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Emptiness in Chinese / Japanese...

Buy an Emptiness calligraphy wall scroll here!

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


  1. Sky / Ether / Void / Emptiness / Unreality

  2. Five Elements

  3. Humble / Modesty / Humility

  4. Nothing / Nothingness

  5. Nothingness / Empty / Void

  6. True Emptiness Yields Transcendent Existence

  7. Kyojitsu: Falsehood and Truth


Sky / Ether / Void / Emptiness / Unreality

(Used in Japanese version of five elements)

 kōng
 kuu / kara / sora / ron
 
Sky / Ether / Void / Emptiness / Unreality Scroll

空 is a single character that means empty, void, hollow, vacant, vacuum, blank, nonexistent, vacuity, voidness, emptiness, non-existence, immateriality, unreality, the false or illusory nature of all existence, and being unreal.

In the Buddhist context, this relates to the doctrine that all phenomena and the ego have no reality but are composed of a certain number of skandhas or elements, which disintegrate. The void, the sky, space. The universal, the absolute, complete abstraction without relativity. The doctrine further explains that all things are compounds, or unstable organisms, possessing no self-essence, i.e. are dependent, or caused, come into existence only to perish. The underlying reality, the principle of eternal relativity, or non-infinity, i.e. śūnya, permeates all phenomena making possible their evolution.

From Sanskrit and/or Pali, this is the translation to Chinese and Japanese of the title śūnya or śūnyatā.

In Japanese, when pronounced as “ron” (sounds like “roan”) this can be a given name. It should be noted that this Kanji has about 5 different possible pronunciations in Japanese: kuu, kara, sora, ron, and uro. 空 is also an element in the Japanese version of the five elements.

Five Elements

 chi sui ka fuu kuu
Five Elements Scroll

地水火風空 is the specifically-Japanese version of the five elements.

This is a little different than the ancient or original Chinese version.

The elements are written in this order:
1. Earth / Terra / Ground
2. Water
3. Fire
4. Wind / Air
5. Sky / Emptiness / Void / Ether

Note: This set of Kanji can also be romanized as “ji sui ka fuu kuu,” “jisuikafuukuu,” or “jisuikafuku.”


These can also be written in the order 地火風水空 (chi ka sui fuu kuu). Let me know when you place your order if you want the Kanji to be in this character order.

Humble / Modesty / Humility

 qiān xū
 ken kyo
Humble / Modesty / Humility Scroll

謙虚 is the most common way to say humble or modest in Japanese without a derogatory meaning (some other words suggest weakness, but this version holds a better humble meaning).

In Japanese, the first Kanji means self-effacing, humble oneself, and modesty. The second means void or emptiness.


See Also:  Moderation

Nothing / Nothingness

 wú
 mu
 
Nothing / Nothingness Scroll

無 is the simple way to express “nothing.”

However, this single character leaves a bit of mystery as to what you might really mean if you hang it as a wall scroll. I'm not saying that's a bad thing; as you can decide what it means to you, and you won't be wrong if you stay within the general context.

More info: 無 is usually used as a suffix or prefix for Chinese and Japanese words (also old Korean). It can be compared to “un-” or “-less” in English. It can also mean “not to have,” no, none, not, “to lack,” or nothingness.

Nothingness / Empty / Void

 xū kōng
 kokuu
Nothingness / Empty / Void Scroll

虛空 means empty space, empty sky, or void.

In the Buddhist context, it can mean “emptiness of the material world.” This can also be used as an adjective to modify other words with a meaning of unreal or insubstantial.

True Emptiness Yields Transcendent Existence

 zhēn kōng miào yǒu
 shin kuu myou u
True Emptiness Yields Transcendent Existence Scroll

According to Soothill 眞空妙有 means:
The true void is the mysteriously existing, truly void, or immaterial, yet transcendentally existing.

眞空妙有 is the state of being nonexistent after removing all errant worldly influences. 眞空妙有 is achieved when all forms of existence are seen for their real nature.

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.


Not the results for emptiness that you were looking for?

Below are some entries from our dictionary that may match your emptiness search...

Characters

If shown, 2nd row is Simp. Chinese

Pronunciation
Romanization
Simple Dictionary Definition

see styles
kòng
    kong4
k`ung
    kung
 kuu / ku
    くう
to empty; vacant; unoccupied; space; leisure; free time
(1) empty air; sky; (2) {Buddh} shunyata (the lack of an immutable intrinsic nature within any phenomenon); emptiness; (3) (abbreviation) (See 空軍) air force; (noun or adjectival noun) (4) fruitlessness; meaninglessness; (noun or adjectival noun) (5) (See 五大・1) void (one of the five elements); (can be adjective with の) (6) {math} empty (e.g. set); (female given name) Ron
śūnya, empty, void, hollow, vacant, nonexistent. śūnyatā, 舜若多, vacuity, voidness, emptiness, non-existence, immateriality, perhaps spirituality, unreality, the false or illusory nature of all existence, the seeming 假 being unreal. The doctrine that all phenomena and the ego have no reality, but are composed of a certain number of skandhas or elements, which disintegrate. The void, the sky, space. The universal, the absolute, complete abstraction without relativity. There are classifications into 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 11, 13, 16, and 18 categories. The doctrine is that all things are compounds, or unstable organisms, possessing no self-essence, i.e. are dependent, or caused, come into existence only to perish. The underlying reality, the principle of eternal relativity, or non-infinity, i.e. śūnya, permeates all phenomena making possible their evolution. From this doctrine the Yogācārya school developed the idea of the permanent reality, which is Essence of Mind, the unknowable noumenon behind all phenomena, the entity void of ideas and phenomena, neither matter nor mind, but the root of both.

空無


空无

see styles
kōng wú
    kong1 wu2
k`ung wu
    kung wu
 kūmu

More info & calligraphy:

Nothingness
Unreality, or immateriality, of things, which is defined as nothing existing of independent or self-contained nature.

眞空妙有

see styles
zhēn kōng miào yǒu
    zhen1 kong1 miao4 you3
chen k`ung miao yu
    chen kung miao yu
 shinkū myōu
The true void is the mysteriously existing; truly void, or immaterial, yet transcendentally existing.

see styles
 kyo
    きょ
(1) unpreparedness; (2) falsehood; (3) {astron} (See 二十八宿,玄武・げんぶ・2) Chinese "Emptiness" constellation (one of the 28 mansions)


see styles

    xu1
hsü
 kyo
emptiness; void; abstract theory or guiding principles; empty or unoccupied; diffident or timid; false; humble or modest; (of health) weak; virtual; in vain
śūnya. Empty, vacant; unreal, unsubstantial, untrue; space; humble; in vain.

一空

see styles
yī kōng
    yi1 kong1
i k`ung
    i kung
 ikkuu / ikku
    いっくう
leaving none left; (sold etc) out
(given name) Ikkuu
All is empty, or of the void, non-material.

三空

see styles
sān kōng
    san1 kong1
san k`ung
    san kung
 sankū
The three voids or immaterialities. The first set of three is (a) 空, (b) 無相, (c) 無願, v. 三三昧. The second, (a) 我空 , (b) 法空 , (c) 倶空 the self, things, all phenomena as "empty" or immaterial. The third relates to charity: (a) giver, (b) receiver, (c) gift, all are "empty".

事空

see styles
shì kōng
    shi4 kong1
shih k`ung
    shih kung
 jikū
emptiness of discreet phenomena

二空

see styles
èr kōng
    er4 kong1
erh k`ung
    erh kung
 nikū
The two voids, unrealities, or immaterialities; v. 空. There are several antitheses: (1) (a) 人空; 我空 The non-reality of the atman, the soul, the person; (6) 法空 the non-reality of things. (2) (a) 性空 The Tiantai division that nothing has a nature of its own; (b) 相空 therefore its form is unreal, i.e. forms are temporary names. (3) (a) 但空 Tiantai says the 藏 and 通 know only the 空; (b) 不但空 the 別 and 圓 have 空, 假, and 中 q.v. (4) (a) 如實空 The division of the 起信論 that the 眞如 is devoid of all impurity; (b) 如實不空 and full of all merit, or achievement.

二鳥


二鸟

see styles
èr niǎo
    er4 niao3
erh niao
 nichou / nicho
    にちょう
(female given name) Nichō
The drake and the hen of the mandarin duck who are always together, typifying various contrasted theories and ideas, e.g. permanence and impermanence, joy and sorrow, emptiness and non-emptiness, etc.

五空

see styles
wǔ kōng
    wu3 kong1
wu k`ung
    wu kung
 gokuu / goku
    ごくう
(given name) Gokuu
five kinds of emptiness

人空

see styles
rén kōng
    ren2 kong1
jen k`ung
    jen kung
 ningū
Man is only a temporary combination formed by the five skandhas and the twelve nidānas, being the product of previous causes, and without a real self or permanent soul. Hīnayāna is said to end these causes and consequent reincarnation by discipline in subjection of the passions and entry into nirvana by the emptying of the self. Mahāyāna fills the "void" with the Absolute, declaring that when man has emptied himself of the ego he realizes his nature to be that of the absolute, bhūtatathatā; v. 二空.

偏空

see styles
piān kōng
    pian1 kong1
p`ien k`ung
    pien kung
 henkū
imbalanced emptiness

入空

see styles
rù kōng
    ru4 kong1
ju k`ung
    ju kung
 nikkū
enter emptiness

內空


内空

see styles
nèi kōng
    nei4 kong1
nei k`ung
    nei kung
 naikū
Empty within, i. e. no soul or self within.

內虛


内虚

see styles
nèi xū
    nei4 xu1
nei hsü
 naiko
inner emptiness

前空

see styles
qián kōng
    qian2 kong1
ch`ien k`ung
    chien kung
 maezora
    まえぞら
(place-name) Maezora
the prior emptiness

十喩

see styles
shí yù
    shi2 yu4
shih yü
 jūyu
ten analogies [for emptiness]

卽空

see styles
jí kōng
    ji2 kong1
chi k`ung
    chi kung
 sokkū
identical to emptiness

取空

see styles
qǔ kōng
    qu3 kong1
ch`ü k`ung
    chü kung
 shukū
grasping to emptiness

受空

see styles
shòu kōng
    shou4 kong1
shou k`ung
    shou kung
 jukū
emptiness of the recipient

單空


单空

see styles
dān kōng
    dan1 kong1
tan k`ung
    tan kung
 tan kū
emptiness only

因空

see styles
yīn kōng
    yin1 kong1
yin k`ung
    yin kung
 inkū
emptiness of cause

外空

see styles
wài kōng
    wai4 kong1
wai k`ung
    wai kung
 gekū
emptiness of the external

大空

see styles
dà kōng
    da4 kong1
ta k`ung
    ta kung
 oozora
    おおぞら
wide open sky; the blue; heavens; firmament; (male given name) Masataka
The great void, or the Mahāyāna parinirvāṇa, as being more complete and final than the nirvāṇa of Hīnayāna. It is used in the Shingon sect for the great immaterial or spiritual wisdom, with its esoteric symbols; its weapons, such as the vajra; its samādhis; its sacred circles, or maṇḍalas, etc. It is used also for space, in which there is neither east, west, north, nor south.

太虛


太虚

see styles
tài xū
    tai4 xu1
t`ai hsü
    tai hsü
 taiko
great emptiness; the void; heaven; the skies; universe; cosmos; original essence of the cosmos
great voidness

妙空

see styles
miào kōng
    miao4 kong1
miao k`ung
    miao kung
 myōkū
excellent emptiness

實空


实空

see styles
shí kōng
    shi2 kong1
shih k`ung
    shih kung
 jikkū
Absolute śūnya, or vacuity; all things being produced by cause and environment are unreal.

愛空


爱空

see styles
ài kōng
    ai4 kong1
ai k`ung
    ai kung
 megu
    めぐ
(female given name) Megu
loves emptiness

我空

see styles
wǒ kōng
    wo3 kong1
wo k`ung
    wo kung
 gakū
生空 (衆生空); 人空 Illusion of the concept of the reality of the ego, man being composed of elements and disintegrated when these are dissolved.

Click here for more emptiness results from our dictionary

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

Title CharactersRomaji (Romanized Japanese)Various forms of Romanized Chinese
Sky
Ether
Void
Emptiness
Unreality
kuu / kara / sora / ron
ku / kara / sora / ron
kōng / kong1 / kongk`ung / kung
Five Elements地水火風空
地水火风空
chi sui ka fuu kuu
chisuikafuukuu
chi sui ka fu ku
Humble
Modesty
Humility
謙虚ken kyo / kenkyoqiān xū / qian1 xu1 / qian xu / qianxuch`ien hsü / chienhsü / chien hsü
Nothing
Nothingness

muwú / wu2 / wu
Nothingness
Empty
Void
虛空
虚空
kokuu / kokuxū kōng / xu1 kong1 / xu kong / xukonghsü k`ung / hsükung / hsü kung
True Emptiness Yields Transcendent Existence眞空妙有shin kuu myou u
shinkuumyouu
shin ku myo u
zhēn kōng miào yǒu
zhen1 kong1 miao4 you3
zhen kong miao you
zhenkongmiaoyou
chen k`ung miao yu
chenkungmiaoyu
chen kung miao yu
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 Emptiness in my Japanese & Chinese Dictionary


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A nice Chinese calligraphy wall scroll

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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.

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