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Mandarin Chinese information.
Old Wade-Giles romanization used only in Taiwan.
Japanese information.
Buddhist definition. Note: May not apply to all sects.
 Definition may be different outside of Buddhism.

There are 56 total results for your impermanence search.

Characters Pronunciation
Romanization
Simple Dictionary Definition

無常


无常

see styles
wú cháng
    wu2 chang2
wu ch`ang
    wu chang
 mujou / mujo
    むじょう

More info & calligraphy:

Impermanence
variable; changeable; fickle; impermanence (Sanskrit: anitya); ghost taking away the soul after death; to pass away; to die
(n,adj-na,adj-no) {Buddh} (ant: 常住・2) uncertainty; transiency; impermanence; mutability
anitya. Impermanent; the first of the 三明 trividyā; that all things are impermanent, their birth, existence, change, and death never resting for a moment.

無常の風

see styles
 mujounokaze / mujonokaze
    むじょうのかぜ

More info & calligraphy:

Mujo no Kaze / Wind of Impermanence
(exp,n) (idiom) wind of impermanence (that ends people lives, like the wind scattering a flower's petals)

三教

see styles
sān jiào
    san1 jiao4
san chiao
 sankyou; sangyou / sankyo; sangyo
    さんきょう; さんぎょう
the Three Doctrines (Daoism, Confucianism, Buddhism)
(1) Shinto, Buddhism and Confucianism; the three religions; (2) Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism; (3) Buddhism, Shinto and Christianity; (given name) Mitsunori
The three teachings, i.e. 儒, 佛 (or 釋), and 道Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism; or, 孔, 老, 釋 Confucianism, Taoism (aIso known as 神敎), and Buddhism. In Japan they are Shinto, Confucianism, and Buddhism. In Buddhism the term is applied to the three periods of Śākyamuni's own teaching, of which there are several definitions: (1) The Jiangnan 南中 School describe his teaching as (a) 漸progressive or gradual; (b) 頓 immediate, i.e. as one whole, especially in the 華嚴經; and (c) 不定 or indeterminate. (2) 光統 Guangtong, a writer of the Iater Wei dynasty, describes the three as (a) 漸 progressive for beginners, i.e. from impermanence to permanence, from the void to reality, etc.; (b) 頓 immediate for the more advanced; and (c) 圓complete, to the most advanced, i.e. the Huayan as above. (3) The 三時敎q.v. (4) The 南山 Southern school deals with (a) the 性空of Hīnayāna; (b) 相空of Mahāyāna; and (c) 唯識圓 the perfect idealism. v. 行事鈔中 4. Tiantai accepts the division of 漸, 頓, and 不定 for pre-Lotus teaching, but adopts 漸 gradual, 頓 immediate, and 圓 perfect, with the Lotus as the perfect teaching; it also has the division of 三藏敎 , 通敎 , and 別敎 q.v.

三輪


三轮

see styles
sān lún
    san1 lun2
san lun
 sanrin
    さんりん
three wheels; (p,s,f) Miwa
The three wheels: (1) The Buddha's (a) 身 body or deeds; (b) 口 mouth, or discourse; (c) 意 mind or ideas. (2) (a) 神通 (or 變) His supernatural powers, or powers of (bodily) self-transformation, associated with 身 body; (b) 記心輪 his discriminating understanding of others, associated with 意 mind; (c) 敎誡輪 or 正敎輪 his (oral) powers of teaching, associated with 口. (3) Similarly (a) 神足輪 ; (b) 說法輪 ; (c) 憶念輪 . (4) 惑, 業, and 苦. The wheel of illusion produces karma, that of karma sets rolling that of suffering, which in turn sets rolling the wheel of illusion. (5) (a) Impermanence; (b) uncleanness; (c) suffering. Cf. 三道.

九道

see styles
jiǔ dào
    jiu3 dao4
chiu tao
 kudō
idem 九有情居.; The nine truths, or postulates: impermanence; suffering; voidness (or unreality of things); no permanent ego, or soul; love of existence or possessions, resulting in suffering; the opposite (or fear of being without them), also resulting in suffering; the cutting off of suffering and its cause; nirvāṇa with remainder still to be worked out; complete nirvāṇa.

二相

see styles
èr xiàng
    er4 xiang4
erh hsiang
 nisou / niso
    にそう
(noun - becomes adjective with の) two-phase
The two forms, or characteristics, of the bhutatathata, universal and particular. The 起信論 gives (a) 淨智相 pure wisdom, cf. ālaya-vijñāna, out of whose primary condition arise (b) 不思議用相 inconceivable, beneficial functions and uses. The same śāstra gives also a definition of the 眞如 as (a) 同相 that all things, pure or impure, are fundamentally of the same universal, e.g. clay which is made into tiles; (b) 異相 but display particular qualities, as affected by pure or impure causes, e.g. the tiles. Another definition, of the 智度論 31, is (a) 總相 universals, as impermanence; (b) 別相 particulars, for though all things have the universal basis of impermanence they have particular qualities, e.g. earth-solidity, heat of fire, etc.

二鳥


二鸟

see styles
èr niǎo
    er4 niao3
erh niao
 nichou / nicho
    にちょう
(female given name) Nichō
The drake and the hen of the mandarin duck who are always together, typifying various contrasted theories and ideas, e.g. permanence and impermanence, joy and sorrow, emptiness and non-emptiness, etc.

井河

see styles
jǐng hé
    jing3 he2
ching ho
 igawa
    いがわ
(surname) Igawa
Like the well and the river', indicating the impermanence of life. The 'well ' refers to the legend of the man who running away from a mad elephant fell into a well; the 'river ' to a great tree growing on the river bank yet blown over by the wind.

八魔

see styles
bā mó
    ba1 mo2
pa mo
 hachima
The eight Māras, or destroyers: 煩惱魔 the māras of the passions; 陰魔 the skandha-māras, v. 五陰; 死魔 death-māra ; 他化自在天魔 the māra-king. The above four are ordinarily termed the four māras: the other four are the four Hīnayāna delusions of śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas, i.e. 無常 impermanence; 無樂 joylessness; 無我 impersonality; 無淨 impurity; cf. 八顚倒.

四山

see styles
sì shān
    si4 shan1
ssu shan
 yotsuyama
    よつやま
(place-name) Yotsuyama
Like four closing-in mountains are birth, age, sickness, and death; another group is age, sickness, death, and decay (衰, i. e. of wealth, honours, etc., or 無常 impermanence).

四蛇

see styles
sì shé
    si4 she2
ssu she
 shida
idem 四毒蛇. The Fanyimingyi under this heading gives the parable of a man who fled from the two bewildering forms of life and death, and climbed down a rope (of life) 命根, into the well of impermanence 無常, where two mice, night and day, gnawed the rattan rope; on the four sides four snakes 四蛇 sought to poison him, i. e. the 四大 or four elements of his physical nature); below were three dragons 三毒龍 breathing fire and trying to seize him. On looking up he saw that two 象 elephants (darkness and light) had come to the mouth of the well; he was in despair, when a bee flew by and dropped some honey (the five desires 五欲) into his mouth, which he ate and entirely forgot his peril.

殺鬼


杀鬼

see styles
shā guǐ
    sha1 gui3
sha kuei
 satsuki
    さつき
(female given name) Satsuki
To slay demons; a ghost of the slain; a murderous demon; a metaphor for impermanence.

無住


无住

see styles
wú zhù
    wu2 zhu4
wu chu
 mujuu / muju
    むじゅう
temple lacking a priest; (personal name) Mujuu
Not abiding; impermanence; things having no independent nature of their own, they have no real existence as separate entities.

豆佉

see styles
dòu qū
    dou4 qu1
tou ch`ü
    tou chü
 zukya
(Buddhism) suffering (from Sanskrit "dukkha")
duḥkha, trouble, suffering, pain, defined by 逼惱 harassed, distressed. The first of the four dogmas, or 'Noble Truths' 四諦 is that all life is involved, through impermanence, in distress. There are many kinds of 苦 q. v.

電影


电影

see styles
diàn yǐng
    dian4 ying3
tien ying
 denei / dene
    でんえい
movie; film; CL:部[bu4],片[pian4],幕[mu4],場|场[chang3]
(1) (in Chinese) (See 映画) movie; film; (2) (obsolete) lightning
Impermanence of all things like lightning and shadow.

一法印

see styles
yī fǎ yìn
    yi1 fa3 yin4
i fa yin
 ippōin
The seal or assurance of the one truth or law, see 一如 and 一實; the criterion of Mahāyāna doctrine, that all is bhūtatathatā, as contrasted with the Hīnayāna criteria of impermanence, non-personality, and nirvāṇa.

三法印

see styles
sān fǎ yìn
    san1 fa3 yin4
san fa yin
 sanbouin / sanboin
    さんぼういん
Dharma seals; three marks of existence (suffering, impermanence, non-Self)
idem 三印.

不淨輪


不淨轮

see styles
bù jìng lún
    bu4 jing4 lun2
pu ching lun
 fujōron
One of the three 輪: impermanence, impurity, distress 無常, 不淨, 苦.

二無常


二无常

see styles
èr wú cháng
    er4 wu2 chang2
erh wu ch`ang
    erh wu chang
 ni mujō
Two kinds of impermanence, immediate and delayed. 念念無常 things in motion, manifestly transient; 相續無常 things that have the semblance of continuity, but are also transient, as life ending in death, or a candle in extinction.

五門禪


五门禅

see styles
wǔ mén chán
    wu3 men2 chan2
wu men ch`an
    wu men chan
 gomon zen
    ごもんぜん
(out-dated kanji) (Buddhist term) five approaches to meditation; five objects of meditation
idem 五停心觀; there is also a fivefold meditation on impermanence, suffering, the void, the non-ego, and nirvana.

四句執


四句执

see styles
sì jù zhí
    si4 ju4 zhi2
ssu chü chih
 shikushū
The four tenets held by various non-Buddhist schools: (1) the permanence of the ego, i. e. that the ego of past lives is the ego of the present; (2) its impermanence, i. e. that the present ego is of independent birth; (3) both permanent and impermanent, that the ego is permanent, the body impermanent; (4) neither permanent nor impermanent; that the body is impermanent but the ego not impermanent.

四法印

see styles
sì fǎ yìn
    si4 fa3 yin4
ssu fa yin
 shihouin / shihoin
    しほういん
{Buddh} (See 諸行無常,諸法無我,一切皆苦,涅槃寂静) the four signs of orthodox Buddhism
The seal or impression of the four dogmas, suffering, impermanence, non-ego, nirvana, see 四法本末.

四行相

see styles
sì xíng xiàng
    si4 xing2 xiang4
ssu hsing hsiang
 shi gyōsō
To meditate upon the implications or disciplines of pain, unreality, impermanence, and the non-ego.

涅槃印

see styles
niè pán yìn
    nie4 pan2 yin4
nieh p`an yin
    nieh pan yin
 nehan in
(涅槃寂靜印) The seal or teaching of nirvāṇa, one of the three proof that a sutra was uttered by the Buddha, i.e. its teaching of impermanence, non-ego, nirvāṇa; also the witness within to the attainment of nirvāṇa.

無上忍


无上忍

see styles
wú shàng rěn
    wu2 shang4 ren3
wu shang jen
 mujō nin
The highest patient equanimity in receiving the truth; also, to believe the truth of impermanence without doubt, v. 十忍.

無常依


无常依

see styles
wú cháng yī
    wu2 chang2 yi1
wu ch`ang i
    wu chang i
 mujō e
The reliance of the impermanent, i.e. Buddha, upon whom mortals can rely.

無常修


无常修

see styles
wú cháng xiū
    wu2 chang2 xiu1
wu ch`ang hsiu
    wu chang hsiu
 mujō shu
cultivation of (awareness of) impermanence

無常偈


无常偈

see styles
wú cháng jié
    wu2 chang2 jie2
wu ch`ang chieh
    wu chang chieh
 mujō ge
Verse of Impermanence

無常堂


无常堂

see styles
wú cháng táng
    wu2 chang2 tang2
wu ch`ang t`ang
    wu chang tang
 mujō dō
無常院; 延壽堂; 湼槃堂 The room where a dying monk was placed, in the direction of the sunset at the north-west corner.

無常性


无常性

see styles
wú cháng xìng
    wu2 chang2 xing4
wu ch`ang hsing
    wu chang hsing
 mujō shō
impermanence

無常想


无常想

see styles
wú cháng xiǎng
    wu2 chang2 xiang3
wu ch`ang hsiang
    wu chang hsiang
 mujō sō
conception of impermanence

無常相


无常相

see styles
wú cháng xiàng
    wu2 chang2 xiang4
wu ch`ang hsiang
    wu chang hsiang
 mujō sō
characteristic of impermanence

無常等


无常等

see styles
wú cháng děng
    wu2 chang2 deng3
wu ch`ang teng
    wu chang teng
 mujō tō
impermanence and so forth

無常苦


无常苦

see styles
wú cháng kǔ
    wu2 chang2 ku3
wu ch`ang k`u
    wu chang ku
 mujō ku
suffering caused by impermanence

無常觀


无常观

see styles
wú cháng guān
    wu2 chang2 guan1
wu ch`ang kuan
    wu chang kuan
 mujō kan
contemplation of impermanence

無常院


无常院

see styles
wú cháng yuàn
    wu2 chang2 yuan4
wu ch`ang yüan
    wu chang yüan
 mujō in
hall of impermanence

無常鵑


无常鹃

see styles
wú cháng juān
    wu2 chang2 juan1
wu ch`ang chüan
    wu chang chüan
 mujō ken
The bird which cries of impermanence, messenger of the shades, the goat-sucker.

行無常


行无常

see styles
xíng wú cháng
    xing2 wu2 chang2
hsing wu ch`ang
    hsing wu chang
 gyō mujō
impermanence of conditioned phenomena

七種無常


七种无常

see styles
qī zhǒng wú cháng
    qi1 zhong3 wu2 chang2
ch`i chung wu ch`ang
    chi chung wu chang
 shichishumujō
sapta-anitya. The seven impermanences, a non-Buddhist nihilistic doctrine discussed in the 楞 伽 經 4.

六十二見


六十二见

see styles
liù shí èr jiàn
    liu4 shi2 er4 jian4
liu shih erh chien
 rokujūni ken
The sixty-two 見 or views, of which three groups are given: The 大品般若經 in the 佛母品 takes each of the five skandhas under four considerations of 常 time, considered as time past, whether each of the five has had permanence, impermanence, both, neither, 5 x 4 = 20; again as to their space, or extension, considered as present time, whether each is finite, infinite, both, neither =20; again as to their destination, i. e. future, as to whether each goes on, or does not, both, neither (e. g. continued personality) = 20, or in all 60; add the two ideas whether body and mind 神 are a unity or different = 62. The Tiantai School takes 我見, or personality, as its basis and considers each of the five skandhas under four aspects, e. g (1) rūpa, the organized body, as the ego; (2) the ego as apart from the rūpa; (3) rūpa as the greater, the ego the smaller or inferior, and the ego as dwelling in the rūpa; (4) the ego as the greater, rupa the inferior, and the rupa in the ego. Consider these twenty in the past, present, and future = 60, and add 斷 and 常 impermanence and permanence as fundamentals = 62. There is also a third group.

四枯四榮


四枯四荣

see styles
sì kū sì róng
    si4 ku1 si4 rong2
ssu k`u ssu jung
    ssu ku ssu jung
 shiko shiei
When the Buddha died, of the eight śāla trees surrounding him four are said to have withered while four continued in full leaf— a sign that the four doctrines of 苦 suffering, 空 the void, 無常 impermanence, and 無我 impersonality were to perish and those of 常 permanence, 葉 joy, 我 personality, and 淨 purity, the transcendent bodhisattva doctrines, were to flourish.

四無常偈


四无常偈

see styles
sì wú cháng jié
    si4 wu2 chang2 jie2
ssu wu ch`ang chieh
    ssu wu chang chieh
 shi mujō ge
(or 四非常偈) Eight stanzas in the 仁王經, two each on 無常 impermanence, 苦 suffering, 空 the void, and 無我 non-personality; the whole four sets embodying the impermanence of all things.

四非常偈

see styles
sì fēi cháng jié
    si4 fei1 chang2 jie2
ssu fei ch`ang chieh
    ssu fei chang chieh
 shi hijō ge
four stanzas on impermanence

寶印三昧


宝印三昧

see styles
bǎo yìn sān mèi
    bao3 yin4 san1 mei4
pao yin san mei
 hōin zanmai
The ratnamudrāsamādhi, in which are realized the unreality of the ego, the impermanence of all things, and nirvana.

小乘三印

see styles
xiǎo shèng sān yìn
    xiao3 sheng4 san1 yin4
hsiao sheng san yin
 shōjō san'in
The three characteristic marks of all Hīnayāna sūtras: the impermanence of phenomena, the unreality of the ego, and nirvāṇa.

山海空市

see styles
shān hǎi kōng shì
    shan1 hai3 kong1 shi4
shan hai k`ung shih
    shan hai kung shih
 san kai kū shi
Mountains, seas, the sky, the (busy) market place' cannot conceal one from the eye of 無常 Impermanence, the messenger of death, a phrase summing up a story of four brothers who tried to use their miraculous power to escape death by hiding in the mountains, seas, sky, and market places. The one in the market place was the first to be reported as dead, 法句經 2.

念念無常


念念无常

see styles
niàn niàn wú cháng
    nian4 nian4 wu2 chang2
nien nien wu ch`ang
    nien nien wu chang
 nennen mujō
Instant after instant, no permanence, i. e. the impermanence of all phenomena; unceasing change.

滅壞無常


灭坏无常

see styles
miè huài wú cháng
    mie4 huai4 wu2 chang2
mieh huai wu ch`ang
    mieh huai wu chang
 metsue mujō
decay and impermanence

無常迅速


无常迅速

see styles
wú cháng xùn sù
    wu2 chang2 xun4 su4
wu ch`ang hsün su
    wu chang hsün su
 mujoujinsoku / mujojinsoku
    むじょうじんそく
(yoji) the (fast) pace at which life passes, and thus the nearness of death; promptitude of the changes of the times
impermanence is swift

生滅去來


生灭去来

see styles
shēng miè qù lái
    sheng1 mie4 qu4 lai2
sheng mieh ch`ü lai
    sheng mieh chü lai
 shōmetsu korai
Coming into existence and ceasing to exist, past and future, are merely relative terms and not true in reality; they are the first two antitheses in the 中論 Mādhyamika-śāstra, the other two antitheses being 一異斷常 unity and difference, impermanence and permanence.

相續無常


相续无常

see styles
xiāng xù wú cháng
    xiang1 xu4 wu2 chang2
hsiang hsü wu ch`ang
    hsiang hsü wu chang
 sōzoku mujō
continous impermanence

轉變無常


转变无常

see styles
zhuǎn biàn wú cháng
    zhuan3 bian4 wu2 chang2
chuan pien wu ch`ang
    chuan pien wu chang
 tenhen mujō
Change and impermanence.

飛花落葉

see styles
 hikarakuyou / hikarakuyo
    ひからくよう
(yoji) scattering of the blossoms and falling of the leaves; the impermanence of worldly things

世諦不生滅


世谛不生灭

see styles
shì dì bù shēng miè
    shi4 di4 bu4 sheng1 mie4
shih ti pu sheng mieh
 setai fu shōmetsu
Ordinary worldly postulates that things are permanent, as contrasted with the doctrine of impermanence advocated by Hīnayāna; both positions are controverted by Tiantai, which holds that the phenomenal world is neither becoming nor passing, but is an aspect of- eternal reality.

六無常六譬


六无常六譬

see styles
liù wú cháng liù pì
    liu4 wu2 chang2 liu4 pi4
liu wu ch`ang liu p`i
    liu wu chang liu pi
 roku mujō rokuhi
v. 六喩.

苦空無常無我


苦空无常无我

see styles
kǔ kōng wú cháng wú wǒ
    ku3 kong1 wu2 chang2 wu2 wo3
k`u k`ung wu ch`ang wu wo
    ku kung wu chang wu wo
 ku kū mujō muga
suffering, emptiness, impermanence, and no-self

Entries with 2nd row of characters: The 2nd row is Simplified Chinese.

This page contains 56 results for "impermanence" in Chinese and/or Japanese.



Information about this dictionary:

Apparently, we were the first ones who were crazy enough to think that western people might want a combined Chinese, Japanese, and Buddhist dictionary.

A lot of westerners can't tell the difference between Chinese and Japanese - and there is a reason for that. Chinese characters and even whole words were borrowed by Japan from the Chinese language in the 5th century. Much of the time, if a word or character is used in both languages, it will have the same or a similar meaning. However, this is not always true. Language evolves, and meanings independently change in each language.

Example: The Chinese character 湯 for soup (hot water) has come to mean bath (hot water) in Japanese. They have the same root meaning of "hot water", but a 湯屋 sign on a bathhouse in Japan would lead a Chinese person to think it was a "soup house" or a place to get a bowl of soup. See this: Japanese Bath House

This dictionary uses the EDICT and CC-CEDICT dictionary files.
EDICT data is the property of the Electronic Dictionary Research and Development Group, and is used in conformance with the Group's license.

Chinese Buddhist terms come from Dictionary of Chinese Buddhist Terms by William Edward Soothill and Lewis Hodous. This is commonly referred to as "Soothill's'". It was first published in 1937 (and is now off copyright so we can use it here). Some of these definitions may be misleading, incomplete, or dated, but 95% of it is good information. Every professor who teaches Buddhism or Eastern Religion has a copy of this on their bookshelf. We incorporated these 16,850 entries into our dictionary database ourselves (it was lot of work).



Combined, these cover 1,007,753 Japanese, Chinese, and Buddhist characters, words, idioms, names, placenames, and short phrases.

Just because a word appears here does not mean it is appropriate for a tattoo, your business name, etc. Please consult a professional before doing anything stupid with this data.

We do offer Chinese and Japanese Tattoo Services. We'll also be happy to help you translate something for other purposes.

No warranty as to the correctness, potential vulgarity, or clarity is expressed or implied. We did not write any of these definitions (though we occasionally act as a contributor/editor to the CC-CEDICT project). You are using this dictionary for free, and you get what you pay for.

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Japanese Kanji Dictionary

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