Buy an One for All calligraphy wall scroll here!
Personalize your custom “One for All” project by clicking the button next to your favorite “One for All” title below...
1. Acupuncture
2. Asian Pride / Oriental Pride / AZN Pryde
9. Do not shed a tear until you see the coffin
10. Destiny / Fate
11. Drain the pond to get all the fish
12. Fate / Opportunity / Chance
13. The one who retreats 50 paces mocks the one to retreats 100
14. Fighting Spirit
15. Five Elements
16. The Four Seasons
17. Free Will
19. In Flowers the Cherry Blossom, In Men the Samurai
20. Holy Bible
21. Feel at Ease Anywhere / The World is My Home
22. The Whole Room Rocks With Laughter
23. Ice / Frost
25. A Deliberate Inaction is Better than a Blind Action
26. Integrity: Sincere Honest and Faithful
27. Listen to Both Sides and be Enlightened, Listen to One Side and be in the Dark
28. Loving-Kindness Conquers All
29. Energy Sword Body in Concert
31. One Heart / One Mind / Heart and Soul
32. Undaunted After Repeated Setbacks
33. Protector
34. Purified Spirit / Enlightened Attitude
36. The Saint
37. Samadhi
38. Sangha
39. Sasuga / Nagare
41. Self-Love / Love Yourself / Love Oneself
42. Shaolin
44. A sly rabbit has three openings to its den
45. Spare No Effort
47. With all the strength of your heart
48. Sword
49. Taekwondo
50. Tathata / Ultimate Nature of All Things
51. Tea Fate
52. When Three People Gather, One Becomes a Teacher
54. Turtle
55. Whole Heart
56. Wing Chun
57. Work Unselfishly for the Common Good
59. The Buddha is in Each Sentient Being
60. The Nature of Enlightenment in One's Mind
61. Enlightenment
62. Namu Dai Bosa
63. Nankurunaisa
64. Tathagata
針療法 is one of two ways to write acupuncture in Chinese and Japanese.
The first character means “needle” or “pin.” The second character means “to treat” or “to cure.” The last character means “method” or “way.”
This is the only reasonable selection if your audience is Japanese. This is the formal way to express acupuncture in Chinese, so this version is universal in most of Asia (the best all-around choice in most cases).
東方自尊 is the universal way to write “Asian Pride.”
We worked on this one for a long time. The effort involved both Chinese and Japanese translators and lengthy discussions. If you have been searching for this term, there is a reason that it's hard to find the way to write “Asian Pride” in Chinese and Japanese - it's because of the inherent difficulties in figuring out a universal combination of characters that can be read in all languages that use forms of Chinese characters.
This final solution that you see to the left creates a reasonable title in Chinese and an exotic (perhaps unusual) title in Japanese (This could be read as “Eastern Self-Respect” in Japanese”).
Although not as natural, it does have the same meaning as Korean Hanja, and the older generation of Vietnamese people will be able to read it.
The first two characters literally mean “Oriental” and the second two mean “pride,” “self-esteem,” or “self-respect” (we chose the most non-arrogant way to say “pride”). If you have “Asian Pride” (sometimes spelled Asian Pryde) these are the characters for you.
Note: For those who wonder, there is nothing technically wrong with the word “Oriental.” It is a correct word, and any bad meanings were created by so-called “Asian Americans” and Caucasians in the United States. To say “Asian” would not completely correct the intended meaning since that would include people from Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran, India, and portions of Russia.
For further proof, if you were of East Asian ancestry and born in England, you would be known as a “British Oriental” (The “Oriental stigma” is basically an American creation and, therefore, applies mainly to the American English language - where they get a bit overzealous with political correctness).
Further, since the Chinese and Japanese word for Oriental is not English, they can not be construed as having ill meaning. On one trip to China or Japan, you will find many things titled with these two characters, such as malls, buildings, and business names. These places also use “Oriental” as their English title (much as we do since our Chinese business name starts with these same two characters).
In short, the first two characters have the meaning that Americans attach to “Asian” but is more technically correct.
望 holds the ideas of ambition, hope, desire, aspiring to, expectations, looking towards, to gaze (into the distance), and in some contexts, full moon rising.
望 is one of those single characters that is vague but in that vagueness, it also means many things.
望 is a whole word in Chinese and old Korean but is seldom seen alone in Japanese. Still, it holds the meanings noted above in all three languages.
愛は全てを完全に結ぶ帯である is a Japanese phrase that suggests we (or a couple) are bound together by love.
I searched the web and found all of these English translation variations for this phrase:
Have love; The only way in which you may be completely joined together.
Love is the sash that perfectly binds us together.
Love is what binds us together
Love binds all things together in perfect unity.
This same Japanese phrase is used as part of Colossians 3:14 in at least one version of the Japanese Bible.
A few Biblical versions include:
...Charity, which is the bond of perfectness. (KJV)
...Love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. (NIV)
Note: Because this selection contains some special Japanese Hiragana characters, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.
Used in modern times for divorced couples that come back together
破鏡重圓 is about a husband and wife who were separated and reunited.
About 1500 years ago in China, there lived a beautiful princess named Le Chang. She and her husband Xu De Yan loved each other very much. But when the army of the Sui Dynasty was about to attack their kingdom, disposed of all of their worldly possessions and prepared to flee into exile.
They knew that in the chaos, they might lose track of each other, so the one possession they kept was a bronze mirror which is a symbol of unity for a husband and wife. They broke the mirror into two pieces, and each of them kept half of the mirror. They decided that if separated, they would try to meet at the fair during the 15th day of the first lunar month (which is the lantern festival). Unfortunately, the occupation was brutal, and the princess was forced to become the mistress of the new commissioner of the territory, Yang Su.
At the Lantern Festival the next year, the husband came to the fair to search for his wife. He carried with him his half of the mirror. As he walked through the fair, he saw the other half of the mirror for sale at a junk market by a servant of the commissioner. The husband recognized his wife's half of the mirror immediately, and tears rolled down his face as he was told by the servant about the bitter and loveless life that the princess had endured.
As his tears dripped onto the mirror, the husband scratched a poem into his wife's half of the mirror:
You left me with the severed mirror,
The mirror has returned, but absent are you,
As I gaze in the mirror, I seek your face,
I see the moon, but as for you, I see not a trace.
The servant brought the inscribed half of the mirror back to the princess. For many days, the princess could not stop crying when she found that her husband was alive and still loved her.
Commissioner Yang Su, becoming aware of this saga, realized that he could never obtain the princess's love. He sent for the husband and allowed them to reunite.
This proverb, 破鏡重圓, is now used to describe a couple who has been torn apart for some reason (usually divorce) but have come back together (or remarried).
It seems to be more common these days in America for divorced couples to reconcile and get married to each other again. This will be a great gift if you know someone who is about to remarry their ex.
佛 is the essence of the Buddha or Buddhism.
Depending on the 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. 佛 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 how significantly Buddhism has affected China since ancient times.
More about Buddhism
佛 is also used with the same meaning in Korean Hanja.
It's used in the very religious context of Buddhism in Japan. It should be noted that there are two forms of this Kanji in use in Japan - this is the more formal/ancient version, but it's rarely seen outside of religious artwork and may not be recognized by all Japanese people.
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 | Enlightenment
不見棺材不落淚 is a cautionary tale that suggests you are unknowingly (though it should be obvious)on a bad course.
It further suggests that you will not realize your folly until the worst has happened.
This can also be a warning of inaction until it's too late to take action. Again, not realizing your error until it's too late.
In an alternate interpretation, some will suggest this means doing something bad and not looking back - Then the worst happens.
It should be noted that this is one of the oddest selections for a wall scroll in our whole Asian calligraphy database. All of our translators are convinced that no Chinese person would ever hang this on their wall.
命 is often translated as “destiny.”
Sometimes this character is simply translated as “life” but more in terms of one's lot in life. In a certain context, this can mean command or decree (generally from a king or emperor). Of course, such a decree is part of fate and leads you to fulfill your destiny.
In Chinese, this word leans toward the fate or destiny definition.
In Korean, it is usually read simply as “life.”
In Japanese, it can mean all definitions shown above, depending on context.
See Also: Good Fortune
Kill the goose that lays the golden eggs
In 632 BC, Duke Wen of the Kingdom of Jin was about to lead an army against the forces of the Kingdom of Chu.
The Duke asked one of his advisers, Jiu Fan, how they could win the impending battle, as they were drastically outnumbered.
Jiu Fan said, “All is fair in war,” and suggested a plan of dishonorable tactics (cheating).
The Duke was unsure of this advice, so he asked another adviser, Yong Ji, who replied, “If you catch fish by draining the pond, you can certainly get all the fish. But there will be no fish the following year. You can cheat this one time in battle, but such tactics can only be used once, as the enemy will be wise in future encounters.”
The Duke heard the words of his wiser adviser but cheated to gain victory in the battle. However, he rewarded Yong Ji more than Jiu Fan at the victory celebration, stating that while Jiu Fan's advice gained one victory, the wise words of Yong Ji would last forever.
This Chinese idiom/proverb is still used, over 2600 years later to remind people not to burn bridges, cheat, or dishonor themselves in exchange for a short-term gain while sacrificing the future.
竭澤而漁 is very similar to the meaning of the English phrase, “Kill the goose that lays the golden eggs.”
The Buddhist idea of Fate
因緣 is the Buddhist concept of a chance meeting or an opportunity that presents itself by fate.
Sometimes this is used to describe a cosmic chain of events or cause and effect.
It also is used to describe predestined relationships between people - and sometimes married couples (although if you want one about marriage, try this: Fate / Destiny of Lovers.
因緣 can also be translated as origin, karma, destiny, affinity, connection, and relation. This all depends on context - seen alone on a wall scroll, this will be read with a “fate/chance” meaning by a Chinese person or a Korean person who can read Hanja.
The more complex definition of this word would be, “Direct causes and indirect conditions, which underlie the actions of all things.”
This concept is known as nidana in the original Sanskrit. Also sometimes presented as hetupratyaya (or “hetu and prataya”), which I believe is Pali.
Note: Japanese will tend to use this version of the second Kanji:
If you order this from the Japanese master calligrapher, expect that you’ll get this version. However, this word often carries a negative connotation in Japanese (bad things happen), as it is used that way in a certain Japanese idiom. Therefore, this may not be the best choice if Japanese is your target language.
See Also: Buddhism | Opportunity
The pot calls the kettle black
五十步笑百步 is a Chinese proverb that means the one who retreats 50 paces mocks the one who retreats 100 paces.
During the Warring States Period of what is now China (475 - 221 B.C.), the King of Wei was in love with war. He often fought with other kingdoms just for spite or fun.
One day, the King of Wei asked the philosopher Mencius, “I love my people, and all say I do the best for them. I move the people from famine-stricken areas to places of plenty and transport grains from rich areas to the poor. Nobody goes hungry in my kingdom, and I treat my people far better than other kings. But why does the population of my kingdom not increase, and why does the population of other kingdoms not decrease?”
Mencius answered, “Since you love war, I will make this example: When going to war, and the drums beat to start the attack, some soldiers flee for their lives in fear. Some run 100 paces in retreat, and others run 50 steps. Then the ones who retreated 50 paces laugh and taunt those who retreated 100 paces, calling them cowards mortally afraid of death. Do you think this is reasonable?
The King of Wei answered, “Of course not! Those who run 50 paces are just as timid as those who run 100 paces.”
Mencius then said, “You are a king who treats his subjects better than other kings treat their people, but you are so fond of war that your people suffer from great losses in battle. Therefore, your population does not grow. While other kings allow their people to starve to death, you send your people to die in war. Is there any difference?”
This famous conversation led to the six-character proverb shown here. It serves as a warning to avoid hypocrisy. It goes hand-in-hand with the western phrase, “The pot calls the kettle black,” or the Biblical phrase, “Before trying to remove a splinter from your neighbor's eye, first remove the plank from your own eye.”
五行 is the title of the five elements: wood, fire, water, earth, and metal.
The first character means five, and the second character is simply element(s).
According to ancient Chinese science, all matter in the world is comprised of these elements. One idea presented with the five elements is that when energy is added, the matter is believed to expand. When energy is removed, matter contracts. Oddly, this concept is not far from Einstein's theories and modern science. Just a few thousand years before Einstein.
More info: Wikipedia - Five Elements (Wu Xing).
See Also: Wood | Fire | Water | Earth | Metal | Five Elements
春夏秋冬 is one way to express “The Four Seasons “ or “All Year Round “.
The characters here represent Spring, Summer, Autumn (Fall), and Winter.
自由意志 is a concept that has existed for thousands of years that humans can understand right and wrong, then make a decision one way or the other (thus affecting their fate).
Sources such as Confucius, Buddhist scriptures, the Qur'an, and the Bible all address this idea.
As for the characters shown here, the first two mean free, freedom, or liberty. The last two mean “will.”
Can be romanized from Japanese as jiyū-ishi, jiyuu-ishi, and sometimes jiyuu-ishii.
It's 자유의지 or jayuu-yiji in Korean and zìyóu yìzhì in Chinese.
See Also: Freedom | Strong Willed | Fate
福 is pronounced “fu” in Chinese.
The character “fu” is posted by virtually all Chinese people on the doors of their homes during the Spring Festival (closely associated with the Chinese New Year).
One tradition from the Zhou Dynasty (beginning in 256 B.C.) holds that putting a fu symbol on your front door will keep the goddess of poverty away.
福 literally means good fortune, prosperity, blessed, blessedness, happiness, and fulfillment.
You'll also see this character in Vietnam (where Chinese characters were the written form until a romanization reform) where it is pronounced Phúc - a word commonly used in Vietnamese names because of its good meaning.
See Also: Lucky
This Japanese proverb simply reads, “[In] Flowers it's Cherry Blossoms, [In] Men it's Warriors.”
花は櫻木人は武士 is meant to say that of all the flowers in the world, the cherry blossom is the best. And of all men in the world, the Samurai or Warrior is the best
This proverb has been around for a long time. It's believed to have been composed sometime before the Edo Period in Japan (which started in 1603).
Some will drop one syllable and pronounce this, “hana wa sakura hito wa bushi.” That's “sakura” instead of “sakuragi,” which is like saying “cherry blossom” instead of “cherry tree.”
The third character was traditionally written as 櫻. But in modern Japan, that became 桜. You may still see 櫻 used from time to time on older pieces of calligraphy. We can do either one, so just make a special request if you want 櫻.
Note: Because this selection contains some special Japanese Hiragana characters, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.
聖經 is how to write Bible in Chinese.
The first character means Holy, sacred, saint, or sage.
The second character means sacred book or scripture.
Each Sunday morning, if you are near a Catholic or Protestant Church, you will see plenty of Chinese people carrying their Bibles. Virtually every large or medium city in China has at least one Christian church. Beijing has about 14 Christian churches of Catholic and various Protestant denominations. That number doubles if you count all the church services that are for foreigners only and doubles again if you count all of the underground Christian Churches. Many Embassies (Canadian, Italian, French, etc.) offer Protestant and Catholic services. However, the U.S. Embassy is the most unfriendly in all of China, offering no such religious services, regularly denying entry, and kicking out Americans and others, whether or not they have official business.
四海為家 literally reads, “Four Seas Serve-As [my/one's] Home.”
Together, 四海 which literally means “four seas” is understood to mean “the whole world” or “the seven seas.” It's presumed to be an ancient word from back when only four seas were known - so it equates to the modern English term, “seven seas.”
This can be translated or understood in a few different ways:
To regard the four corners of the world all as home.
To feel at home anywhere.
To roam about unconstrained.
To consider the entire country, or the world, to be one's own.
The perfect scroll if you love humor or as a gift for the comedian in your life
In China, 哄堂大笑 is a proverb that is used in response to a good joke or witty comment.
The story goes that Mr. Feng and Mr. He were both senior officials in the Song Dynasty (about a thousand years ago). One day, Mr. Feng walked into their shared office wearing a new pair of boots. The boots caught the eye of Mr. He who said, “New boots! - how much were they?.” Mr. Feng lifted one of the boots off the ground as if to show it off and responded, “900 coins.”
Astonished, Mr. Feng explained, “900? How can that be? - I paid 1800 coins for my boots!.” Mr. Feng then lifted his other foot off the ground and said, “This boot was also 900 coins.”
It is said that the whole room was shaking from the laughter of all that heard Mr. Feng's joke on Mr. He.
冰 is the Japanese Kanji for “ice” or “frost.”
冰 is also the way to write “ice” in old Korean Hanja.
Note: This form is not commonly used anymore in Chinese - though still understood for the most part.
FYI: There was a time when Japan did not have a written language and simply absorbed Chinese characters into their language by meaning. When this occurred around the 5th century, the character shown here was a common but alternate way to write “ice” in Chinese, so it was the one that ended up being absorbed into the Japanese language. Not long after that, a similar thing happened in Korea - although Korea has replaced virtually all of the Chinese characters they once used with the new Hangul writing system.
一は全、全は一 means “One is all, all is one” in Japanese.
一は全、全は一 is a somewhat well-known modern proverb in Japanese. However, many will associate it with an episode of Fullmetal Alchemist, a popular Japanese anime series.
Note: Because this selection contains some special Japanese Hiragana characters, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.
Sometimes 一動不如一靜 is translated by others as “Look before you leap” but the more accurate and direct translation is the one I used in the title.
While somewhat military in its origin, this proverb can apply to any situation where a decision needs to be made, but perhaps there are still some “unknowns.”
This phrase suggests that in our “action-based” world, sometimes the “smarter move” is “no move at all.”
See Also: Better to Choose Nothing Rather Than Make a Poor Choice
兼聽則明偏聽則暗 is an ancient Chinese proverb about getting all the information from all sides so that you truly understand a situation.
Wei Zheng
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 cite 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.
慈悲征服一切 is a way to express the idea that mercy, compassion, and loving-kindness can overcome all things.
This phrase is composed of 3 Chinese words:
慈悲 = loving-kindness; mercy; compassion; benevolence. It's used in Buddhism a lot to express the idea of how one should treat everyone else and all living beings.
征服 = to conquer; to subdue; to vanquish; to overcome.
一切 = all; everything; the whole; lock, stock, and barrel; without exception.
Spirit, Sword & Body as One
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.
天下一家 is a proverb that can also be translated as “The whole world is one family.”
It is used to mean that all humans are related by decree of Heaven.
The first two characters can be translated as “the world,” “the whole country,” “descended from heaven,” “earth under heaven,” “the public,” or “the ruling power.”
The second two characters can mean “one family,” “a household,” “one's folks,” “a house” or “a home.” Usually, this is read as “a family.”
Note: This proverb can be understood in Japanese, though not commonly used.
一心 literally reads as “one heart” in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.
Colloquially or figuratively, it means: wholeheartedly; heart and soul; of one mind; wholeheartedness; one's whole heart; with the whole mind or heart; one mind in heart.
I'm not kidding, all of those came right from the dictionary for this one title.
In Buddhism, this can refer to the bhūtatathatā, or the whole of things; the universe as one mind, or a spiritual unity.
In Japanese, this can be the female given name, Hitomi.
Persistence to overcome all challenges
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
保護者 is the universal word for protector in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.
The first character means to defend, to protect, to insure or guarantee, to maintain, hold or keep, or to guard.
The second character means to protect.
Together the first and second characters create a word that means to defend, protect, or safeguard.
The last character means person.
Add all three characters together, and you have a word that means “protector,” one who will protect, guard, and keep you safe.
Some will also translate this word as guardian or patron.
Note: Not a common selection for a wall scroll in Asia.
See Also: Guardian Angel
A Japanese martial arts title/concept
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.
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.
尊敬 is how to express the ideas of respect, honor, reverence, esteem, nobility, and sometimes the state of being noble, all in one word. Most of the time, this is used as “giving respect,” but depending on the context, it can suggest that you should try to be “worthy of respect.”
Although pronounced differently, the Chinese characters, Japanese Kanji, and Korean Hanja are the same across these languages. This is an indication that this word is very old and crosses many barriers and cultures in the Orient (East Asia).
聖 is the simple, single-character religious form of “saint” in Chinese (also holds the same meaning in Japanese and Korean, though rarely used alone like this).
This can also mean holy, sage, master, or priest.
Note: 聖 is often used in compound words (words of more than one character) to create further meanings. In compounds, it can mean holy, sacred, or divine.
聖 is also used as the first word for Spanish and English place names such as “San Diego” and “St. Louis” in Chinese (not Japanese).
In the Buddhist context, this can represent ārya or sādhu. And mean a sage; wise and good; upright, or correct in all his character; sacred, holy, or saintly.
定 is the single-character way to express the idea of Samadhi in Chinese and Japanese.
A single-character title like this is open to a lot of interpretation. So 定 can mean to set, to fix, to determine, to decide, to order, certainly, truly, settle, or compose the mind.
In the Buddhist context, this means “Perfect absorption of thought into the one object of meditation,” “The mind fixed in one direction,” “Internal state of imperturbability or tranquility,” or “Exempt from all external sensations.”
In Buddhism, 僧伽 refers to a community of monks and/or nuns (one of the “Three Jewels”). In general terms, it can simply mean “all followers of the Buddha.”
Notes: Though there are not vast numbers of Chinese Hindus, in the Hindu faith, this term means “community together.”
The original Sanskrit word is also Romanized as samgha.
The first character means “monk.” The second character means Buddha or Shakyamuni.
僧伽 is a transliteration of the original Sanskrit, but it uses two very profound Chinese characters related to Buddhism.
Some may pronounce this as “seng qie” or “seng jia” in Mandarin (two possible pronunciations for the second character). Note that “qie” sounds like “chee-ah” using typical English pronunciation. Chinese Romanization is not actually designed to match English sounds.
Note that when writing this as Kanji, Japanese will tend to write the first character in the form shown to the right. If you select our Japanese master calligrapher, please expect this special Kanji form. However, it should also be noted that this is not a common term in Japanese (except by certain sects of Buddhism or perhaps devout Buddhists in Japan).
儒 is a unique single character that means scholar or Confucian and leaves a favorable impression when read in Chinese.
Specifically, in Japanese Kanji, this means Confucianism, Confucianist or Chinese scholar.
In old Korean Hanja, this means scholar, Confucian scholar, Confucianist, or learned (one who has learned and knows much).
Basically, it's the same in all three languages.
自愛 means self-love, self-regard, regard for oneself, cherishing one's good name, taking care of oneself, or love myself.
In the Buddhist context, this is the cause of all pursuit or seeking, which in turn causes all suffering. All Buddhas discharge themselves from self-love and all pursuits of personal gratification. Such elimination of self-love is a step towards nirvāṇa.
This title can be taken as positive or negative, depending on how you read it. Some will see it as arrogant, and others will read it as a token of self-respect. Because of this ambiguity, I do not recommend this title for a wall scroll.
Little Forest
The 少林 or Shaolin monks of China have been practicing the art of Kung Fu for thousands of years. While there are many schools of Kung Fu in China, Shaolin are one of the more religiously devout and disciplined.
The title of Shaolin actually refers to a specific Buddhist monastery. It should be noted that the Shaolin were famous in China long before the Kung Fu TV show. Their fame in China is due to the monks' heroic and swift rescue of an emperor during the Tang Dynasty. Most Chinese people are not keenly aware of the Kung Fu TV show and have no idea who David Carradine is or anything about his character, Kwai Chang Caine.
Note: The literal meaning of 少林 is “little forest.”
The fame of the Shaolin has spread all over Asia, as even though this is a Chinese title, the same characters are used in Japanese with the same meaning.
至誠 is the idea that you enter into something with the utmost sincerity and fidelity. Ideas such as devotion, honesty, and “one's true heart” are also contained in this word.
至誠 is a universal word as the Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and Korean Hanja are all identical.
-or- The crafty rabbit has three different entrances to its lair
狡兔三窟 speaks to the cunning character of a sly rabbit. Such a rabbit will not have just one hole but rather a few entrances and exits from his liar.
About 2,250 years ago, a rich man told his assistant to go and buy something wonderful that he did not yet possess. He was a man that already had everything, so the assistant went to a local village that owed a great deal of money to the rich man. The assistant told the village elders that all debts were forgiven. All the villagers rejoiced and praised the rich man's name. The assistant returned to the rich man and told him he had purchased “benevolence” for him. The rich man was mildly amused but perhaps slightly confused by the action.
Sometime later, the rich man fell from the favor of the Emperor and was wiped out without a penny to his name. One day he was walking aimlessly and stumbled into the village where the debts had been forgiven. The villagers recognized the man and welcomed him with open arms, clothed, fed him, and gave him a place to live.
Without trying, the man had become like the sly and cunning rabbit. When his exit was blocked, he had another hole to emerge from - and was reborn. This story and idiom come from a book titled “The Amendment” - it's unclear whether this man actually existed or not. But the book did propel this idiom into common use in China.
Still today, this idiom about the rabbit is used in China when suggesting “backup plans,” alternate methods, and anyone with a good escape plan.
強 is a character that means strong, strength, force, powerful, better, stubborn, and stiff (yes, all of this in one character).
This “strong” has less to do with physical strength and more to do with having a winning attitude, or just having the ability to win at something.
Note that most of the time, this character is pronounced “qiang” but when used with the meaning of stubborn, unyielding, or stiff, it is pronounced “jiang” in Chinese.
Also, sometimes “qiang” is used in modern Chinese to describe people that do crazy things (For example: Bicycling from Beijing to Tibet alone). I sometimes can be found outside my Beijing apartment wearing nothing but shorts and a tee-shirt while eating ice cream during a snow storm, just to hear my neighbors call me “qiang.” Maybe they mean “strong” but perhaps they are using the new meaning of “crazy strong.”
強 can also be a Chinese surname that romanizes as Jiang in the mainland or Chiang if from Taiwan.
強 is a valid Korean Hanja character with the same meaning but is mostly used in compound Korean words.
強 is used in Japanese (though normally in compound words). In Japanese, it has the same meaning but in some contexts can mean “a little more than...” or “a little over [some amount].” Most Japanese would read this as tough, strength, stiff, hard, inflexible, obstinate, or stubborn.
The variant 彊 is sometimes seen in older literature.
思い切り can be translated as “with all one's strength,” “with all one's heart,” “to the limits of your heart,” or “to the end of your heart/emotions.”
The character breakdown:
思い (omoi) thought; mind; heart; feelings; emotion; sentiment; love; affection; desire; wish; hope; expectation; imagination; experience
切り (kiri) bounds; limits.
Note: Because this selection contains some special Japanese Hiragana characters, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.
劍 is pronounced “jian” in Chinese. When you say it, imagine that you are making the sound of a sword as it clashes with a metal shield. This might get you closer to the correct pronunciation in Chinese.
I actually wonder if this word came from the metallic ringing sounds of a sword in battle - but such knowledge is lost in history.
The sword is a symbol of a warrior. The one thing that a soldier in ancient China lived and died by. A warrior with his skills and sword proves himself of great value. A warrior who losses his sword instantly becomes worthless.
劍 is an excellent scroll for someone in the military (especially officers of all services - as well as enlisted NCO Marines since they still carry swords even if mainly for ceremonial purposes). Or perhaps someone who practices variations of kung fu or tai chi that involve weapons.
Please note that while this character is understood with the sword meaning in Japanese, you might be looking for the word “katana” which also means sword in Japanese but means “knife” in Chinese.
There are other ways to write sword, and here are a few...
If you are particular about the version you receive, please let me know when you place your order (Note: Special styles are only available from one of our master calligraphers).
跆拳道 is one of the most widespread types of martial arts in the world as well as being an Olympic sport. Taekwondo was born in Korea with influences of Chinese and Japanese styles combined with traditional Korean combat skills. Some will define it as the “Korean art of empty-handed self-defense.”
In the simplest translation, the first character means “kick,” the second character can mean either “fist” or “punching,” and the third means “way” or “method.” Altogether, you could say this is the “Kick Punch Method.” When heard or read in various Asian languages, all will automatically think of this famous Korean martial art. It is written the same in Japanese Kanji, Chinese, and Korean Hanja characters - so the appearance of the characters is universal. However, you should note that there is another way to write this in modern Korean Hangul characters, which looks like the image to the right.
We suggest the original Korean Hanja (Chinese characters) for a wall scroll, but if you need the Hangul version, you must use master calligrapher Cao Bin: Order Taekwondo in Korean Hangul
Note: Taekwondo is sometimes Romanized as Tae-Kwondo, Tae Kwon Do, Taekwon-do, Taegwondo, Tae Gweon Do, Tai Kwon Do, Taikwondo, Taekwando, Tae Kwan Do and in Chinese Taiquandao, Tai Quan Dao, Taichuando, or Tai Chuan Tao.
真如 comes from the Sanskrit and Pali word often romanized as “tathata” or “tathatā.” Originally written, “तथता.”
It's a Buddhist term often translated as “thusness” or “suchness,” but this does not explain it.
A better explanation may be “the ultimate nature of all things” or “ultimate truth.” However, this gives it too strong of a feeling. This concept is sometimes described as being in awe of the simple nature of something - like a blade of grass blowing in the wind or ripples on water. It is what it is supposed to be, these things follow their nature. Amazing in their mundane simplicity.
Every sect of Buddhism will have a slightly different flavor or explanation, so don't get fixated on one definition.
Notes: Sometimes Buddhists use the word dharmatā, a synonym to tathatā.
In Japan, this can also be the female given name Mayuki, or the surname Majo.
茶緣 is a special title for the tea lover. This kind of means “tea fate,” but it's more spiritual and hard to define. Perhaps the tea brought you in to drink it. Perhaps the tea will bring you and another tea-lover together. Perhaps you were already there, and the tea came to you. Perhaps it's the ah-ha moment you will have when drinking the tea.
I've been told not to explain this further, as it will either dilute or confuse the purposefully-ambiguous idea embedded in this enigma.
I happen to be the owner of a piece of calligraphy written by either the son or nephew of the last emperor of China, which is the title he wrote. It was given to me at a Beijing tea house in 2001. 茶緣 is where I learned to love tea after literally spending weeks tasting and studying everything I could about Chinese tea. I did not understand the significance of the authorship or the meaning of the title at all. Some 10 years later, I realized the gift was so profound and had such providence. Only now do I realize the value of a gift that it is too late to give proper thanks for. It was also years later that I ended up in this business and could have the artwork properly mounted as a wall scroll. It has been borrowed for many exhibitions and shows and always amazes native Chinese and Taiwanese who read the signature. This piece of calligraphy I once thought was just a bit of ink on a thin and wrinkled piece of paper, is now one of my most valued possessions. And fate has taught me to be more thankful for seemingly simple gifts.
三人行必有我师 means “when three people meet, one becomes the teacher.”
This famous Chinese philosophy suggests that when people come together, they can always learn from each other.
One person must be the teacher and others learn. And in turn, the others become the teachers of the knowledge they possess.
It is important to remember that we all have something to teach, and we all have something to learn as well.
以牙還牙 is a phrase that often goes with “An eye for an eye,” even in Chinese. Revenge seems to cross all languages, cultures, and even species (animals are known to take revenge too).
If a Chinese person uses just one part of the full proverb, it will be this “tooth for a tooth” one. Although, we are more likely to say “eye for an eye” alone in English.
Chinese people may also read this with the meaning of “Bite me, and I will bite you back.” However, it literally means “tooth for a tooth” or “you take my tooth, I take yours.”
...also means tortoise
龜 is the generic term for turtle in Chinese and old Korean Hanja. It's like saying “turtle” (or “tortoise”) without being specific about the species of turtle.
Please note that there are many special characters in Chinese and a few in Japanese that denote specific species of turtle and do not include this character. We can't possibly cover all of these species, but if you want a certain one, such as “loggerhead” or a “leatherback,” just contact me, and I'll do my best to research your special species.
If you noticed, I said species names that do not include this character. This is because, in much the same way we can do it in English by just saying, “loggerhead” instead of “loggerhead turtle,” the same can be done in Chinese and Japanese.
This may be hard to believe, but the image shown to the right is an alternate version of this character, which is currently used in Japan. This was originally an alternate form in ancient China for turtle - but it's so obscure now that most Chinese people would just think this is the Japanese version of turtle (I did a lot of research on this). The version shown in the upper left is traditional Chinese (also used in Korea 100+ years ago). It will generally not be recognized by the new generation of Japanese people. If your audience is Japanese, please click on the Kanji image shown to the right to have the calligrapher write that version (instead of clicking the button above).
Note: In Japanese, this Kanji is also a representation of long life. This is related to the fact that a tortoise can live for hundreds of years.
詠春 is a martial arts technique that has an oral history (versus a written one) so very little can be said for sure about its origins.
Wing Chun (or Wing Cheun) is a Chinese martial art that emphasizes short combat strokes.
The characters 詠春 literally mean “Singing Spring” (as in springtime).
If you are wondering, the spelling and pronunciation of this martial arts style in English come from the Cantonese pronunciation of these characters. The second character sounds similar in both Mandarin and Cantonese, but the first is quite different.
Note: This title can be pronounced in Japanese, but only a Japanese practitioner of Wing Chun would recognize or understand this title. It is not considered a Japanese word or martial art at all.
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
萬事如意 is a Chinese and old Korean proverb that means to have all one's wishes.
When speaking to someone, it's a way to say best wishes, all the best, may all your hopes be fulfilled, or may everything go well.
On your wall as calligraphy, it's meant to inspire all your wishes, hopes, dreams, and life to go well or come true.
佛は衆生の中に在り is “Butsu wa shujo no naka ni ari” and means that the Buddha (potential for Buddhahood) exists in all beings in the universe.
So yes, your dog has the potential to be a Buddha (but only in a future reincarnation as a human). But all things, from the tiny cricket to the humpback whale have Buddha nature within them. If one takes the time to look and contemplate, one will see the Buddha in all things.
In Japan, sometimes the Buddha character is written 仏 instead of 佛, so you might see the whole phrase written as 仏は衆生の中に在り.
Note: Because this selection contains some special Japanese Hiragana characters, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.
Everything will be all right, it will all work out one way or another
なんくるないさ or Nankurunaisa means “Everything will be all right” and/or “It will all work out one way or another.”
なんくるないさ is an Okinawan (琉球 / Ryūkyū Islands) word written in Japanese.
You might see this romanized with breaks like nankurunai-sa or nankuru-nai-sa. It's the same word either way. However, there is a separate word, なんくるない, in there which is nankurunai, translated as “Don't worry, be happy.” The “sa” or さ part indicates an assertion or interjection.
Note: Because this title is entirely Japanese Hiragana, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.
This in-stock artwork might be what you are looking for, and ships right away...
Gallery Price: $286.00
Your Price: $158.88
Gallery Price: $72.00
Your Price: $39.88
Gallery Price: $60.00
Your Price: $36.88
Gallery Price: $60.00
Your Price: $36.88
Gallery Price: $60.00
Your Price: $36.88
Gallery Price: $200.00
Your Price: $88.88
Gallery Price: $108.00
Your Price: $59.88
Gallery Price: $200.00
Your Price: $69.88
Gallery Price: $200.00
Your Price: $69.88
Gallery Price: $61.00
Your Price: $33.88
Gallery Price: $90.00
Your Price: $49.88
Gallery Price: $340.00
Your Price: $188.77
The following table may be helpful for those studying Chinese or Japanese...
Title | Characters | Romaji (Romanized Japanese) | Various forms of Romanized Chinese | |
Acupuncture | 針療法 针疗法 | hari ryou hou hariryouhou hari ryo ho | zhēn liáo fǎ zhen1 liao2 fa3 zhen liao fa zhenliaofa | chen liao fa chenliaofa |
Asian Pride Oriental Pride AZN Pryde | 東方自尊 东方自尊 | tou hou zi son touhouzison to ho zi son | dōng fāng zì zūn dong1 fang1 zi4 zun1 dong fang zi zun dongfangzizun | tung fang tzu tsun tungfangtzutsun |
Great Expectations | 望 | bou / nozomi bo / nozomi | wàng / wang4 / wang | |
Love Binds Us Together | 愛は全てを完全に結ぶ帯である | ai ha subete o kanzen ni musubu obi de aru | ||
Merge Unify | 打成一片 | tajou ippen tajouippen tajo ipen | dǎ chéng yī piàn da3 cheng2 yi1 pian4 da cheng yi pian dachengyipian | ta ch`eng i p`ien tachengipien ta cheng i pien |
Broken Mirror Rejoined | 破鏡重圓 破镜重圆 | pò jìng chóng yuán po4 jing4 chong2 yuan2 po jing chong yuan pojingchongyuan | p`o ching ch`ung yüan pochingchungyüan po ching chung yüan |
|
The Eye of the Buddha | 佛眼 佛眼 / 仏眼 | butsugen / butsugen | wǔ yǎn / wu3 yan3 / wu yan / wuyan | wu yen / wuyen |
Buddhism Buddha | 佛 | hotoke | fó / fo2 / fo | |
Do not shed a tear until you see the coffin | 不見棺材不落淚 不见棺材不落泪 | bú jiàn guān cái bú luò lèi bu2 jian4 guan1 cai2 bu2 luo4 lei4 bu jian guan cai bu luo lei bujianguancaibuluolei | pu chien kuan ts`ai pu lo lei puchienkuantsaipulolei pu chien kuan tsai pu lo lei |
|
Destiny Fate | 命 | inochi / mei | mìng / ming4 / ming | |
Drain the pond to get all the fish | 竭澤而漁 竭泽而渔 | jié zé ér yú jie2 ze2 er2 yu2 jie ze er yu jiezeeryu | chieh tse erh yü chiehtseerhyü |
|
Fate Opportunity Chance | 因緣 因缘 / 因縁 | in nen / innen | yīn yuán / yin1 yuan2 / yin yuan / yinyuan | yin yüan / yinyüan |
The one who retreats 50 paces mocks the one to retreats 100 | 五十步笑百步 | wù shí bù xiào bǎi bù wu4 shi2 bu4 xiao4 bai3 bu4 wu shi bu xiao bai bu wushibuxiaobaibu | wu shih pu hsiao pai pu wushihpuhsiaopaipu |
|
Fighting Spirit | 闘氣 闘気气 | tou ki / touki / to ki | ||
Five Elements | 五行 | gogyou / gogyo | wǔ xíng / wu3 xing2 / wu xing / wuxing | wu hsing / wuhsing |
The Four Seasons | 春夏秋冬 | shunkashuutou shunkashuto | chūn xià qiū dōng chun1 xia4 qiu1 dong1 chun xia qiu dong chunxiaqiudong | ch`un hsia ch`iu tung chunhsiachiutung chun hsia chiu tung |
Free Will | 自由意志 | jiyuu ishi / jiyuuishi / jiyu ishi | zì yóu yì zhì zi4 you2 yi4 zhi4 zi you yi zhi ziyouyizhi | tzu yu i chih tzuyuichih |
Good Luck Good Fortune | 福 | fuku | fú / fu2 / fu | |
In Flowers the Cherry Blossom, In Men the Samurai | 花は櫻木人は武士 花は桜木人は武士 | hana wa sakuragi hito wa bushi | ||
Holy Bible | 聖經 圣经 | shèng jīng sheng4 jing1 sheng jing shengjing | sheng ching shengching |
|
Feel at Ease Anywhere The World is My Home | 四海為家 四海为家 | sì hǎi wéi jiā si4 hai3 wei2 jia1 si hai wei jia sihaiweijia | ssu hai wei chia ssuhaiweichia |
|
The Whole Room Rocks With Laughter | 哄堂大笑 | hōng tāng dà xiào hong1 tang1 da4 xiao4 hong tang da xiao hongtangdaxiao | hung t`ang ta hsiao hungtangtahsiao hung tang ta hsiao |
|
Ice Frost | 冰 氷 | koori / kori | bīng / bing1 / bing | ping |
Ichi wa Zen, Zen wa Ichi | 一は全、全は一 | ichi wa zen zen wa ichi ichiwazenzenwaichi | ||
A Deliberate Inaction is Better than a Blind Action | 一動不如一靜 一动不如一静 | yí dòng bù rú yí jìng yi2 dong4 bu4 ru2 yi2 jing4 yi dong bu ru yi jing yidongburuyijing | i tung pu ju i ching itungpujuiching |
|
Integrity: Sincere Honest and Faithful | 誠實 誠実 | sei jitsu / seijitsu | ||
Listen to Both Sides and be Enlightened, Listen to One Side and be in the Dark | 兼聽則明偏聽則暗 兼听则明偏听则暗 | jiān tīng zé míng, piān tīng zé àn jian1 ting1 ze2 ming2, pian1 ting1 ze2 an4 jian ting ze ming, pian ting ze an | chien t`ing tse ming, p`ien t`ing tse an chien ting tse ming, pien ting tse an |
|
Loving-Kindness Conquers All | 慈悲征服一切 | cí bēi zhēng fú yī qiè ci2 bei1 zheng1 fu2 yi1 qie4 ci bei zheng fu yi qie cibeizhengfuyiqie | tz`u pei cheng fu i ch`ieh tzupeichengfuichieh tzu pei cheng fu i chieh |
|
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 | ||
One Family Under Heaven | 天下一家 | tenka ikka / tenkaikka / tenka ika | tiān xià yī jiā tian1 xia4 yi1 jia1 tian xia yi jia tianxiayijia | t`ien hsia i chia tienhsiaichia tien hsia i chia |
One Heart One Mind Heart and Soul | 一心 | isshin / ishin | yī shì dài yi1 shi4 dai4 yi shi dai yishidai | i shih tai ishihtai |
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 |
Protector | 保護者 保护者 | hogosha | bǎo hù zhě bao3 hu4 zhe3 bao hu zhe baohuzhe | pao hu che paohuche |
Purified Spirit Enlightened Attitude | 洗心 先心 | sen shin / senshin | xǐ xīn / xi3 xin1 / xi xin / xixin | hsi hsin / hsihsin |
Respect Honor Esteem | 尊敬 | sonkei | zūn jìng / zun1 jing4 / zun jing / zunjing | tsun ching / tsunching |
The Saint | 聖 圣 | sei | shèng / sheng4 / sheng | |
Samadhi | 定 | sada | dìng / ding4 / ding | ting |
Sangha | 僧伽 | sougya / sogya | sēng qié / seng1 qie2 / seng qie / sengqie | seng ch`ieh / sengchieh / seng chieh |
Sasuga Nagare | 流石 | ryuuzeki / nagareishi / nagare / sasuga ryuzeki / nagareishi / nagare / sasuga | ||
Scholar Confucian | 儒 | ju | rú / ru2 / ru | ju |
Self-Love Love Yourself Love Oneself | 自愛 自爱 | ji ai / jiai | zì ài / zi4 ai4 / zi ai / ziai | tzu ai / tzuai |
Shaolin | 少林 | sho rin / shorin | shǎo lín / shao3 lin2 / shao lin / shaolin | |
Sincerity and Devotion | 至誠 至诚 | shisei | zhì chéng zhi4 cheng2 zhi cheng zhicheng | chih ch`eng chihcheng chih cheng |
A sly rabbit has three openings to its den | 狡兔三窟 | jiǎo tù sān kū jiao3 tu4 san1 ku1 jiao tu san ku jiaotusanku | chiao t`u san k`u chiaotusanku chiao tu san ku |
|
Spare No Effort | 不遺餘力 / 不遺余力 不遗余力 | bù yí yú lì bu4 yi2 yu2 li4 bu yi yu li buyiyuli | pu i yü li puiyüli |
|
Strong Powerful Force | 強 强 | kyou / kyo | qiáng / qiang2 / qiang | ch`iang / chiang |
With all the strength of your heart | 思い切り | omoi kiri / omoikiri | ||
Sword | 劍 剑 | ken / tsurugi | jiàn / jian4 / jian | chien |
Taekwondo | 跆拳道 | te kon do / tekondo | tái quán dào tai2 quan2 dao4 tai quan dao taiquandao | t`ai ch`üan tao taichüantao tai chüan tao |
Tathata Ultimate Nature of All Things | 真如 | shinnyo | zhēn rú / zhen1 ru2 / zhen ru / zhenru | chen ju / chenju |
Tea Fate | 茶緣 茶缘 | chá yuán / cha2 yuan2 / cha yuan / chayuan | ch`a yüan / chayüan / cha yüan | |
When Three People Gather, One Becomes a Teacher | 三人行必有我師 三人行必有我师 | sān rén xíng bì yǒu wǒ shī san1 ren2 xing2 bi4 you3 wo3 shi1 san ren xing bi you wo shi sanrenxingbiyouwoshi | san jen hsing pi yu wo shih sanjenhsingpiyuwoshih |
|
Tooth for a tooth | 以牙還牙 以牙还牙 | yǐ yá huán yá yi3 ya2 huan2 ya2 yi ya huan ya yiyahuanya | i ya huan ya iyahuanya |
|
Turtle | 龜 龟 / 亀 | kame | guī / gui1 / gui | kuei |
Whole Heart | 全心 | zenshin | quán xīn / quan2 xin1 / quan xin / quanxin | ch`üan hsin / chüanhsin / chüan hsin |
Wing Chun | 詠春 咏春 | ei haru / eiharu | yǒng chūn yong3 chun1 yong chun yongchun | yung ch`un yungchun yung chun |
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 |
|
All Hopes Fulfilled | 萬事如意 万事如意 | wàn shì rú yì wan4 shi4 ru2 yi4 wan shi ru yi wanshiruyi | wan shih ju i wanshihjui |
|
The Buddha is in Each Sentient Being | 佛は衆生の中に在り | butsu wa shujou no naka ni ari butsuwashujounonakaniari butsu wa shujo no naka ni ari | ||
The Nature of Enlightenment in One's Mind | 覺性 觉性 | kakushou / kakusho | jué xìng / jue2 xing4 / jue xing / juexing | chüeh hsing / chüehhsing |
Enlightenment | 至眞覺 至眞觉 | shi shin kaku shishinkaku | zhì zhēn jué zhi4 zhen1 jue2 zhi zhen jue zhizhenjue | chih chen chüeh chihchenchüeh |
Namu Dai Bosa | 南無大菩薩 南无大菩萨 | namu dai bosa namudaibosa | ||
Nankurunaisa | なんくるないさ | nan ku ru nai sa nankurunaisa | ||
Tathagata | 如來 如来 | nyorai | rú lái / ru2 lai2 / ru lai / rulai | ju lai / julai |
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. |
Successful Chinese Character and Japanese Kanji calligraphy searches within the last few hours...
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 One for All Kanji, One for All Characters, One for All in Mandarin Chinese, One for All Characters, One for All in Chinese Writing, One for All in Japanese Writing, One for All in Asian Writing, One for All Ideograms, Chinese One for All symbols, One for All Hieroglyphics, One for All Glyphs, One for All in Chinese Letters, One for All Hanzi, One for All in Japanese Kanji, One for All Pictograms, One for All in the Chinese Written-Language, or One for All in the Japanese Written-Language.
21 people have searched for One for All in Chinese or Japanese in the past year.
One for All was last searched for by someone else on Feb 27th, 2024