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

There are 43 total results for your four elements search.

Characters Pronunciation
Romanization
Simple Dictionary Definition

四大

see styles
sì dà
    si4 da4
ssu ta
 shidai
    しだい

More info & calligraphy:

Shidai / Sida / Mahabhuta
the four elements: earth, water, fire, and wind (Buddhism); the four freedoms: speaking out freely, airing views fully, holding great debates, and writing big-character posters, 大鳴大放|大鸣大放[da4 ming2 da4 fang4], 大辯論|大辩论[da4 bian4 lun4], 大字報|大字报[da4 zi4 bao4] (PRC)
(1) {Buddh} the four elements (earth, water, fire, wind); (2) the human body; (3) Tao, heaven, earth and king
mahābhūta, 四界; 四大界. The four elements of which all things are made; or the four realms; i. e. earth, water, fire, and wind (or air); they represent 堅, 濕, 煖, and 動 solid, liquid, heat, and motion; motion produces and maintains life. As 實 active or formative forces they are styled 四界 (四大界) ; as 假 passive or material objects they are 四大; but the 成實論 Satyasiddhi śāstra disputes the 實 and recognizes only the 假.

毒蛇

see styles
dú shé
    du2 she2
tu she
 dokuja; dokuhebi
    どくじゃ; どくへび

More info & calligraphy:

Viper
viper
venomous snake; poisonous snake
A poisonous snake.; Poisonous snakes, the four elements of the body— earth, water, fire, wind (or air)— which harm a man by their variation, i. e. increase and decrease. Also, gold.

和敬清寂

see styles
 wakeiseijaku / wakesejaku
    わけいせいじゃく

More info & calligraphy:

Elements of the Tea Ceremony
(yoji) harmony, respect, purity and tranquility; the four most important elements of the tea ceremony

四大元素

see styles
 yondaigenso
    よんだいげんそ

More info & calligraphy:

Earth Fire Water Air
the four classical chemical elements (fire, earth, air and water)

地水火風


地水火风

see styles
dì shuǐ huǒ fēng
    di4 shui3 huo3 feng1
ti shui huo feng
 chisuikafuu; jisuikafuu / chisuikafu; jisuikafu
    ちすいかふう; じすいかふう

More info & calligraphy:

Four Elements
{Buddh} earth, water, fire, and wind (the four elements)
earth, water, fire, wind

see styles
dài
    dai4
tai
 dai
    だい
see 大夫[dai4 fu5]
(pref,adj-na,n) (1) large; big; great; huge; vast; major; important; serious; severe; (prefix) (2) great; prominent; eminent; distinguished; (suffix) (3) -sized; as big as; the size of; (suffix noun) (4) (abbreviation) (See 大学・1) university; (5) large (e.g. serving size); large option; (6) (abbreviation) (See 大の月) long month (i.e. having 31 days); (given name) Yutaka
Maha. 摩訶; 麼賀. Great, large, big; all pervading, all-embracing; numerous 多; surpassing ; mysterious 妙; beyond comprehension 不可思議; omnipresent 體無不在. The elements, or essential things, i.e. (a) 三大 The three all-pervasive qualities of the 眞如 q.v. : its 體, 相 , 用 substance, form, and functions, v. 起信論 . (b) 四大 The four tanmātra or elements, earth, water, fire, air (or wind) of the 倶舍論. (c)五大 The five, i.e. the last four and space 空, v. 大日經. (d) 六大 The six elements, earth, water, fire, wind, space (or ether), mind 識. Hīnayāna, emphasizing impersonality 人空, considers these six as the elements of all sentient beings; Mahāyāna, emphasizing the unreality of all things 法空, counts them as elements, but fluid in a flowing stream of life, with mind 識 dominant; the esoteric sect emphasizing nonproduction, or non-creation, regards them as universal and as the Absolute in differentiation. (e) 七大 The 楞嚴經 adds 見 perception, to the six above named to cover the perceptions of the six organs 根.

see styles
shǎi
    shai3
shai
 shoku
    しょく
(coll.) color; used in 色子[shai3zi5]
(counter) counter for colours; (female given name) Shiki
rūpa, outward appearance, form, colour, matter, thing; the desirable, especially feminine attraction. It is defined as that which has resistance; or which changes and disappears, i. e. the phenomenal; also as 顯, 形 and 表色 colour and quality, form or the measurable, and mode or action. There are divisions of two, i. e. inner and outer, as the organs and objects of sense; also colour and form; of three, i. e. the visible object, e. g. colour, the invisible object, e. g. sound, the invisible and immaterial; of eleven, i. e. the five organs and five objects of sense and the immaterial object; of fourteen, the five organs and five objects of sense and the four elements, earth, water, fire, air. rūpa is one of the six bāhya-āyatana, the 六塵; also one of the five skandhas, 五蘊, i. e. the 色身. Keith refers to rūpa as 'material form or matter which is underived (no-utpādā) and which is derived (utpādā)', the underived or independent being the tangible; the derived or dependent being the senses, e. g. of hearing; most of their objects, e. g. sound; the qualities or faculties of feminity, masculinity, vitality; intimation by act and speech, space; qualities of matter, e. g. buoyancy and physical nutriment.


see styles
yùn
    yun4
yün
 osamu
    おさむ
to accumulate; to hold in store; to contain; to gather together; to collect; depth; inner strength; profundity
(given name) Osamu
skandha, v. 塞; older tr. 陰, intp. as that which covers or conceals, implying that physical and mental forms obstruct realization of the truth; while the tr. 蘊, implying an accumulation or heap, is a nearer connotation to skandha, which, originally meaning the shoulder, becomes stem, branch, combination, the objects of sense, the elements of being or mundane consciousness. The term is intp. as the five physical and mental constituents, which combine to form the intelligent 性 or nature; rūpa, the first of the five, is considered as physical, the remaining four as mental; v. 五蘊. The skandhas refer only to the phenomenal, not to the 無爲 non-phenomenal.

五因

see styles
wǔ yīn
    wu3 yin1
wu yin
 goin
The five causes, v. 倶舍論 7. i. e. (1) 生因 producing cause; (2) 依因supporting cause; (3) 立因 upholding or establishing cause; (4) 持因 maintaining cause; (5) 養因 nourishing or strengthening cause. These all refer to the four elements, earth, water, fire, wind, for they are the causers or producers and maintainers of the infinite forms of nature. Another list from the Nirvana-Sutra 21 is (1) 生因 cause of rebirth, i. e. previous delusion; (2) 和合因 intermingling cause, i. e. good with good, bad with bad, neutral with neutral; (3) 住因 cause of abiding in the present condition, i. e. the self in its attachments; (4) 增長因 causes of development, e. g. food, clothing, etc.; (5) 遠因 remoter cause, the parental seed.

五智

see styles
wǔ zhì
    wu3 zhi4
wu chih
 gochi
    ごち
(place-name, surname) Gochi
The five kinds of wisdom of the 眞言宗 Shingon School. Of the six elements 六大 earth, water, fire, air (or wind), ether (or space) 曇空, and consciousness (or mind 識 ), the first five form the phenomenal world, or Garbhadhātu, the womb of all things 胎藏界, the sixth is the conscious, or perceptive, or wisdom world, the Vajradhātu 金剛界, sometimes called the Diamond realm. The two realms are not originally apart, but one, and there is no consciousness without the other five elements. The sixth element, vijñāna, is further subdivided into five called the 五智 Five Wisdoms: (1) 法界體性智 dharmadhātu-prakṛti-jñāna, derived from the amala-vijñāna, or pure 識; it is the wisdom of the embodied nature of the dharmadhātu, defined as the six elements, and is associated with Vairocana 大日, in the centre, who abides in this samādhi; it also corresponds to the ether 空 element. (2) 大圓鏡智 adarśana-jñāna, the great round mirror wisdom, derived from the ālaya-vijñāna, reflecting all things; corresponds to earth, and is associated with Akṣobhya and the east. (3) 平等性智 samatā-jñāna, derived from mano-vijñāna, wisdom in regard to all things equally and universally; corresponds to fire, and is associated with Ratnasaṃbhava and the south. (4) 妙觀察智 pratyavekṣaṇa-jñāna, derived from 意識, wisdom of profound insight, or discrimination, for exposition and doubt-destruction; corresponds to water, and is associated with Amitābha and the west. (5) 成所作智 kṛtyānuṣṭhāna-jñāna, derived from the five senses, the wisdom of perfecting the double work of self-welfare and the welfare of others; corresponds to air 風 and is associated with Amoghasiddhi and the north. These five Dhyāni-Buddhas are the 五智如來. The five kinds of wisdom are the four belonging to every Buddha, of the exoteric cult, to which the esoteric cult adds the first, pure, all-refecting, universal, all-discerning, and all-perfecting.

六因

see styles
liù yīn
    liu4 yin1
liu yin
 rokuin
The six causations of the 六位 six stages of Bodhisattva development, q. v. Also, the sixfold division of causes of the Vaibhāṣikas (cf. Keith, 177-8); every phenomenon depends upon the union of 因 primary cause and 緣 conditional or environmental cause; and of the 因 there are six kinds: (1) 能作因 karaṇahetu, effective causes of two kinds: 與力因 empowering cause, as the earth empowers plant growth, and 不障因 non-resistant cause, as space does not resist, i. e. active and passive causes; (2) 倶有因 sahabhūhetu, co-operative causes, as the four elements 四大 in nature, not one of which can be omitted; (3) 同類因 sabhāgahetu, causes of the same kind as the effect, good producing good, etc.; (4) 相應因 saṃprayuktahetu, mutual responsive or associated causes, e. g. mind and mental conditions, subject with object; Keith gives 'faith and intelligence'; similar to (2); (5) 遍行因 sarvatragahetu, universal or omnipresent cause, i. e. of illusion, as of false views affecting every act; it resembles (3) but is confined to delusion; (6) 異熟因 vipākahetu, differental fruition, i. e. the effect different from the cause, as the hells are from evil deeds.

四微

see styles
sì wēi
    si4 wei1
ssu wei
 shimi
The four minutest forms or atoms perceptible to the four senses of sight, smell, taste, or touch; from these arise the 四大 four elements, from which arise the 五智 five wisdoms, q. v.

四相

see styles
sì xiàng
    si4 xiang4
ssu hsiang
 shisou / shiso
    しそう
(1) {Buddh} four essential elements of existence (birth, ageing, illness and death); (can act as adjective) (2) {math} four-phase; quadri-phase
The four avasthā, or states of all phenomena, i. e. 生住異滅 birth, being, change (i. e. decay), and death; also 四有爲相. There are several groups, e. g. 果報四相 birth, age, disease, death. Also 藏識四相 of the Awakening of Faith referring to the initiation, continuation, change, and cessation of the ālaya-vijñāna. Also 我人四相 The ideas: (1) that there is an ego; (2) that man is different from other organisms; (3) that all the living are produced by the skandhas; (4) that life is limited to the organism. Also 智境四相 dealing differently with the four last headings 我; 人; 衆生; and 壽相.

四蛇

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

地大

see styles
dì dà
    di4 da4
ti ta
 chihiro
    ちひろ
(personal name) Chihiro
Earth as one of the 四大 four elements, 地 earth, 水大 water, 火大 fire, and 風大 air (i. e. air in motion, wind); to these 空大 space (Skt. ākāśa) is added to make the 五大 five elements; 識 vijñāna, perception to make the six elements; and 見 darśana, views, concepts, or reasonings to make the seven elements. The esoteric sect use the five fingers, beginning with the little finger, to symbolize the five elements.

地界

see styles
dì jiè
    di4 jie4
ti chieh
 chikai
    ちかい
boundary; bounds of the earth; (place-name) Jizakai
The realm of earth, one of the four elements, v. 地大.

大種


大种

see styles
dà zhǒng
    da4 zhong3
ta chung
 daishu
The four great seeds, or elements (四大) which enter into all things, i.e. earth, water, fire, and wind, from which, as from seed, all things spring.

水大

see styles
shuǐ dà
    shui3 da4
shui ta
 suidai
The element water, one of the four elements 四大 q. v.

水界

see styles
shuǐ jiè
    shui3 jie4
shui chieh
 suikai
    すいかい
(1) (See 水圏) hydrosphere; (2) boundary of water and land; (place-name) Mizusakai
The realm of water, one of the 四大 four elements.

火大

see styles
huǒ dà
    huo3 da4
huo ta
 kadai
to get mad; to be very angry
The element fire, one of the 四大 four elements.

火界

see styles
huǒ jiè
    huo3 jie4
huo chieh
 kakai
The realm of fire, one of the realms of the four elements 四大, i. e. earth, water, fire, and wind. Cf. 火院.

百法

see styles
bǎi fǎ
    bai3 fa3
pai fa
 hyappō
The hundred divisions of all mental qualities and their agents, of the 唯識 School; also known as the 五位百法five groups of the 100 modes or 'things': (1) 心法 the eight 識 perceptions, or forms of consciousness; (2) 心所有法 the fifty-one mental ideas; (3) 色法 the five physical organs and their six modes of sense, e. g. ear and sound; (4) 不相應行 twenty-four indefinites, or unconditioned elements; (5) 無爲 six inactive or metaphysical concepts.

通教

see styles
tōng jiào
    tong1 jiao4
t`ung chiao
    tung chiao
 michinori
    みちのり
(given name) Michinori
Tiantai classified Buddhist schools into four periods 藏, 通, 別, and 圓. The 藏 Piṭaka school was that of Hīnayāna. The 通Tong, interrelated or intermediate school, was the first stage of Mahāyāna, having in it elements of all the three vehicles, śrāvaka, pratyekabuddha, and bodhisattva. Its developing doctrine linked it with Hīnayāna on the one hand and on the other with the two further developments of the 別 'separate', or 'differentiated' Mahāyāna teaching, and the 圓 full-orbed, complete, or perfect Mahāyāna. The 通教 held the doctrine of the Void, but had not arrived at the doctrine of the Mean.

部多

see styles
bù duō
    bu4 duo1
pu to
 buta
bhūta, 'been, become, produced, formed, being, existing,' etc. (M. W. ); intp. as the consciously existing; the four great elements, earth, fire, wind, water, as apprehended by touch; also a kind of demon produced by metamorphosis. Also, the 眞如 bhūtatathatā.

非色

see styles
fēi sè
    fei1 se4
fei se
arūpa, formless, i.e. without rūpa, form, or shape, not composed of the four elements. Also the four skandhas, 非色四薀 excluding rūpa or form.

風大


风大

see styles
fēng dà
    feng1 da4
feng ta
Wind or air as one of the four elements.

三時教


三时教

see styles
sān shí jiào
    san1 shi2 jiao4
san shih chiao
 sanji kyō
(三時教判) The three periods and characteristics of Buddha's teaching, as defined by the Dharmalakṣana school 法相宗. They are: (1) 有, when he taught the 實有 reality of the skandhas and elements, but denied the common belief in 實我 real personality or a permanent soul; this period is represented by the four 阿含經 āgamas and other Hīnayāna sūtras. (2) 空 Śūnya, when he negatived the idea of 實法 the reality of things and advocated that all was 空 unreal; the period of the 般若經 prajñā sūtras. (3) 中 Madhyama, the mean, that mind or spirit is real, while things are unreal; the period of this school's specific sūtra the 解深密經, also the 法華 and later sūtras. In the two earlier periods he is said to have 方便 adapted his teaching to the development of his hearers; in the third to have delivered his complete and perfect doctrine. Another division by the 空宗 is (1) as above; (2) the early period of the Mahāyāna represented, by the 深密經; (3) the higher Mahāyāna as in the 般若經. v. also 三敎.

五大形

see styles
wǔ dà xíng
    wu3 da4 xing2
wu ta hsing
 godai gyō
The symbols of the five elements— earth as square, water round, fire triangular, wind half-moon, and space a combination of the other four.

八犍度

see styles
bā jiān dù
    ba1 jian1 du4
pa chien tu
 hachi kendo
The eight skandhas or sections of the Abhidharma, i.e. miscellaneous; concerning bondage to the passions, etc.; wisdom; practice; the four fundamentals, or elements; the roots, or organs; meditation; and views. The 八犍論 in thirty sections, attributed to Kātyāyana, is in the Abhidharma.

八變化


八变化

see styles
bā biàn huà
    ba1 bian4 hua4
pa pien hua
 hachi henge
Eight supernatural powers of transformation, characteristics of every Buddha: (1) to shrink self or others, or the world and all things to an atom; (2) to enlarge ditto to fill all space; (3) to make the same light as a feather; (4) to make the same any size or anywhere at will; (5) everywhere and in everything to be omnipotent; (6) to be anywhere at will, either by self-transportation, or bringing the destination to himself, etc; (7) to shake all things (in the six, or eighteen ways); (8) to be one or many and at will pass through the solid or through space, or through fire or water, or transform the four elements at will, e.g. turn earth into water. Also 八神變; 八自在.

四大種


四大种

see styles
sì dà zhǒng
    si4 da4 zhong3
ssu ta chung
 shi dai shu
idem 四大.

四毒蛇

see styles
sì dú shé
    si4 du2 she2
ssu tu she
Four poisonous snakes (in a basket), e. g. the four elements, earth, water, fire, and air, of which a man is formed.

胎藏界

see styles
tāi zàng jiè
    tai1 zang4 jie4
t`ai tsang chieh
    tai tsang chieh
 taizō kai
Garbhadhātu, or Garbhakośa-(dhātu), the womb treasury, the universal source from which all things are produced; the matrix; the embryo; likened to a womb in which all of a child is conceived— its body, mind, etc. It is container and content; it covers and nourishes; and is the source of all supply. It represents the 理性 fundamental nature, both material elements and pure bodhi, or wisdom in essence or purity; 理 being the garbhadhātu as fundamental wisdom, and 智 acquired wisdom or knowledge, the vajradhātu. It also represents the human heart in its innocence or pristine purity, which is considered as the source of all Buddha-pity and moral knowledge. And it indicates that from the central being in the maṇḍala, viz. the Sun as symbol of Vairocana, there issue all the other manifestations of wisdom and power, Buddhas, bodhisattvas, demons, etc. It is 本覺 original intellect, or the static intellectuality, in contrast with 始覺 intellection, the initial or dynamic intellectuality represented in the vajradhātu; hence it is the 因 cause and vajradhātu the 果 effect; though as both are a unity, the reverse may be the rule, the effect being also the cause; it is also likened to 利他 enriching others, as vajradhātu is to 自利 enriching self. Kōbō Daishi, founder of the Yoga or Shingon 眞言 School in Japan, adopted the representation of the ideas in maṇḍalas, or diagrams, as the best way of revealing the mystic doctrine to the ignorant. The garbhadhātu is the womb or treasury of all things, the universe; the 理 fundamental principle, the source; its symbols are a triangle on its base, and an open lotus as representing the sun and Vairocana. In Japan this maṇḍala is placed on the east, typifying the rising sun as source, or 理. The vajradhātu is placed west and represents 智 wisdom or knowledge as derived from 理 the underlying principle, but the two are essential one to the other, neither existing apart. The material and spiritual; wisdom-source and intelligence; essence and substance; and similar complementary ideas are thus portrayed; the garbhadhātu may be generally considered as the static and the vajradhātu as the dynamic categories, which are nevertheless a unity. The garbhadhātu is divided into 三部 three sections representing samādhi or quiescence, wisdom-store, and pity-store, or thought, knowledge, pity; one is called the Buddha-section, the others the Vajra and Lotus sections respectively; the three also typify vimokṣa, prajñā, and dharmakāya, or freedom, understanding, and spirituality. There are three heads of these sections, i. e. Vairocana, Vajrapāṇi, and Avalokiteśvara; each has a mother or source, e. g. Vairocana from Buddha's-eye; and each has a 明王 or emanation of protection against evil; also a śakti or female energy; a germ-letter, etc. The diagram of five Buddhas contains also four bodhisattvas, making nine in all, and there are altogether thirteen 大院 or great courts of various types of ideas, of varying numbers, generally spoken of as 414. Cf. 金剛界; 大日; 兩部.

口力外道

see styles
kǒu lì wài dào
    kou3 li4 wai4 dao4
k`ou li wai tao
    kou li wai tao
 kuriki gedō
One of the eleven heretical sects of India. which is said to have compared the mouth to the great void out of which all things were produced. The great void produced the four elements, these produced herbs, and these in turn all the living; or more in detail the void produced wind, wind fire, fire warmth, warmth water, water congealed and formed earth which produced herbs, herbs cereals and life, hence life is food; ultimately all returns to the void, which is nirvana.

和敬静寂

see styles
 wakeiseijaku / wakesejaku
    わけいせいじゃく
(irregular kanji usage) (yoji) harmony, respect, purity and tranquility; the four most important elements of the tea ceremony

唯境無識


唯境无识

see styles
wéi jìng wú shì
    wei2 jing4 wu2 shi4
wei ching wu shih
 yuikyō mushiki
Realism as opposed to 唯識無境 Idealism; implying that the four elements are real and permanent.

四執金剛


四执金刚

see styles
sì zhí jīn gāng
    si4 zhi2 jin1 gang1
ssu chih chin kang
 shishū kongō
The four Vajra-rulers of the four elements — earth, water, fire, wind, and of the S. E., S. W., N. W,. and N. E.

四大不調


四大不调

see styles
sì dà bù diào
    si4 da4 bu4 diao4
ssu ta pu tiao
 shidaifuchou / shidaifucho
    しだいふちょう
{Buddh} falling ill (esp. of a monk); illness
The inharmonious working of the four elements in the body, which causes the 440 ailments; cf. 四蛇.

四大皆空

see styles
sì dà jiē kōng
    si4 da4 jie1 kong1
ssu ta chieh k`ung
    ssu ta chieh kung
lit. the four elements are vanity (idiom); this world is an illusion

四百四病

see styles
sì bǎi sì bìng
    si4 bai3 si4 bing4
ssu pai ssu ping
 shihyakushibyou / shihyakushibyo
    しひゃくしびょう
(yoji) {Buddh} every type of disease
The 404 ailments of the body; each of the four elements— earth, water, fire, and wind — is responsible for 101; there are 202 fevers, or hot humours caused by earth and fire; and 202 chills or cold humours caused by water and wind; v. 智度論 65.

大陰界入


大阴界入

see styles
dà yīn jiè rù
    da4 yin1 jie4 ru4
ta yin chieh ju
 dai on kai nyū
Four fundamentals, i.e. the 四大, 五陰, 十八界, and 十二入 q. v.

四大元無主


四大元无主

see styles
sì dà yuán wú zhǔ
    si4 da4 yuan2 wu2 zhu3
ssu ta yüan wu chu
 shidai gan mushu
The verse uttered by 肇法師 Zhao Fashi when facing death under the 姚秦 Yao Qin emperor, fourth century A. D.: — 'No master have the four elements,
Unreal are the five skandhas,
When my head meets the white blade,
Twill be but slicing the spring wind.
The 'four elements' are the physical body.

Variations:
和敬清寂
和敬静寂(iK)

see styles
 wakeiseijaku / wakesejaku
    わけいせいじゃく
(yoji) harmony, respect, purity and tranquility; the four most important elements of the tea ceremony

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

This page contains 43 results for "four elements" in Chinese and/or Japanese.



Information about this dictionary:

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

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

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

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

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



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

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

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

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

The following titles are just to help people who are searching for an Asian dictionary to find this page.

Japanese Kanji Dictionary

Free Asian Dictionary

Chinese Kanji Dictionary

Chinese Words Dictionary

Chinese Language Dictionary

Japanese Chinese Dictionary