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Look up Zen Do Kai in my Japanese Kanji & Chinese Character Dictionary(My dictionary is a different system then the calligraphy search you just tried)
If you want a special phrase, word, title, name, or proverb, feel free to contact me, and I will translate your custom calligraphy idea for you.
1. Budo-Kai
3. Bushi Kai
6. Goshin-Kai
9. Kai
10. Kai Zen / Kaizen
12. Ken Zen Ichi Nyo
13. Nippon Karate-Do Genbu-Kai
15. Shinyo-Kai
16. Wado-Kai Aikido
17. Wado-Kai
19. Zen Buddhism
21. Zen Garden
ドラゴンボール改 is the name for Doragon Bōru Kai (Dragon Ball Revised), a high-definition remastered and recut of the original Dragon Ball Z, released on the 20th anniversary.
Note: Because this selection contains some special Japanese Katakana characters, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.
〇 is the famous Enso symbol, which you will see widely used by Japanese Zen Buddhists.
In a twist, I am starting to see Enso used more and more by Chinese Buddhists.
Here is the typical appearance of Enso artwork by Japanese calligrapher Kougetsu.
Enso is not a Japanese Kanji character. It falls more into the category of a symbol. There is some debate, but many consider Enso to be a religious symbol.
Some call this “The Circle of Enlightenment.” Others call it the “Infinity Circle.” If you actually took the meanings of the two Kanji (円相) that make up the word “En-so,” you could read it as “Mutual Circle” or “Circle of Togetherness.” I think the Enso symbol can simply mean different things to different people. Therefore, you should let it have the meaning that you perceive.
The appearance of your Enso will be determined by the artist's personal style, feeling, mood, etc.
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.
一心会 is the Japanese martial arts title “Isshinkai” or “Isshin-Kai.”
It literally means “One Heart Association” or “Single-Heart Club.” This title is often associated with Isshin-Ryu Aikido and Isshin-Ryu Karate-Do. This title is appropriate for the name of a dojo that teaches these styles.
凱 is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Kai.
This Chinese character means triumphant or victorious. In Chinese, it can be the surname, Kai.
Note: In Japanese this can be the given name Tanoshi.
改善 means betterment, improvement, to make better, or to improve - specifically incremental and continuous improvement.
改善 became very important in post-war Japan when Edwards Deming came to Japan to teach concepts of incremental and continuous improvement (for which the big 3 auto-makers did not want to hear about at the time - even kicking Deming out of their offices). The Japanese workforce absorbed this concept when their culture was in flux and primed for change.
This kaizen term is closely associated with the western title “Total Quality Management.” Perhaps dear to my heart since I spent years studying this at university before I moved to China where TQM did not seem to exist. Slowly, this concept has entered China as well (I've actually given lectures on the subject in Beijing).
If you are trying to improve processes at your business or need to remind yourself of your continuous TQM goals, this would be a great wall scroll to hang behind your desk or in your workplace.
See Also: Kansei
拳禪一如 is a Japanese phrase that is often translated as “train both body and spirit.”
Here's the breakdown of the words in this phrase:
拳 means fist.
禅 is zen, which means meditation.
一如 is a word that means “to be just like,” “oneness,” “true nature,” or “true character.”
So to get to the translation of “train both body and spirit,” you must understand that “fist” is representing “body” and the idea of meditation is representing “mind.”
I have to say, this is not how I would translate this. To me, it's really about training with your mind and remembering that meditation is a huge part of training, not just your fist. As the Shaolin Buddhist monks show us, meditation is just as important as physical training in martial arts.
Japanese Genbu Karate Club
日本空手道玄武會 is the title for Nippon Karate-Do Genbu-Kai.
A Japanese karate association of the Genbu school.
Note that while this title does make perfect sense in Chinese, it is really a Japanese title. In fact, the first word is “Japanese/Japan.”
If you’d like your martial arts school, dojo or club added to our calligraphy database for easy ordering of a custom calligraphy wall scroll, just contact me.
聖心会 is the Japanese martial arts title “Seishinkai” or “Seishin-Kai.”
It literally means “Sacred Heart Association” or “Pure-Heart Club.”
聖 can mean holy, sacred, saint, sage, virtuous, expert, wise and good, upright, or correct.
心 can mean heart, mind, center, core, spirit, soul, or vitality.
聖心 creates a word meaning sacred heart, or the holy mind (that of Buddha).
会 in Japanese means association, club, meeting, assembly, party, gathering, conference, athletic meet, or society.
Wado-Kai is used as a title for styles of Karate and Aikido.
Breaking down the characters into the proper Japanese Romaji, you have “wa dou kai” or “wa dō kai.” The meaning is roughly-translated as “Harmony Way Club” or “Peace Method Association.” The first Kanji should probably be read as harmony, rather than peace in this case.
See Also: Wado-Ryu
This is the martial arts title Zendokai.
The first two characters refer to Zen ascetic practices or Zen teachings. Noting that Zen or 禅 means meditation and Dou/Do or 道 means way.
Kai or 会 (originally written 會) in this context means society, association, or club.
Zendokai Karate beyond the normal fighting skills invites the practitioner to notice and observe their own body with mindfulness and self-awareness and can re-acquire and hone their genuine self.
禪宗 is one way to title “Zen Buddhism.” Because the original pronunciation of Zen in Chinese is Chan, you'll also see this expressed as Chan Buddhism.
From the Buddhist Dictionary:
The Chan, meditative or intuitional, sect is usually said to have been established in China by Bodhidharma, the twenty-eighth patriarch, who brought the tradition of the Buddha-mind from India. This sect, believing in direct enlightenment, disregarded ritual and sūtras and depended upon the inner light and personal influence for the propagation of its tenets, founding itself on the esoteric tradition supposed to have been imparted to Kāśyapa by the Buddha, who indicated his meaning by plucking a flower without further explanation. Kāśyapa smiled in apprehension and is supposed to have passed on this mystic method to the patriarchs. The successor of Bodhidharma was 慧可 Huike, and he was succeeded by 僧璨 Sengcan, 道信 Daoxin, 弘忍 Hongren, 慧能 Huineng, and 神秀 Shenxiu, the sect dividing under the two latter into the southern and northern schools: the southern school became prominent, producing 南嶽 Nanyue and 靑原 Qingyuan, the former succeeded by 馬祖 Mazu, the latter by 石頭 Shitou. From Mazu's school arose the five later schools.
入定 is a title that can be defined as Zen contemplation in Japanese or sitting quietly in (Buddhist) meditation in Chinese. It also carries a similar meaning in Korean Hanja. Therefore, this is a universal term for meditation in the context of Buddhism throughout the Orient.
Can also be translated as “Meditatively equipoised” or “enter into meditation by stilling the karmic activities of deed, speech, and thought.”
The original Sanskrit word is samapanna. In Tibetan: snyoms par zhugs pa.
禪園 literally means “meditation garden.”
The first character happens to be known as Zen in the west (the pronunciation comes from Japanese) but this title is not often used in Japan (won't be recognized as a Japanese title).
The title “Zen Garden” was made up by westerners I'm afraid.
參禪 is a title that speaks of reaching an understanding (of Zen or the world). It also means “to practice meditation.” The two concepts lead you to the idea that meditation leads to understanding. 參禪 is pretty deep, so you can do your research or decide what this means for you.
This can also be defined in a more complex way as “thoroughly penetrating with meditative insight.”
...as in Zen Buddhism
First, let's correct something: The Japanese romanization for this character, “Zen” has penetrated the English language. In English, it's almost always incorrectly used for phrases like “That's so zen.” Nobody says, “That's so meditation” - right? As the title of a sect, this would be like saying, “That's so Baptist!"
禪 by itself just means “meditation.” In that context, it should not be confined to use by any one religion or sect.
Regardless of the dictionary definition, more often than not, this character is associated with Buddhism. And here is one of the main reasons:
Zen is used as the title of a branch of Mahayana Buddhism, which strongly emphasizes meditation practice.
However, it should be noted that Buddhism came from India, and “Chan Buddhism” evolved and developed in medieval China. The Chinese character “Chan” was eventually pronounced as “Zen” in Japanese. Chan Buddhists in China have much in common with Zen Buddhists in Japan.
More about the history of Zen Buddhism here.
Please also note that the Japanese Kanji character for Zen has evolved a little in Japan, and the two boxes (kou) that you see at the top of the right side of the character have been replaced by three dots with tails.
The original character would still be generally understood and recognized in Japanese (it's considered an ancient version in Japan) but if you want the specifically modern Japanese version, please click on the zen Kanji to the right. Technically, there is no difference between the Tensho and Reisho versions of Zen since they are ancient character styles that existed long before Japan had a written language.
There is also an alternate/shorthand/simplified Chinese version, which has two dots or tails above the right-side radical. This version is also popular for calligraphy in China. If you want this version, just click the character to the right.
Further notes: Zen is just one of seven sects of Buddhism practiced in Japan. The others are 律 Ritsu (or Risshū), 法相 Hossō, 論 Sanron 華嚴 Kegon, 天台 Tendai, and 眞言 Shingon.
禪道 is a title used in certain contexts but is not widely known by the general population of China or Japan.
In Japanese, you will see this title romanized as “zendo,” which is the brand name of a board game, and also a title used by some martial arts studios and karate dojos. Oddly, many translate this as “zen fist,” although there is no “fist” in the title. If you literally translated this title, it would be “meditation way” or “meditation method.”
In Chinese, this would be “chan dao” with the same literal meaning as the Japanese title. It's used in China by just a handful of martial arts styles/studios.
You should only order this title if you really understand the meaning, and it has some personal connection to you (such as practicing a martial art style that uses this title, or if you love the board game Zendo). Many who see your wall scroll will not be familiar with this title, and you'll have some explaining to do.
The first character can also be written in a more complex traditional way as shown to the right. Let us know in the special instructions for your calligraphy project if you want this style.
If you order this from the Japanese master calligrapher, the first character will automatically be written with an extra dot on top. This is the variant form of the original Chinese character which is commonly used in modern Japan Kanji. See sample to the right.
禪心 represents an image of your meditation coming from and filling your heart.
The meaning of the first character is “meditation” and the second character is usually defined as “heart” or sometimes “mind.”
There is a two-fold meaning here, as a good meditation session must start with a centered heart or mind. Yet at the same time, meditation serves to cleanse, focus, and center the heart and mind.
The following table may be helpful for those studying Chinese or Japanese...
Title | Characters | Romaji (Romanized Japanese) | Various forms of Romanized Chinese | |
Budo-Kai | 武道會 武道会 | bu dou kai / budoukai / bu do kai | ||
Budo Kai Jutsu | 武道会術 | bu dou kai jutsu budoukaijutsu bu do kai jutsu | ||
Bushi Kai | 武士會 武士会 | bu shi kai / bushikai | ||
Dragon Ball Kai | ドラゴンボール改 | doragon bouru kai doragonbourukai doragon boru kai | ||
Enso - Japanese Zen Circle | 〇 | en sou / ensou / en so | ||
Goshin-Kai | 護身会 护身会 | go shin kai goshinkai | ||
Ichi wa Zen, Zen wa Ichi | 一は全、全は一 | ichi wa zen zen wa ichi ichiwazenzenwaichi | ||
Isshin-Kai Isshinkai | 一心会 / 一心會 一心会 | isshin kai / isshinkai / ishin kai | ||
Kai | 凱 凯 | tanoshi | kǎi / kai3 / kai | k`ai / kai |
Kai | カイ | kai | ||
Kai Zen Kaizen | 改善 | kai zen / kaizen | gǎi shàn / gai3 shan4 / gai shan / gaishan | kai shan / kaishan |
Karate-Do Shinyo-Kai | 空手道心養会 | kara te dou shin you kai karatedoushinyoukai kara te do shin yo kai | ||
Ken Zen Ichi Nyo | 拳禪一如 拳禅一如 | ken zen ichi nyo kenzenichinyo | ||
Nippon Karate-Do Genbu-Kai | 日本空手道玄武會 日本空手道玄武会 | ni ppon kara te dou gen bu kai nipponkaratedougenbukai ni pon kara te do gen bu kai | rì běn kōng shǒu dào xuán wǔ huì ri4 ben3 kong1 shou3 dao4 xuan2 wu3 hui4 ri ben kong shou dao xuan wu hui | jih pen k`ung shou tao hsüan wu hui jih pen kung shou tao hsüan wu hui |
Seishin-Kai Seishinkai | 聖心会 / 聖心會 聖心会 | sei shin kai seishinkai | ||
Shinyo-Kai | 心養會 心养会 / 心養会 | shin you kai shinyoukai shin yo kai | ||
Wado-Kai Aikido | 和道會合気道 和道会合気道 | wa dou kai ai ki do wadoukaiaikido wa do kai ai ki do | ||
Wado-Kai | 和道會 和道会 | wa dou kai / wadoukai / wa do kai | ||
Zen Do Kai Zendokai | 禅道会 | zen dou kai zendoukai zen do kai | ||
Zen Buddhism | 禪宗 禅宗 | zen shuu / zenshuu / zen shu | chán zōng chan2 zong1 chan zong chanzong | ch`an tsung chantsung chan tsung |
Zen Contemplation | 入定 | rù dìng / ru4 ding4 / ru ding / ruding | ju ting / juting | |
Zen Garden | 禪園 禅园 | zen sono / zensono | chán yuán chan2 yuan2 chan yuan chanyuan | ch`an yüan chanyüan chan yüan |
Zen Understanding | 參禪 参禅 | cān chán / can1 chan2 / can chan / canchan | ts`an ch`an / tsanchan / tsan chan | |
Zen Chan Meditation | 禪 禅 | zen | chán / chan2 / chan | ch`an / chan |
Zendo The Zen Way | 禅道 / 禪道 禅道 | zen dou / zendou / zen do | chán dào / chan2 dao4 / chan dao / chandao | ch`an tao / chantao / chan tao |
Zen Heart Zen Mind | 禪心 禅心 | zen shin / zenshin | chán xīn / chan2 xin1 / chan xin / chanxin | ch`an hsin / chanhsin / chan hsin |
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. |
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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.
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