolution”
感謝 (kan-sha) “gratitude”
勇 (i-sa-mu) bravery
One of the 7 virtues of bushido, the samurai code of chivalry.
武士道 (bushido) “The Way of the Warrior”
The samurai moral code, guiding attitude, behaviour and lifestyle.
結 (ketsu)“Connections”
Literally meaning “tying together”, this word can be used to refer to the relationships that tie humans together, in particular romantic relationships. In Japan (as well as China and Korea) lovers who are destined to be together are thought to be joined by the “red thread of fate”. Romantic partners are often depicted with aContinueContinue reading “結 (ketsu)“Connections””
恩 (on) “favour, gratitude, obligation”
“On” is the concept of having received a great favour, feeling grateful, and knowing that you owe somebody a lot. In Japanese it seems like less of a subjective feeling, and more of a tangible object – a thing that you now possess because somebody helped you greatly. In Japanese, “I am very indebted” isContinueContinue reading “恩 (on) “favour, gratitude, obligation””
迷悟一如 (mei-go-ichi-nyo) “confusion and enlightenment are one and the same”
Being confused ain’t necessarily so bad 🙂
陰陽 (in-yo) “Yin and Yang”
Yin is dark, cold, receptive, magnetic. Yang is light, hot, giving, active. Both are present in everything. Day is Yang, Night is Yin. But during a Yang day, one will have periods of Yin rest. Yin-Yang is also an important concept in Japanese art. In the calligraphy above, outward brush-strokes are Yang and should beContinueContinue reading “陰陽 (in-yo) “Yin and Yang””
限 (gen) “limits”
It is precisely the act of pushing against limits, stretching them, bending them, playing with them, which leads to interesting artistic expression. In other words, in order to push boundaries, there must be boundaries existing in the first place. This is especially true of Japanese calligraphy. As an artform it is incredibly restrictive. The boundariesContinueContinue reading “限 (gen) “limits””
