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Be Like Water
Quote from Lao Tzu
ruò shuǐ
若水 is part of a very old saying from Lao Tzu.
In these two characters, there is a suggestion to be like water. The full phrase is about the goodness and purity of water. So, when this suggests being like water, it is actually a suggestion to be a good person (one who does not dishonor himself/herself, etc.).
Be Like Water
xiàng shuǐ yí yàng
像水一樣 is a short quote from a much longer statement by Bruce Lee.
He summarized how people should be flexible to all circumstances, attacks, or situations. In the end, he exclaims, “Be like water, my friend.” 像水一樣 is the “Be like water” part alone since that seems to be what most people want.
Ultimate Goodness of Water
Quote from Lao Tzu
shàng shàn ruò shuǐ
上善若水 is a quote that is sometimes presented as “Be like water.”
However, this is an ancient quote from the great philosopher Lao Tzu. It suggests that the ultimate goodness and purity (in the world) is water. Many take this as a suggestion to be like pure/good water.
Mind Like Water
Mizu No Kokoro
mizu no kokoro
水の心 is the Japanese Buddhist and martial arts phrase, “Mizu no Kokoro,” which means “mind like water” or “heart of water.”
The phrase is a metaphor describing the pond that clearly reflects its surroundings when calm but whose images are obscured once a pebble is dropped into its waters.
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| Characters If shown, 2nd row is Simp. Chinese |
Pronunciation Romanization |
Simple Dictionary Definition |
上善若水 see styles |
shàng shàn ruò shuǐ shang4 shan4 ruo4 shui3 shang shan jo shui |
More info & calligraphy: Ultimate Goodness of Water |
永 see styles |
yǒng yong3 yung hisashi ひさし |
More info & calligraphy: Eternity / Forever(pref,suf) long; (adj-na,n,adj-no) eternity; perpetuity; immortality; (given name) Hisashi Perpetual, eternal, everlasting (like the unceasing flow of water). |
嚢 see styles |
yuzuru ゆずる |
(1) bag; sack; pouch; (2) skin of an orange (and other like fruits); (3) dead end; (4) plot of land surrounded by water; (personal name) Yuzuru |
楾 see styles |
bandou / bando ばんどう |
(1) teapot-like object made typically of lacquerware and used to pour hot and cold liquids; (2) basin of water with two handles on either side used for washing one's face or hands; (surname) Bandou |
佛月 see styles |
fó yuè fo2 yue4 fo yüeh butsu gatsu |
The Buddha-moon, Buddha being mirrored in the human heart like the moon in pure water. Also a meaning similar to 佛日. |
信水 see styles |
xìn shuǐ xin4 shui3 hsin shui shinsui しんすい |
(given name) Shinsui Faith pure and purifying like water. |
十住 see styles |
shí zhù shi2 zhu4 shih chu jū jū |
The ten stages, or periods, in bodhisattva-wisdom, prajñā 般若, are the 十住; the merits or character attained are the 十地 q.v. Two interpretations may be given. In the first of these, the first four stages are likened to entry into the holy womb, the next four to the period of gestation, the ninth to birth, and the tenth to the washing or baptism with the water of wisdom, e.g. the baptism of a Kṣatriya prince. The ten stages are (1) 發心住 the purposive stage, the mind set upon Buddhahood; (2) 治地住 clear understanding and mental control; (3) 修行住 unhampered liberty in every direction; (4) 生貴住 acquiring the Tathāgata nature or seed; (5) 方便具足住 perfect adaptability and resemblance in self-development and development of others; (6) 正心住 the whole mind becoming Buddha-like; (7) 不退住 no retrogression, perfect unity and constant progress; (8) 童眞住 as a Buddha-son now complete; (9) 法王子住 as prince of the law; (10) 灌頂住 baptism as such, e.g. the consecration of kings. Another interpretation of the above is: (1) spiritual resolve, stage of śrota-āpanna; (2) submission to rule, preparation for Sakṛdāgāmin stage; (3) cultivation of virtue, attainment of Sakṛdāgāmin stage; (4) noble birth, preparation for the anāgāmin stage; (5) perfect means, attainment of anāgāmin stage; (6) right mind, preparation for arhatship; (7) no-retrogradation, the attainment of arhatship; (8) immortal youth, pratyekabuddhahood; (9) son of the law-king, the conception of bodhisattvahood; (10) baptism as the summit of attainment, the conception of Buddhahood. |
十干 see styles |
shí gān shi2 gan1 shih kan jikkan じっかん |
same as 天干; the 10 heavenly stems 甲, 乙, 丙, 丁, 戊, 己, 庚, 辛, 壬, 癸 (used cyclically in the calendar and as ordinal number like Roman I, II, III) ten celestial stems (two types each of wood, fire, earth, metal, water); ten heavenly stems |
半挿 see styles |
hanzou / hanzo はんぞう hanizou / hanizo はにぞう hanisou / haniso はにそう hazou / hazo はぞう hasou / haso はそう |
(out-dated or obsolete kana usage) (1) teapot-like object made typically of lacquerware and used to pour hot and cold liquids; (2) basin of water with two handles on either side used for washing one's face or hands; (1) wide-mouthed ceramic vessel having a small hole in its spherical base (into which bamboo was probably inserted to pour liquids); (2) teapot-like object made typically of lacquerware and used to pour hot and cold liquids |
如水 see styles |
rú shuǐ ru2 shui3 ju shui nyosui にょすい |
(personal name) Nyosui like water |
心性 see styles |
xīn xìng xin1 xing4 hsin hsing shinsei / shinse しんせい |
one's nature; temperament mind; disposition; nature Immutable mind-corpus, or mind-nature, the self-existing fundamental pure mind, the all, the Tathāgata-garbha, or 如來藏心; 自性淸淨心; also described in the 起信論 Awakening of Faith as immortal 不生不滅. Another definition identifies 心 with 性 saying 性卽是心, 心卽是佛 the nature is the mind, and mind is Buddha; another, that mind and nature are the same when 悟 awake and understanding, but differ when 迷 in illusion; and further, in reply to the statement that the Buddha-nature is eternal but the mind not eternal, it is said, the nature is like water, the mind like ice, illusion turns nature to mental ice form, awakening melts it back to its proper nature. |
心水 see styles |
xīn shuǐ xin1 shui3 hsin shui motomi もとみ |
(female given name) Motomi The mind as a reflecting water-surface; also the mind as water, clear or turbids. |
忍水 see styles |
rěn shuǐ ren3 shui3 jen shui ninsui |
Patience in its depth and expanse compared to water. |
水冠 see styles |
shuǐ guàn shui3 guan4 shui kuan suikan |
A monk's hat shaped like the character 'water' in front. |
灌頂 灌顶 see styles |
guàn dǐng guan4 ding3 kuan ting kanjou; kanchou / kanjo; kancho かんじょう; かんちょう |
(1) {Buddh} baptism-like ceremony performed by the buddhas on a bodhisattva who attains buddhahood; (2) {Buddh} baptism-like ceremony for conferring onto someone precepts, a mystic teaching, etc. (in esoteric Buddhism); (3) {Buddh} pouring water onto a gravestone; (4) teaching esoteric techniques, compositions, etc. (in Japanese poetry or music) abhiṣecana; mūrdhābhiṣikta; inauguration or consecration by sprinkling, or pouring water on the head; an Indian custom on the investiture of a king, whose head was baptized with water from the four seas and from the rivers in his domain; in China it is administered as a Buddhist rite chiefly to high personages, and for ordination purposes. Amongst the esoterics it is a rite especially administered to their disciples; and they have several categories of baptism, e.g. that of ordinary disciples, of teacher, or preacher, of leader, of office-bearer; also for special causes such as relief from calamity, preparation for the next life, etc. |
貪水 贪水 see styles |
tān shuǐ tan1 shui3 t`an shui tan shui tonsui |
Desire is like water carrying things along. |
水と油 see styles |
mizutoabura みずとあぶら |
(exp,n) (idiom) two incompatible things (or people); (going together like) oil and water |
水様液 see styles |
suiyoueki / suiyoeki すいようえき |
(1) (rare) water-like body fluid; (2) (rare) {anat} (See 房水) aqueous humor |
汲井輪 汲井轮 see styles |
jí jǐng lún ji2 jing3 lun2 chi ching lun kōseirin |
The round of reincarnations is like the waterwheel at the well ever revolving up and down. |
油に水 see styles |
aburanimizu あぶらにみず |
(expression) (idiom) incompatible; (going together) like oil and water |
衞世師 衞世师 see styles |
wèi shì shī wei4 shi4 shi1 wei shih shih Eiseishi |
Vaiśeṣika; derived from viśeṣa, characteristic, individuality, particularity or individual essence. M.W. Also 鞞世師 (or 鞞思迦); 吠世史迦; 勝論宗 An atomistic school founded by Kaṇāda. Like the Saṅkhya philosophy it taught a dualism and an endless number of souls, also by its doctrine of particularity or individual essence maintained 'the eternally distinct or sui generis nature of the nine substances' (see below), 'of which the first five including mind are held to be atomic.' M.W. The interaction of these with the six mentioned below produces cosmic evolution. It chiefly occupied itself, like the orthodox Nyāya philosophy, with the theory of knowledge, but it differed by distinguishing only six categories of cognition 六諦, viz. substance, quality, activity, species, distinction, and correlation, also a seventh of non-existence, and nine substances possessed of qualities, these 九陰 being: the five elements, air, fire, water, earth, ether, together with time, space, spirit (manas), and soul (ātman). Cf. Keith, Indian Logic and Atomism, and Dasgupta, History of Indian Philosophy. |
ごま豆腐 see styles |
gomadoufu / gomadofu ごまどうふ |
crushed sesame seeds boiled in water and chilled like tofu |
一學就會 一学就会 see styles |
yī xué jiù huì yi1 xue2 jiu4 hui4 i hsüeh chiu hui |
to pick up (a skill) in a very short time; to take to something like a duck to water |
井中撈月 井中捞月 see styles |
jǐng zhōng lāo yuè jing3 zhong1 lao1 yue4 ching chung lao yüeh shōchū rōgetsu |
Like ladling the moon out of the well; the parable of the monkeys who saw the moon fallen into a well, and fearing there would be no more moonlight, sought to save it; the monkey-king hung on to a branch, one hung on to his tail and so on, but the branch broke and all were drowned. |
如魚得水 如鱼得水 see styles |
rú yú dé shuǐ ru2 yu2 de2 shui3 ju yü te shui |
like a fish back in water (idiom); glad to be back in one's proper surroundings |
揮金如土 挥金如土 see styles |
huī jīn rú tǔ hui1 jin1 ru2 tu3 hui chin ju t`u hui chin ju tu |
lit. to squander money like dirt (idiom); fig. to spend money like water; extravagant |
水火氷炭 see styles |
suikahyoutan / suikahyotan すいかひょうたん |
not getting along well with each other; being like water and oil |
水輪三昧 水轮三昧 see styles |
shuǐ lún sān mèi shui3 lun2 san1 mei4 shui lun san mei suirin zanmai |
The samādhi of the water 'wheel' 水輪, one of the 五輪三昧; water is fertilizing and soft, in like manner the effect of this samādhi is the fertilizing of good roots, and the softening or reduction of ambition and pride. |
胡麻豆腐 see styles |
gomadoufu / gomadofu ごまどうふ |
crushed sesame seeds boiled in water and chilled like tofu |
雲水行脚 云水行脚 see styles |
yún shuǐ xíng jiǎo yun2 shui3 xing2 jiao3 yün shui hsing chiao unsuiangya うんすいあんぎゃ |
(yoji) itinerant monk being on pilgrimages to many lands wandering like clouds and water |
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The following table may be helpful for those studying Chinese or Japanese...
| Title | Characters | Romaji (Romanized Japanese) | Various forms of Romanized Chinese | |
| Be Like Water | 若水 | ruò shuǐ / ruo4 shui3 / ruo shui / ruoshui | jo shui / joshui | |
| Be Like Water | 像水一樣 | xiàng shuǐ yí yàng xiang4 shui3 yi2 yang4 xiang shui yi yang xiangshuiyiyang | hsiang shui i yang hsiangshuiiyang |
|
| Ultimate Goodness of Water | 上善若水 | shàng shàn ruò shuǐ shang4 shan4 ruo4 shui3 shang shan ruo shui shangshanruoshui | shang shan jo shui shangshanjoshui |
|
| Mind Like Water | 水の心 | mizu no kokoro mizunokokoro | ||
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