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Ultimate in Chinese / Japanese...

Buy an Ultimate calligraphy wall scroll here!

Personalize your custom “Ultimate” project by clicking the button next to your favorite “Ultimate” title below...


  1. Enlightened Truth

  2. Ultimate Reality

  3. Ultimate Truth

  4. Ultimate Goodness of Water

  5. Tathata / Ultimate Nature of All Things

  6. Knowledge of Ultimate Truth

  7. Ultimate Loyalty to Your Country

  8. Paramartha

  9. True Essence

10. Five Elements Tai Chi Fist

11. The True and Complete Enlightenment

12. Enlightenment

13. The Supreme Mahayana Truth

14. Takemusu

15. Kyokushin

16. Spiritual Peace / Enlightened Peace

17. Fighter

18. Empress

19. A Traditional Warm Welcome

20. Tai Chi Chuan / Tai Ji Quan

21. Kyojitsu: Falsehood and Truth


Enlightened Truth

 shèng yì dì
 shou gi tai
Enlightened Truth Scroll

This Buddhist term means the superior truth or enlightened truth.

勝義諦 is a realm of understanding that is far beyond worldly truth.

Some will also define this as the ultimate truth.

Ultimate Reality

 jīng zhēn
 shou shin
Ultimate Reality Scroll

精眞 means pure truth or the apprehension of ultimate reality.

Ultimate Truth

 shèng yì
 shougi
Ultimate Truth Scroll

勝義 is a Buddhist term that can mean ultimate truth, beyond description, that which surpasses mere earthly ideas, superlative, or inscrutable.

In Japan, this can also be a given name romanized as Yoshitomo.

Ultimate Goodness of Water

Quote from Lao Tzu

 shàng shàn ruò shuǐ
Ultimate Goodness of Water Scroll

上善若水 is a quote that is sometimes presented as “Be like water.”

However, this is an ancient quote from the great philosopher Lao Tzu. It suggests that the ultimate goodness and purity (in the world) is water. Many take this as a suggestion to be like pure/good water.

Tathata / Ultimate Nature of All Things

 zhēn rú
 shinnyo
Tathata / Ultimate Nature of All Things Scroll

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.

Knowledge of Ultimate Truth

 zhēn zhì
 masatoshi
Knowledge of Ultimate Truth Scroll

眞智 can mean the wisdom or knowledge of ultimate truth.

眞智 is also the absolute knowledge of the non-thing or that which is immaterial. This makes more sense when you consider that true wisdom includes the knowledge of both the real and unreal, or what is material and immaterial.

In Japan, 眞智 (Masatoshi) can also be a given name.

Ultimate Loyalty to Your Country

The most famous tattoo in Chinese history

 jìn zhōng bào guó
Ultimate Loyalty to Your Country Scroll

盡忠報國 is a proverb that is the tattoo worn on the back of Yue Fei, a famous Chinese warrior who lived until 1142 A.D.

The tattoo can be translated as “Serve the country with the utmost loyalty.” More literally, it means “[The] Ultimate Loyalty [is too] Duty [of] Country.”

Legend has it that this tattoo once saved his life when he was accused of treason.

The first two characters have come to create a word that means “serve the country faithfully” or “die for the country.” Note: It's more a willingness to die for one's country than the actual act of dying.

The last two characters have come to mean “Dedicate oneself to the service of one's country.”

Both of these words are probably only in the Chinese lexicon because of this famous tattoo.

If you break it down, character-by-character, here is what you get:
1. To the utmost, to the limit of something, the ultimate.
2. Loyalty or duty (a sense of duty to one's master, lord, country, or job).
3. Report, recompense, give back to (in this case, you are giving yourself to your country as payback).
4. Country, state, nation, kingdom.


More about the famous warrior and army general, Yue Fei

 bō luó mò tuó
 ha ra ma da
Paramartha Scroll

波羅末陀 is the Chinese and Japanese way to write the ancient Sanskrit word Paramārtha or परमार्थ which now means the highest truth, ultimate truth, ultimate reality, or fundamental meaning.

Paramārtha is the name of a famous Buddhist monk born in 499 CE. Paramārtha traveled the world (including Cambodia and territories that are now part of China) to spread the teachings of Buddhism by translating scriptures into the local languages so the truth could be understood by the masses.

So, we should all want to be a Paramārtha who brings the ultimate truth, knowledge, and enlightenment to others.

True Essence

 zhēn dì
 shintai / shintei
True Essence Scroll

真諦 is a Buddhist term that can be defined as the real meaning, the true essence, or the ultimate truth.

Five Elements Tai Chi Fist

 wǔ xíng tài jí quán
 go gyou tai kyoku ken
Five Elements Tai Chi Fist Scroll

五行太極拳 is a certain school or style of Tai Chi (Taiji).

The characters literally mean “Five Elements Tai Chi Fist.”

Notes:
In Taiwan, it would be Romanized as “Wu Hsing Tai Chi Chuan” - see the standard Mandarin method above in the gray box (used in mainland China and the official Romanization used by the Library of Congress).

The last three characters are sometimes translated as “Grand Ultimate Fist,” so the whole thing can be “Five Elements Grand Ultimate Fist” if you wish.

I have not confirmed the use of this title in Korean but if it is used, it's probably only by martial arts enthusiasts. The pronunciation is correct, as shown above for Korean.

The True and Complete Enlightenment

 zhēn jué
 shinkaku
The True and Complete Enlightenment Scroll

眞覺 means true and complete enlightenment.

This can refer to the perfect nirvana of the Buddha or the perception of ultimate truth or true awareness of all things (reality and unreality).

Enlightenment

 zhì zhēn jué
 shi shin kaku
Enlightenment Scroll

至眞覺 represents the enlightenment of one who has attained the ultimate truth.

This would be the state of an enlightened or liberated person in the context of Buddhism. A goal that all should want to attain and aspire for.

The Supreme Mahayana Truth

 dà shèng wú shàng fǎ
 dai jou mu jou hou
The Supreme Mahayana Truth Scroll

大乘無上法 means the supreme Mahāyāna truth.

This refers to the ultimate reality in contrast with the temporary and apparent. Other translations include “the reliance on the power of the vow of the bodhisattva” or “the peerless great vehicle teaching.”


Note: This may suggest that Mahayana Buddhism, as practiced in China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, and other regions is superior (with subtle arrogance) to the original Theravada (or old school) Buddhism. Mahayana and Theravada Buddhists generally get along better than Catholics and Protestants, but there have been schisms.

 take musu
Takemusu Scroll

武産 is the concept developed by Morihei Ueshiba of how the ultimate martial art should be, how his aikido should be, an art that may harmonize all living beings and free techniques could be spontaneously executed.

 kyoku shin
Kyokushin Scroll

極真 is the Japanese title Kyokushin.

The literal meaning is “great truth” or “ultimate truth.” However, 極真 is usually associated with the style of stand-up, full-contact karate, founded in 1964 by Masutatsu Oyama (大山倍達).

Practitioners of the Kyokushinkai Karate follow a philosophy of discipline and self-improvement.

Spiritual Peace / Enlightened Peace

 an jin ritsu myou
Spiritual Peace / Enlightened Peace Scroll

These Japanese Kanji, 安心立命, can be translated as “religious enlightenment” or “spiritual peace gained through faith.”

Other dictionaries define as “spiritual peace and enlightenment” or “keeping an unperturbed mind through faith.”

My Buddhist dictionary defines it as “spiritual peace and realization of enlightenment.”

In the Zen school, this is about settling one's body and life; attaining complete peace, and establishing one's course of life in accord with the ultimate reality.

Fighter

Warrior / Soldier

 zhàn shì
 sen shi
Fighter Scroll

戰士 is how to write “fighter” in Chinese, ancient Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.

The first character means war, warfare, or battle.
The second character means soldier, officer, man, or pawn.

戰士 can also mean soldier or warrior. Usually this will be read as “fighter” or “one who fights.” 戰士 is an odd selection for a wall scroll unless you are a boxer, ultimate fighter, or otherwise participate in combat sports.

Other translations include combatant or champion.


戦Note that after WWII, the first Kanji was reformed/simplified. This modern Japanese version is shown to the right. If you want this version, click on the Kanji to the right, instead of the button above.

 huáng hòu
 kou gou
Empress Scroll

皇后 is the title of empress/emperess, the female form of the emperor.

皇后 is used in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.

While the emperor's reign was for life, if he died, his wife would hold his power. In this case, a woman was the ultimate ruler of the greater part of East Asia (now China) until her death and the succession of the emperor's firstborn son to lead the empire. Numerous times in various Chinese dynasties, an empress took power in this way.

The first character means emperor by itself.

The second character alone can mean “wife of an emperor or king” (the first character clarifies that we are talking about an empress and not a queen). It can also mean sovereign or last offspring, depending on context.

Note: In some books, this word is translated as queen. While only incorrect if you get technical (because an empress is theoretically a higher level than a queen), the meaning is very similar.

皇后 is sometimes used for the title of queen, but more technically, this is the wife of the emperor (a higher level than a queen).


See Also:  Emperor | King | Queen | Phoenix

A Traditional Warm Welcome

 huān yíng guāng lín
A Traditional Warm Welcome Scroll

歡迎光臨 would be the ultimate Chinese “welcome mat.” Except it will be on your wall, and people will not step on it.

In a somewhat literal translation, you could say it means “I feel happy as I welcome you, as you have brought a shining light to this place with your arrival,” or more simply, “I am happy you've come as your presents brightens up the place.”

It has become common for this greeting to be announced by the staff upon the arrival of any customer into a fancy store in China. You will also see these characters on the “welcome mats” in front of 4 and 5-star hotels in China.

Having this on a wall scroll is an extra nice touch. I have seen a few horizontal scrolls with this phrase on the wall behind the reception desk of better hotels or near the front door of fine shops. At the fanciest department stores and restaurants in China, several greeters (almost always young women) will stand by the front door, all wearing sashes with this phrase embroidered. As you walk in, they will bow and say “huan ying guang lin” to welcome you to the establishment.

Note: The first two and last two characters do make words in Korean Hanja but are seldom used as a sentence like this in Korean.

Tai Chi Chuan / Tai Ji Quan

 tài jí quán
 tai kyoku ken
Tai Chi Chuan / Tai Ji Quan Scroll

太極拳 is the famous Taoist meditation and martial art exercise. The direct translation of these characters would be something like “grand ultimate fist,” but that does not quite hit the mark for what this title really means.

An early-morning walk through any city in China near a park or an open area will yield a view of Chinese people practicing this ancient technique.

A typical scene is an old man of no less than 80 years on this earth, with a wispy white beard and perhaps a sword in one hand. He makes slow moves that are impossibly smooth. He is steady-footed and always in balance. For him, time is meaningless and proper form, and technique is far more important than speed.

For the younger generation, faster moves may look impressive and seem smooth to the casual observer. But more discipline and mental strength are needed to create perfectly smooth moves in virtual slow motion.

Note: There are two ways to Romanize these Chinese characters, as seen in the title above. The pronunciation and actual characters are the same in Chinese. If you really used English sounds/words to pronounce this, it would be something like “tie jee chew-on” (make the “chew-on” one flowing syllable).

Kyojitsu: Falsehood and Truth

 kyo jitsu
Kyojitsu: Falsehood and Truth Scroll

虚実 is a Japanese word that means “falsehood [and] truth” or “fiction [and] fact.”

This concept is used in warfare, gameplay, and martial arts strategies. 虚実 can be a strategy of real and/or deceptive moves. This gets to some Sun Tzu Art of War stuff where in warfare a strategic move is either a real and serious move or it is a deceptive blow.

Let's explore each character in more depth:

was originally written (there is a very subtle difference in the strokes at the bottom of the character) and means unpreparedness, falsehood, emptiness, void, abstract theory, empty or unoccupied, diffident or timid, false, humble or modest, virtual, or in vain.
In the Buddhist context, 虛 represents the Pali/Sanskrit word “śūnya,” meaning empty, vacant, unreal, unsubstantial, untrue, space, humble, or in vain.
In ancient Eastern/Chinese astronomy, 虛 represents the “Emptiness” constellation (one of the 28 mansions in the sky).

was originally in Chinese (they currently write it as in Simplified Chinese) with the meaning, truth, reality, sincerity, honesty, fidelity, and substance.
The Buddhist context is similar, adding real, true, honest, really, solid, definitely, sincere, solid, fixed, full, to fill, fruit, kernel, verily, in fact, the supreme fact, or ultimate reality to the definition.


These search terms might be related to Ultimate:

Best

Best / Number One

Best Friends

Best Friends / Buddies

Best Friends / Closest Friend

Best Love / Most Sincere Love

Brevity: Fewer Words Are Best

Doing Good is the Greatest Source of Happiness

Extreme / Intense

Extreme Faithfulness

Fundamental Principles of Tai Chi Chuan

Greatest Infinite Love

Greatest Love

Most Sincere Friend / Honest Friend / Real Friend / Best Friend

Simply the Best

The Supreme Mahayana Truth

Vital

The following table may be helpful for those studying Chinese or Japanese...

Title CharactersRomaji (Romanized Japanese)Various forms of Romanized Chinese
Enlightened Truth勝義諦
胜义谛
shou gi tai
shougitai
sho gi tai
shèng yì dì
sheng4 yi4 di4
sheng yi di
shengyidi
sheng i ti
shengiti
Ultimate Reality精眞shou shin / shoushin / sho shinjīng zhēn
jing1 zhen1
jing zhen
jingzhen
ching chen
chingchen
Ultimate Truth勝義
胜义
shougi / shogishèng yì / sheng4 yi4 / sheng yi / shengyisheng i / shengi
Ultimate Goodness of Water上善若水shàng shàn ruò shuǐ
shang4 shan4 ruo4 shui3
shang shan ruo shui
shangshanruoshui
shang shan jo shui
shangshanjoshui
Tathata
Ultimate Nature of All Things
真如shinnyozhēn rú / zhen1 ru2 / zhen ru / zhenruchen ju / chenju
Knowledge of Ultimate Truth眞智masatoshizhēn zhì / zhen1 zhi4 / zhen zhi / zhenzhichen chih / chenchih
Ultimate Loyalty to Your Country盡忠報國
尽忠报国
jìn zhōng bào guó
jin4 zhong1 bao4 guo2
jin zhong bao guo
jinzhongbaoguo
chin chung pao kuo
chinchungpaokuo
Paramartha波羅末陀
波罗末陀
ha ra ma da
haramada
bō luó mò tuó
bo1 luo2 mo4 tuo2
bo luo mo tuo
boluomotuo
po lo mo t`o
polomoto
po lo mo to
True Essence真諦
真谛
shintai / shinteizhēn dì / zhen1 di4 / zhen di / zhendichen ti / chenti
Five Elements Tai Chi Fist五行太極拳
五行太极拳
go gyou tai kyoku ken
gogyoutaikyokuken
go gyo tai kyoku ken
wǔ xíng tài jí quán
wu3 xing2 tai4 ji2 quan2
wu xing tai ji quan
wuxingtaijiquan
wu hsing t`ai chi ch`üan
wuhsingtaichichüan
wu hsing tai chi chüan
The True and Complete Enlightenment眞覺
眞觉
shinkakuzhēn jué / zhen1 jue2 / zhen jue / zhenjuechen chüeh / chenchüeh
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
The Supreme Mahayana Truth大乘無上法
大乘无上法
dai jou mu jou hou
daijoumujouhou
dai jo mu jo ho
dà shèng wú shàng fǎ
da4 sheng4 wu2 shang4 fa3
da sheng wu shang fa
dashengwushangfa
ta sheng wu shang fa
tashengwushangfa
Takemusu武産take musu / takemusu
Kyokushin極真kyoku shin / kyokushin
Spiritual Peace
Enlightened Peace
安心立命an jin ritsu myou
anjinritsumyou
an jin ritsu myo
Fighter戰士
战士 / 戦士
sen shi / senshizhàn shì / zhan4 shi4 / zhan shi / zhanshichan shih / chanshih
Empress皇后kou gou / kougou / ko gohuáng hòu
huang2 hou4
huang hou
huanghou
A Traditional Warm Welcome歡迎光臨
欢迎光临
huān yíng guāng lín
huan1 ying2 guang1 lin2
huan ying guang lin
huanyingguanglin
huan ying kuang lin
huanyingkuanglin
Tai Chi Chuan
Tai Ji Quan
太極拳
太极拳
tai kyoku ken
taikyokuken
tài jí quán
tai4 ji2 quan2
tai ji quan
taijiquan
t`ai chi ch`üan
taichichüan
tai chi chüan
Kyojitsu: Falsehood and Truth虚実kyo jitsu / kyojitsu
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.


Dictionary

Lookup Ultimate in my Japanese & Chinese Dictionary


Successful Chinese Character and Japanese Kanji calligraphy searches within the last few hours...

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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.


A nice Chinese calligraphy wall scroll

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.

A professional Chinese Calligrapher

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.

Trying to learn Chinese calligrapher - a futile effort

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.

A high-ranked Chinese master calligrapher that I met in Zhongwei

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 Ultimate Kanji, Ultimate Characters, Ultimate in Mandarin Chinese, Ultimate Characters, Ultimate in Chinese Writing, Ultimate in Japanese Writing, Ultimate in Asian Writing, Ultimate Ideograms, Chinese Ultimate symbols, Ultimate Hieroglyphics, Ultimate Glyphs, Ultimate in Chinese Letters, Ultimate Hanzi, Ultimate in Japanese Kanji, Ultimate Pictograms, Ultimate in the Chinese Written-Language, or Ultimate in the Japanese Written-Language.