Buy a Custom Enlightenment Chinese or Japanese Calligraphy Wall Scroll

The first character means to open, to start, to begin, to commence or to explain. The second character means deception or ignorance. Basically it suggests that enlightenment is the opening or cutting through what deceives you in the world or the ignorance of the world. This title can also mean "to educate".

The Japanese and Korean version of the first character of this title varies slightly from the Chinese. Please click on the Kanji to the right, instead of the button above, if you want the Japanese/Korean version.

Generally the same meaning as Satori, but referring to the initial state or initial experience of enlightenment. This is a Zen Buddhist term that is not widely known outside of the religion. Used more in Japan than China.

We are currently trying to resolve an issue where one of the Japanese translators (of the two we've hired to review our entire Asian calligraphy database) has indicated that this is not a proper or real word in Japanese. Only order this if you are more sure than we are.

This term is exclusively used by devout Buddhists. It is not a common term, and is remains an unknown concept to most Japanese and Chinese people.

See Also...  Buddhism

This character means enlightenment but can also mean to perceive, discern, realize, understand or comprehend. This character has the same meaning in Chinese, Japanese and Korean, though used most often with deep significance in Japanese culture and language. This is often seen in Japan with a secondary Hiragana character. We also offer that option, but this is the more universal single-character entry.

The Bodhi is the moment of completion in Buddhism. It is when all things become known, and you have completed your journey to enlightenment.

The reference is to the Bodhi tree where Siddhartha Gautama, the first Buddha, achieved enlightenment. Sometimes this is referred to as "the tree of enlightenment", but if you want the full version with the character for tree on the end, please see our other entry.

See Also...  Buddhism | Buddha | Nirvana

These three characters are the full title of the Bodhi tree (a fig tree) under which Siddhartha Gautama, the first Buddha, achieved enlightenment. Sometimes this is referred to as "the tree of enlightenment". If you don't have a Bodhi tree to sit under, maybe you can achieve your enlightenment under a wall scroll with this title.

This is the Japanese term for enlightenment which can also mean to perceive, discern, realize, understand or comprehend. The first character has the same meaning in Chinese and Korean, but has deeper significance in Japanese culture and language. This version of Satori incorporates the Japanese secondary character (which is Hiragana, not Kanji) that adds the "ri" to Satori. It's not totally necessary to have the second character, as it does not add to the meaning as much as clarity for the context in which you are using this term.

This is the essence of the Buddha or Buddhism. Depending on context, this word and character can be used to refer to the religion and lifestyle of Buddhism, or in some cases, the Buddha himself.

It is interesting to note that this word is separate from all others in the Chinese language. The sound of "fo" has only this meaning. This is in contrast to many sounds in the Chinese language which can have one of four tones, and more than 20 possible characters and meanings. This language anomaly shows just how significant Buddhism has affected China since the ancient times.

More about Buddhism

This character is also used with the same meaning in Korean Hanja.

It's used in the very religious context of Buddhism in Japan (there are two forms of this Kanji in use in Japan - this is the more formal version).

It also acts as a suffix or first syllable for many Buddhist-related words in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean.

See our Buddhism & Zen page

See Also...  Bodhisattva

A man named Wei Zheng lived between 580-643 AD. He was a noble and wise historian and minister in the court of the early Tang Dynasty.

The emperor once asked him, "What should an emperor do to understand the real-world situation and what makes an emperor out-of-touch with reality?"

Wei Zheng replied, "Listen to both sides and you will be enlightened; listen to only one side and you will be left in the dark."

Then Wei Zheng went on to site examples of leaders in history that were victorious after heeding both sides of the story, and other leaders that met their doom because they believed one-sided stories which often came from flattering lips.

Please note that there is an unwritten rule when the same character appears twice in the same phrase, the calligrapher will alter the appearance so that no two characters are exactly alike in the same piece. This calligraphy has two repeating characters that will be written differently than they appear here.

In Buddhist beliefs, a bodhisattva (bodhisatta) is a being who is dedicated to helping us achieve enlightenment. Bodhisattva literally means enlightenment truth which is bodhi sattva in Sanskrit.

I am not a Buddhist, so I am not sure if this is appropriate to hang on your wall. But a lot of people have been searching our website for bodhisattva, so I figured it is time to add it.

See Also...  Buddha | Namo Amitabha

This is one of the Noble Eightfold Paths of Buddhism. Right Speech, along with Right Action and Right Living constitute the path to Virtue.

Simply stated, Right Speech is abstaining from lying, abstaining from divisive speech, abstaining from abusive speech, abstaining from idle chatter, or any form of harmful or wrong speech.

This term is exclusively used by devout Buddhists. It is not a common term, and is remains an unknown concept to most Japanese and Chinese people.

See Also...  Buddhism

This is one of the Noble Eightfold Paths of Buddhism. Right View, along with Right Thought constitutes the path to Wisdom.

To get to the right view of the world, you must first understand and follow Four Noble Truths.

This term is exclusively used by devout Buddhists. It is not a common term, and is remains an unknown concept to most Japanese and Chinese people.

See Also...  Buddhism

This is one of the Noble Eightfold Paths of Buddhism. Right Thought, along with Right View constitute the path to Wisdom.

In Buddhism, Right Thought in simple terms means to free yourself from having ill-will towards anyone or anything. It also suggests that you remain harmless to other living creatures.

There is an ancient/alternate version of the third character for this selection. You can see that alternation third character to the right. If you want your selection to use that older character, just click on the character to the right, instead of the button above.

This term is exclusively used by devout Buddhists. It is not a common term, and is remains an unknown concept to most Japanese and Chinese people.

See Also...  Buddhism

This is one of the Noble Eightfold Paths of Buddhism. Right Action, along with Right Speech and Right Living constitute the path to Virtue.

The five precepts of Right Action are:
1. To refrain from destroying living beings (no murder, or any form of taking a life).
2. To refrain from stealing.
3. To refrain from sexual misconduct (adultery, rape, etc.).
4. To refrain from false speech (lying or trickery).
5. To refrain from intoxicants which lead to heedlessness (no drugs or alcohol).

Note: In Japanese, when read by a non-Buddhist, this will mean "the right job/vocation".

This term is exclusively used by devout Buddhists. It is not a common term, and is remains an unknown concept to most Japanese and Chinese people.

See Also...  Buddhism

This is one of the Noble Eightfold Paths of Buddhism. Right Living, along with Right Speech and Right Action constitute the path to Virtue.

Right Living means that a Buddhist should only take a job or pursue a career in a field that does no harm. Buddhists should not work in the arms trade, as pimps or in the field of prostitution, as a butcher or in a shop that kills or sells meat, in a laboratory that does animal research, or any other business that involves scheming or unethical behavior.

This term is exclusively used by devout Buddhists. It is not a common term, and is remains an unknown concept to most Japanese and Chinese people.

See Also...  Buddhism

This is one of the Noble Eightfold Paths of Buddhism. Right Effort, along with Right Mindfulness and Right Concentration constitute the path to Concentration or Perfect Thought.

Proper effort is not the effort to make something particular happen. It is the effort to be aware and awake in each moment, the effort to overcome laziness and defilement, the effort to make each activity of our day meditation. This concept is about pursuing wholesome things that promote good karma.

This term is exclusively used by devout Buddhists. It is not a common term, and is remains an unknown concept to most Japanese and Chinese people.

See Also...  Buddhism

This is one of the Noble Eightfold Paths of Buddhism. Right Mindfulness, along with Right Effort and Right Concentration constitute the path to Concentration or Perfect Thought.

Right Mindfulness is about remaining focused on one's body, feelings, mind and mental qualities. It's also about being ardent, aware, and mindful, and supposes that you've already put aside worldly desire and aversion.

Monk Bhikkhu Bodhi described this as: The mind is deliberately kept at the level of bare attention, a detached observation of what is happening within us and around us in the present moment. In the practice of right mindfulness the mind is trained to remain in the present, open, quiet, and alert, contemplating the present event.

This term is exclusively used by devout Buddhists. It is not a common term, and is remains an unknown concept to most Japanese and Chinese people.

See Also...  Buddhism

This is one of the Noble Eightfold Paths of Buddhism. Right Concentration, along with Right Effort and Right Mindfulness constitute the path to Concentration or Perfect Thought.

Right Concentration has to do with leaving behind sensuality, unwholesome states, as well as pleasure and pain. This is a complex idea, but once you have achieved the shedding of worldly sensation, you can truly concentrate and find a higher level of awareness.

This term is exclusively used by devout Buddhists. It is not a common term, and is remains an unknown concept to most Japanese and Chinese people.

See Also...  Buddhism

This is a complex set of steps that Buddhists much take to cleanse karma, achieve enlightenment, eventually cease the cycle of rebirth and live in a state of Nirvana.

If the idea of 8 separate wall scrolls plus this title is too much for you, we can custom-arrange all eight of these concepts on a single wall scroll. Just post your request on our Asian calligraphy forum, and we can discuss options.

Note: This is only well-known by Buddhists in Asia. Your non-Buddhist Chinese/Japanese/Korean friends may not be familiar with this title.

This term is exclusively used by devout Buddhists. It is not a common term, and is remains an unknown concept to most Japanese and Chinese people.

See Also...  Buddhism

Part of life in this universe is suffering. All living things experience some form of suffering according to Buddhist teaching.

This term is exclusively used by devout Buddhists. It is not a common term, and is remains an unknown concept to most Chinese, Japanese and Korean people.

See Also...  Buddhism

At the core of suffering is often the concept of desire or attachment. This can be carnal desire, monetary desire, or the attachment you have to something that you are unwilling to part with (such as a fancy car). This is a simplification of the second noble truth which is really and exploration into the root causes of suffering - it's deeper than I can go in a few sentences.

This term is exclusively used by devout Buddhists. It is not a common term, and is remains an unknown concept to most Chinese, Japanese and Korean people.

See Also...  Buddhism

Once you eliminate desire or attachment to worldly things, only then can you achieve enlightenment.

This term is exclusively used by devout Buddhists. It is not a common term, and is remains an unknown concept to most Japanese, Korean, and Chinese people.

See Also...  Buddhism

Once you have dealt with your desires, and left all desire and attachment behind, only then are on you the path away from suffering (and on your way to enlightenment). This is also called the path to liberation in some English texts on Buddhism.

This term is exclusively used by devout Buddhists. It is not a common term, and is remains an unknown concept to most Chinese, Japanese and Korean people.

See Also...  Buddhism

This is the title of the Four Noble Truths as taught in virtually all sects of Buddhism. They are suffering (dukkha), desire (samudaya), release from desire (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. The enlightened can release themselves from the bonds of desire. 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

Characters shown
above are read
vertically, starting
from the right

This is how to express the compassionate Amitabha Buddha of the Pure Land Buddhist Sect in Chinese characters and Korean Hanja.

See Also...  Bodhisattva | Buddhism | Nirvana

This is the Buddhist deity known as the Goddess of Mercy or Bodhisattva of Compassion. In Chinese, the proper name of this being is Guan Yin. There is some debate as to whether Guan Yin is female. The argument comes from some scripture that suggests Buddhist deities take on male form. Others say that Guan Yin has no sex. And still others are okay with the female representation of Guan Yin.

This bodhisattva is also known or Romanized in the following ways:
Mandarin Chinese: Guan Yin, Kuan Yin, Kwan Yin.
Japanese: Kannon, Kwannon.
Sanskrit: Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara.
Korean: Gwan-eum.
Vietnamese: Quan Âm.
Thai: Kuan Eim.
English: Bodhisattva of Mercy and Salvation, Goddess of Compassion, Buddha of Mercy, et al.

Note: The first character has a slight variation in Japanese. If your audience is specifically Japanese, you may want to select that version.

See Also...  Buddhism | Goddess | Namo Amitabha | Bodhisattva

The first Kanji alone means before, ahead, previous, future, precedence.

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

Together, these two Kanji create a word that is defined as "purified spirit" or "enlightened attitude" within the context of Japanese martial arts.

This is one of the five spirits of the warrior (budo), and is often used as a Japanese martial arts tenet. Under that context, places such as the Budo Dojo define it this way: Senshin is 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.