In today's article we will take a closer look.
You will learn:
- How did hieroglyphs appear in Japan?
- Why do hieroglyphs need “on” and “kun” readings?
- How many hieroglyphs do you need to know?
- Why the Japanese won't give up hieroglyphs
- How to read the symbol "々"
- What order of writing strokes should be followed?
- And much more!
At the end of the article you will find copybooks that will help you write several Japanese characters yourself.
Japanese characters and their meaning
For writing, the Japanese use special characters - hieroglyphs, which were borrowed from China. In Japan, hieroglyphs are called “Letters (of the Han Dynasty)”, or “Chinese characters” 漢字 (kanji). The system of Chinese characters is believed to have originated 
as early as the 16th century BC. Japanese is the language until the 5th century AD. had no written form. This was due to strong state fragmentation. Japan was a weak state, consisting of many principalities, each of which had its own power, its own dialect. But gradually strong rulers came to power, the unification of principalities began in the country, which led to the adoption of the culture and writing of the most powerful state at that time. It is not known exactly how Chinese writing ended up in Japan, but there is a widespread version that the first hieroglyphs were brought to the country by Buddhist monks. Adaptation of Chinese writing was not easy, because... The Japanese language has nothing in common with Chinese in grammar, vocabulary, and phonetics. Initially, Kanji and Chinese Hanzi were no different from each other. But now a difference has appeared between them: some characters were created in Japan itself - “national characters” 国字 (kokuji), some received a different meaning. And after World War II, the writing of many kanji was simplified.
Why do Japanese characters need multiple readings?
The Japanese borrowed from the Chinese language not only hieroglyphs, but also their readings. Having heard the original Chinese reading of a character, the Japanese tried to pronounce it in their own way. This is how the “Chinese” or “on” reading came about – 音読 (onyomi). For example, the Chinese word for water (水) – “shui”, taking into account the peculiarities of Japanese pronunciation, turned into “sui”. Some kanji have multiple onyomi because they were borrowed from China several times: in different periods and from different areas. But when the Japanese wanted to use characters to write their own words, Chinese readings were not enough. Therefore, there was a need to translate the hieroglyphs into Japanese. Just as the English word "water" is translated as "みず, mizu", the Chinese word "水" has been given the same meaning as "みず". This is how the “Japanese”, “kun” reading of the hieroglyph appeared - 訓読み, (kunyomi). Some kanji may have several kuns at once, or may not have them at all. Frequently used Japanese characters can have ten different readings. The choice of reading a hieroglyph depends on many things: the context, the intended meaning, combination with other kanji, and even the place in the sentence. Therefore, often the only sure way to determine where the reading is on and where the reading is kunnoe is to learn specific constructions.
How many hieroglyphs are there in total?
It is almost impossible to answer the question about the total number of hieroglyphs, since their number is truly enormous. Judging by the dictionaries: from 50 to 85 thousand. However, in the computer field, font systems have been released that contain encodings for 170-180 thousand characters! It includes all ancient and modern ideograms ever used throughout the world. In ordinary texts, for example, newspapers or magazines, only a small part of hieroglyphs is used - about 2500 characters. Of course, there are also rare hieroglyphs, mostly technical terms, rare first and last names. There is a list of “kanji for everyday use” (“joyo-kanji”) approved by the Japanese government, which contains 2136 characters. This is the number of characters a Japanese school graduate should remember and be able to write.
How to quickly memorize hieroglyphs?
Why don't the Japanese give up hieroglyphs?
Many students of Japanese or Chinese often wonder: why does such an inconvenient writing system still exist? Hieroglyphs are classified as ideographic signs, the outline of which retains at least a symbolic, but similarity with the depicted object. For example, the first Chinese characters are images of specific objects: 木 - “tree”, 火 - “fire”, etc. The relevance of hieroglyphs today is partly explained by the fact that ideographic writing has some advantages over phonographic writing. People speaking different languages can communicate using the same ideograms, because an ideogram conveys the meaning, not the sound, of a word. For example, when seeing the sign “犬”, a Korean, Chinese and Japanese will read the character differently, but they will all understand that it is about a dog. Another advantage is the compactness of the letter, because one sign represents a whole word. But if the Chinese, for example, have no alternative to hieroglyphs, then the Japanese have syllabary alphabet! Will the Japanese give up hieroglyphs in the near future? They won't refuse. Indeed, due to the huge number of homonyms in the Japanese language, the use of hieroglyphs becomes simply necessary. Even if they sound the same, words are written in different hieroglyphs depending on their meaning. What can we say about the Japanese mentality, which implies loyalty to traditions and pride in its history. And thanks to the computer, the problem associated with complex writing of hieroglyphs was resolved. Today you can type Japanese texts very quickly.
Why is the symbol needed?々 »?
The symbol "々" is not a hieroglyph. As we already know, any ideographic sign has at least one specific phonetic correspondence. The same icon constantly changes its reading. This symbol is called a repetition sign, and it is needed in order to avoid re-writing hieroglyphs. For example, the word “people” consists of two characters for “person” - “人人” (hitobito), but for simplicity this word is written “人々”. Although Japanese does not have a grammatical plural form, it can sometimes be formed by repeating kanji, as in our human example:
- 人 hito - person; 人々 hitobito - people;
- 山 pit - mountain; 山々 yamayama - mountains;
It also happens that some words change their meaning when doubled:
- 時 currents - time; 時々 tokidoki - sometimes.
The character "々" has many names: the dancing sign 踊り字 (odoriji), the repetition sign 重ね字 (kasaneji), noma-ten ノマ点 (due to its similarity to the katakana characters ノ and マ), and many others.
What is the order of writing traits in hieroglyphs?
Along with Chinese, Japanese characters have a certain sequence of writing strokes. Correct stroke order helps ensure that characters are recognizable even when you write them quickly. The Japanese reduced this order to several rules, which, of course, have exceptions. The most important rule: hieroglyphs are written top to bottom and left to right. Here are some more basic rules:
1. Horizontal lines are written from left to right and parallel;
2. Vertical lines are written from top to bottom;
3. If a hieroglyph has both vertical and horizontal lines, then the horizontal ones are written first;
4. The vertical line that intersects the hieroglyph or its element in the center is written last;
5. Horizontal lines passing through the sign are also written last;
6. First the slash to the left is written, then the slash to the right;
With the correct order of strokes, the hieroglyph turns out beautiful, and it is much easier to write. All kanji must be the same size. For a hieroglyph to be balanced, it must strictly fit into a square of a given size. Now that you know what order of strokes you need to follow, try writing a few simple hieroglyphs, which we have already encountered in this article:
人 - person
山 - mountain
水 - water
木-tree
火 - fire
I hope that you learned something new and interesting from this article. As homework, write down the above several times. I think that everyone who is familiar with hieroglyphs has their own favorite hieroglyph, the one that was immediately remembered or liked. Do you have a favorite hieroglyph? Share in the comments about completing your homework, I will also be glad to hear your impressions. Second part .
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Tattoos in the form of Chinese and Japanese characters are very popular in European countries. Tattoo hieroglyphs carry originality and mysticism, since their meaning is practically unknown to anyone except the owner himself. But despite this, a seemingly simple symbol can hide deep meaning and powerful energy. In fact, only Europeans apply Chinese and Japanese characters on their bodies, while residents of these Asian countries prefer English inscriptions, which are written with grammatical errors. Be that as it may, hieroglyphs are very difficult to translate.
Important things to remember before getting a tattoo
Before choosing any design you like, take a little time to find out the exact meaning of the symbols. Otherwise, you can end up in an unpleasant situation, for example, the one that happened two years ago to a German teenager. Having paid 180 euros, the young man asked the tattoo artist to infuse him with Chinese characters meaning “love, respect, obey.” Having got the long-awaited tattoo, the guy went on vacation to China. Imagine his surprise when Chinese waitresses in restaurants constantly paid attention to him. The young man decided to ask why his tattoo had such an effect. Having learned the correct translation of his hieroglyphs, the young man was shocked. On his arm was the inscription "At the end of the day I become an ugly boy." Returning home, I discovered that the tattoo parlor was closed. The unlucky guy had to undergo laser tattoo removal for 1,200 euros.
If you decide to get hieroglyphs as a tattoo, find out their meaning in advance in authoritative reference books, or choose from the most popular and sought-after symbols.
Meaning of hieroglyphs
Chinese characters tattoo
Zi is the name of the traditional Chinese script used to write official documents in Hong Kong, Taiwan and other Chinese settlements. The Chinese “alphabet” (let’s call it that) contains 47,000 letter-symbols Tzu. In order to improve the literacy of the population, the government passed a law to simplify the writing system. Many dashes, sticks and dots have disappeared from use. The Chinese themselves say that to speak and write fluently in Chinese, you only need 4,000 characters. Yes, hieroglyphs are really difficult both to write and to translate. However, a certain trend has already developed for tattoos. The most popular and sought-after tattoo hieroglyphs are considered to be symbols meaning love, strength, family, luck, peace, fire. This doesn't mean your choices are limited to just these words. With the help of Chinese tattoos, you can express your positive or negative emotions, inspire yourself with encouraging words, or capture a pleasant moment in your memory.
These tattoos look very beautiful on any part of the body
Japanese characters tattoo
Japanese hieroglyph tattoos, like Chinese ones, are popular almost everywhere except these countries themselves. Writing in Japan consists of three systems: kanji, katakana and hiragana.
Kanzi is the most common of the three. The symbols from this system come from Chinese writing. However, Japanese characters are easier to write. In total, the alphabet has 50,000 characters, most of which belong to nouns.
Katakana is used primarily for loanwords, internationalisms, and proper names.
Hiragana is responsible for adjectives and other grammatical phenomena. Tattoos based on the symbols of this system are much less common than the previous two.
Below is a list of the most popular tattoos based on Japanese characters. Many celebrities have chosen Japanese characters as tattoos. For example, Britney Spears chose a symbol that translates as “strange.” However, in reality the singer wanted to get a tattoo with the words “mystical”. Melanie C, the ex-peppercorn, has never hidden her girl power. The phrase "Girl Power" was the group's motto. It was these words that Mel C tattooed on her shoulder. Pink expressed her happiness with a Japanese tattoo of the same name.
Chinese characters are popular all over the world as images for tattoos, thanks to the aesthetic appeal of traditional calligraphy, which has long been distinguished as an independent art form. The images have a semantic load and sacred meaning, as they can serve as a kind of talisman for the wearer.
Chinese characters have been used for tattoos since ancient times. The significance of such an image on the body and the attitude towards it in society has changed. Tattoos with hieroglyphs-pictograms were used by priests in special rituals, including to impart qualities to their owner and even for a kind of treatment.
During the Confucian period, a ban on tattoos was introduced.
At that time, their application was associated with “causing damage” to the human body, which was recognized as a divine gift. In the Middle Ages, tattoos were made on the faces of criminals to warn respectable citizens that they were facing a criminal person (the more often a person was sent into exile, the more inscriptions were made).
This punishment was called body piercing and the memories of it are still alive in Chinese society, so it is not customary to apply hieroglyphs to the face.
But even when tattoos were a sign of social outcasts, the genre continued to develop and was popular. The 12th-century adventure novel River Backwaters (水滸傳) is replete with characters of tattooed “noble rebel bandits” who were also martial artists.
One of the legendary heroes of the book wore a tattoo of a dragon that wrapped itself around his body 9 times, and another had tattoos of beautiful flowers. Other the popular book “The Tale of Yue Fei” changed the concept of tattoos as belonging to a criminal environment or to the lower class.
The owner of a sacred tattoo with the hieroglyphs “perseverance, loyalty and devotion to the country” becomes the main character of the novel - commander Yue Fei from the wealthy Song dynasty. His mother decides to give Yue Fei a tattoo in order to guide her son on a certain path in life and as a talisman.
The real historical prototype of the hero of the novel (a 12th century commander) gained people's love as a person who contributed to the restoration of the professional army of the south and the development of martial arts. Perhaps this fact is associated with the particular popularity of hieroglyph tattoos among warriors and martial artists, which has survived to this day.
Chinese tattoo hieroglyphs and pictures in oriental style became popular among Europeans in the 20th century due to the presence of US and British ships in Hong Kong. Sailors were regular customers of Chinese tattoo parlors, but not only because of their love for exotic things and talismans. Tattoos on the body of naval personnel were recorded and were supposed to help identify the body in the event of death.
Fortunately, most of the sailors returned home alive, taking with them the original “Chinese souvenir” in the form of a tattoo.
In modern China, tattoos are associated with several concepts: fashion, talisman, martial arts, underground, crime. At the same time, criminal tattoos are, for the most part, pictures, the meaning of which is known only to a narrow circle of people, and it is almost impossible to apply them in a regular salon.
Fashionable tattoos with hieroglyphs, often written in a traditional style, are applied by young people under 30 years of age. as decoration and to highlight individuality. Tattoos are sometimes accompanied by images even in 3D, and Europeans like this kind of graphics on the body more.
The names of the zodiac signs according to the Chinese horoscope and even lines from poetry are popular.
As a talisman, hieroglyphs are applied to certain parts of the body (various areas of the arms, legs, collarbone, neck, back) since the location of the inscription is important for activating the effect of the tattoo. Such symbols are designed to attract wealth, love, happiness, health into the life of the wearer, and even get rid of bad habits.
Among martial arts masters, both hieroglyphs with individual words, mottos, and images of animals whose qualities the athlete wants to acquire are popular. A tattoo can carry information about a martial arts school or be associated with the “pseudonym” of the master.
Many musicians and artists who create works of contemporary art cover their bodies with a whole carpet of tattoos. The attitude towards tattoos in the artistic community can be expressed in the words of the fashionable Chinese artist Zhuo Dan Ting, who became the first female owner of a famous tattoo art studio in Shanghai:
“...it is a form of art that can be worn and seen every day...”
What does the location of the tattoo indicate: on the leg, arm, shoulder, back, stomach
Chinese characters for tattoos should not only be chosen with a deep understanding of the meaning of the symbol, but also located on the wearer’s body in certain places in order to bring the desired effect.
| Tattoo location | Symbols | Influence, significance |
| On the legs (ankle, shin, thigh). | Men's: luck, strength. Women's: beauty, health. | Provoke the wearer to take any action. Activate masculine energy. Amulet (on the right leg). |
| On the arms (shoulders, forearms, wrists (inside or outside)). | Men's: strength, courage, happiness, double happiness, wisdom, wealth, prosperity, bamboo (symbol of growth), hieroglyphs with the names of animals (tiger, dragon). Women's: symbols love, harmony, dream, happiness. | Allows a person to receive those qualities, feelings, benefits that the hieroglyph symbolizes or that the bearer of the tattoo would like to receive from life. |
| On the back (along the spine, on the shoulder blade or on the lower back.) | Men's: strength, courage, well-being, mottos and sayings, names of animals with symbolic meaning. Women's: beauty, health, love, eternal love, peace, sayings. | Protection from external adverse influences. Also, the presence of an image on the back indicates a desire to demonstrate to others one’s strength and position. |
| On the stomach. | Men's: wishes, mottos, money (錢), prosperity, strength. Women's: money, love, beauty. | They are quite rare and indicate specific material aspirations of the wearer. Limit your social circle. |
Tattoo color
Traditionally, Chinese characters for tattoos can be chosen in a tattoo parlor in a black version, but there are also images using color, the so-called “pure” colors, of which there are 5 in Chinese culture.
Each color has its own symbolic meaning that must be taken into account:
- Blue-green (the Chinese have one color) – symbolizes the wind, embodies the element wood, the tendency to growth and development. The green hue is associated in Chinese culture with the birth of new life. Blue-green is considered the most “fickle color” and can mean both the color of the sky and wisdom, and the element that brings destruction.
- Red is the color of fire and sun. Symbolizes joy, upward movement. The power of the sun and fire is capable, according to the inhabitants of heaven, of scaring away evil, protecting, and bringing harmony and joy to the house. Red is associated with good omens, success, celebration, profit, vitality, enthusiasm.
- Yellow represents the earth element and properties associated with it: fertility, constancy, stability, inviolability, eternity. Yellow is the color of gold, and as a result, success and prosperity.
- White in Chinese culture is associated with the element metal and with the completion of the cycle (autumn), leaving the world of the living. The inconsistency of the symbols associated with white is caused by the fact that it was both the color of mourning and the color of amulets against the inhabitants of the other world.
- Black is associated in traditional Chinese culture with the element water, is associated with mystery and mysticism, the unknown, the ability to remember everything and change. Therefore, color symbolizes wisdom, the desire for knowledge, immersion in the study of the secrets of existence.
In tattoos, colors are used to give greater power to images and hieroglyphs (for example, there may be a red outline of symbols to reinforce their auspicious meaning).
Ideas for tattoos: hieroglyphs and their translation
Most symbols for tattoos are auspicious hieroglyphs from Feng Shui, which are used to wish good things or attract good luck.
Video about the meaning behind popular Chinese characters used in tattoos:
Happiness
幸 福 consists of two parts, each of which can be depicted separately, as it has its own meaning and sound. The first character, 幸 (shin) means happy, prosperous, and the second - 福 (fu) means “blessing”, “joy”, “prosperity”, “peace”. That is, the hieroglyph reflects the Chinese idea of happiness as God’s blessing for well-being in all areas of life.
The image is intended to bring happiness and good luck to the wearer precisely in the area in which he asks from higher powers.
Great happiness
喜喜 is a double-written hieroglyph for “joyful” (si), which also has the meaning “cheerfulness.” It is considered a powerful talisman that brings growth in various areas, from the birth of children to good luck in business. It is recommended for application as a talisman for success in family relationships or matters related to partnership, since the sign is paired.
Love
愛 (ai) consists of four components: claw, roof, heart, paws. That is, in it you can find a symbolic description of love: “a feeling that pierces the heart, settles in it and does not allow it to escape.” The image is used as a talisman to attract love, find a soul mate, harmony and joy in family life, and strengthen marriage.
Eternal love
永愛 (yong ai) consists of two parts. The first element means “long”, “endless”. This element contains the key water with the meaning current long. The hieroglyph is used as a talisman to strengthen love and friendship, gives mutual understanding to partners, and brings a new wave of feelings into the relationship between spouses.
Wealth
富 (fu) contains such parts as abundance and building, that is, it depicts prosperity in the house. This hieroglyph attracts not only material values, but also spiritual wealth associated with gaining knowledge about life. It is considered a good talisman for success in business and business well-being.
Material wealth is also symbolized by the character 錢 (money), which is also used to attract wealth.
Prosperity
繁荣 (fanrong) hieroglyph, consists of two parts, the first symbol means “numerous”, “in large quantities”, the second - “glory”, “honours”, “popularity”. It is used as a talisman to attract not only material well-being, improvement in business, but also the accompanying honor and respect, good fame about a person and his business.
The stylized spelling of the first character 繁 is often used to protect against failure in any area.
Abundance
The hieroglyph resembles a bowl of ears of corn(symbol of a rich harvest). This image is used to attract the energy of growth in any area. You can add a second symbol with the image of the “object of desire”, which will enhance the effect of the sign. The hieroglyph is also a talisman against poverty and decline.
Force
力 (li)– looks like a strong hand pointing downwards. It is believed that the symbol fills its wearer with internal energy and vigor, and gives confidence in oneself and one’s actions. A talisman tattoo will also give you strength to implement creative plans and give you new ideas.
Joy
樂 (yue, le)- is interpreted not only as “joy”, but also as “pleasure”, “fun” and “music”. The talisman is designed to fill the wearer with positive emotions, help to live easily, and cure sorrows.
Health
The character 健康 (jian kang) brings the owner the greatest value - good health. Helps solve problems with poor health, overcome mental crises. Health in the broadest sense of the word.
You can find the first symbol separately as a wish for recovery during treatment.
World
Chinese character 和 (Heipin), which means “peaceful”, “good-natured”, calm”, is applied to give a person peace of mind and also as a talisman for good, smooth relationships with others.
beauty
The 美 (mei) symbol is very popular as a tattoo for women., which is often applied along with images of flowers that represent purity. The talisman is designed to provide the owner with beauty and health. Previously, the hieroglyph had the meaning “peaceful”, as it combined the image of a man and a lamb (literally “meek as a lamb”).
Independence
獨立 (du li) literally means “standing apart”, free from force, influence, authority. There are stylized writing options. Used as a talisman for liberation from addiction, bad habit.
Courage
Character 勇 (yong)- “courage”, combines the elements of “brave” above and “strength” below. The tattoo gives courage, perseverance and bravery to its owner. Often marked with the symbol 气 (xi), representing energy.
Dream
The character 夢 (men)– “dream” is one of the most popular symbols for application, as it symbolizes movement towards a dream. But there is another meaning of the sign: “dream”, “illusion” and a hidden message - to take the transience and impermanence of life for granted.
Fulfillment of desires
如意 (ryuyi) Literally means “quality of desire.” The message contained in this symbol on the tattoo reads: “May your dreams come true!” In Feng Shui, it is believed that by giving images of this hieroglyph to his friends, a person wishes them the fulfillment of all their aspirations and in return receives the fulfillment of their hopes.
Beautiful ancient Chinese pictures for tattoos
Residents of the Middle Kingdom are more willing to get tattoos of images than inscriptions. Tattoos with animals, flowers, birds, mythological creatures and abstract symbols are popular among the Chinese.
Each image symbolizes certain concepts:
- Phoenix is a symbol of fortitude and desire to live.
- The dragon represents power and might.
- Tiger – dignity, power, deceit.
- The turtle and the snake are a symbol of thoughtful comprehension of truths.
- Lotus is a symbol of purity and wisdom.
- Carp is a symbol of wealth.
- Monkey – strength, courage and luck.
- Yin and yang are harmonies.
Proverbs in Chinese
Chinese characters for tattoos can be chosen not only from single characters, but also short sayings or proverbs that serve as a person’s motto or express life principles.
For example:
- 善有善报 – Good will be repaid for good.
- 人逢喜事精神爽 – Joy inspires a person.
- 一步一个脚印儿 – Every thing done leaves a mark.
- 执子之手.与子偕老 – Live together until old age.
- 兵不厌诈 - In war, all means are good.
Keys in hieroglyphs
As could be understood from the analysis of the composition of some of the hieroglyphs above, simple symbols can be part of complex ones (for example, strength and courage 力 and 勇). Chinese characters are classified according to elements that classify a word into the category of some objects, concepts, that is, according to keys.
In total, in the traditional system there were 214 such “keys” (they are also called radicals), in the modern version there are 201. The radicals “man” 人 and “strength” 力 were often found in symbols for tattoos. You can find the symbols in the summary table of hieroglyphs.
Preparation for tattooing
To perform tattoos of hieroglyphs, it is recommended to choose a master who specializes in the oriental style so that the outline of the symbols is accurate. Before applying the image, you must select a sketch from the proposed options or order an individual drawing from the master.
You can come with a photo of the desired tattoo.
In order not to remove the tattoo, sometimes a temporary version is made at the request of the client. If necessary, depilation is performed before application. You should not take blood pressure-raising medications or drink alcohol before getting a tattoo.
How is a tattoo done, how long does the procedure take?
Immediately at the beginning of the procedure, the skin is treated with a special disinfectant (solution or gel). Next, local anesthesia is examined - an aerosol is sprayed onto the skin. Then the drawing from the sketch is transferred to an area of the body using special paper.
Working time depends on the complexity of the image, the number of characters, and the style of graphics. The need for additional pain relief is also discussed with the specialist in advance. Tattoos are done quickly. The procedure is performed with a special machine with thin disposable needles. Caps for paints are also used 1 time.
The master must wear sterile gloves!
Skin care after tattooing
After tattooing, local redness of the skin occurs or blood may appear. Healing after the procedure usually takes 2 weeks. At this time, there is no need to injure the skin with excessive sunbathing (or solarium), mechanical or chemical influences. You can treat the skin with a delicate cream with antiseptic properties.
Chinese characters for tattoos are symbols that help improve fate, and not just pretty pictures If after this period there is pain and inflammation, you should consult a doctor.
What Chinese style tattoos should you not get?
Symbols for tattooing should be chosen, avoiding hieroglyphs with the meaning: decline 下降, illness 病, death 死亡. Also It is not recommended to depict numbers (especially 4!) and symbols of submission. You shouldn’t get a tattoo with a name in Chinese if you don’t have reliable information about what each graphic symbol means individually.
Chinese characters used for tattoos, in compliance with ancient traditions when applied, can add luck and prosperity to a person’s life.
Article format: E. Chaikina
Useful video about Chinese characters for tattoos
A story about the meanings of Chinese tattoo hieroglyphs:
I
八卦
图
Ba Gua
Eight trigrams
This is an ancient Confucian symbol of time and space “everything flows, everything changes”, consisting of 8 trigrams, which in turn consist of 3 continuous (yang) or interrupted (yin) lines “yao”.Eight natural phenomena for predicting natural and social changes. Yin and Yang are the two forces to create interaction between the source of all things.The trigram is counted from bottom to top.
The doctrine of trigrams is widely used to describe the techniques and methods of qigong and in ancient works on alchemy. In qigong practice, they are used to individually determine the time, direction and place of training, to control the processes of “regulating the heart”, “regulating breathing” and “regulating the body”.
The first line symbolizes the surface of the Earth, that is, it represents information about the processes of birth, growth, change, aging and transition to a hidden state, obtained as a result of observations of the Earth. The second feature symbolizes a person who has mastered the laws of “heaven and earth”, which help him live and work. The third line symbolizes the sky, including the movement of celestial bodies and weather changes. In addition, 3 traits represent the body, soul and spirit of a person; irrational emotions, rational mind and super-rational intelligence.
(The lines are given, contrary to the rules, from top to bottom):
- 乾 、 Qian- 3 solid lines. Jewel (jade or pearl (dragon with pearl)). Symbol of the sky. In addition, Qian can represent the head, something round, the emperor, the father, jasper, gold, cold, ice, northwest.
- 坤 、 Kun- 3 broken lines. Symbol land. Kun can represent the belly, mother, cloth, cauldron, greed, jealousy, calf, southwest.
- 震 、 Zhen- 2 broken and one continuous lines.Symbol of thunder, evil dragon, east. In the body it represents the feet.
- 巽 、 Xun- 2 continuous, 1 intermittent. Wind. Air symbol. Xun can represent the tree, the southeast, the eldest daughter, the hips.
- 坎 、 Kan- intermittent, continuous, intermittent. Water symbol,crossings, death, north. The body contains ears and kidneys.
- 离 、 Lee- continuous, interrupted, continuous. Fire. Also represents the sun, lightning, south, middle daughter, eyes and heart.
- 艮 、 Gen- 1 continuous, 2 intermittent. Mountain, stone, cave, path.
- 兑 , Blow- 1 broken, 2 solid lines. Metal (in some sources - a body of water), west.Represents the youngest daughter, witchcraft, words.In the body it represents the mouth.
" 万 " 字 - Wanzi (in Japanese: Man ji)
"10,000 forces"
In Chinese Buddhism, the swastika is represented as a talisman symbol, meaning the chest (heart) of the Buddha, the wheel of samsara, a sign of rebirth.Her image was placed on the heart of initiates after their death.Also means 4 limits of space and earth (cardinal directions), endless renewal of life, eternity. The right-sided swastika symbolizes the female dark force - “yin”, the left-sided one - the male light force - “yang”.
福 - Ugh
Happiness, luck
禄 - Lou
Wealth, success in career
寿 - Show
Life, longevity
These 3 symbols make up Japanese blessings. God - Chinese sage Fukurokuju福禄 寿 , which in China is called Fu-Lu-Shou (or also called Show Hsing).
五福
Wufu
"5 Great Blessings" - health, prosperity, long life, true love, natural death. There are 5 bats around the sign, symbolizing the actual 5 blessings.
百寿 - Shi (or Hee) -Show
100 forms or stages (years) of life.
It is difficult to explain this symbol, but it is a talisman of longevity. It consists of 100 ancient stylized hieroglyphs, the nature of which is extremely difficult for me to understand.
VI
神 盘
Disc of God
A protective sign applied to stored items or clothing against theft, damage, etc.
VII
五岳
Symbol of the 5 Sacred Mountains of China
These are also the five elements, seasons, five colors of the part of the world:
1. Mount Taishan 泰山 , element - Tree, color - green, spring, east.
2. Mount Huashan 华山 , element - Metal, color - white, autumn, west.
3. Mount Hengshan 衡山 - element - Fire, color - red, summer, south.
4. Mount Hengshan 恒山 , element - Water, color - black, winter, north.
5. Mount Songshan 嵩山 , element - Earth, color - yellow, center.
VIII
双喜 Shuang Xi
Joy and happiness.
Also known as a symbol of “double happiness” for newlyweds. The success of one becomes the success of both.
蟠桃果熟三千 岁
"Three thousand years of peach fruit ripening"
Symbol of eternal youth.
福寿双全
Another symbol of long life or 2 great blessings (determined by the number of mice).2 bats are drawn on top (health and long life).
万寿五福 - Wanshou-Wufu
“10,000 years of life and 5 blessings” - bats and peaches, again.
麒麟送子 Qilin-Sunxi
Symbol of a married couple, wishes for offspring. In a broader spectrum, Qilin is a wonderful beast -body with hooves of a horse or deer, a dragon's head and a bear's tail- this is a “yin-yang” synthesis, a symbol of perfection in connecting and generating something new.
XIII
犬福 Dog Fu (Fo)
"Dog of Luck" - it is a symbol of valor and energy, a talisman for the home. It is common to see a couple of statues in front of the entrance to a classic Chinese home. They protect from troubles, bring good luck, protect against evil from invading the house. On the right is a male “yang” statue, on the left is a female “yin” statue.
Sometimes they are replaced by a pair of lions -狮 子 "Shi Tzu"
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