We have many options to create custom artwork with Four Noble Truths Buddhism characters on a wall scroll or portrait for you...
2. Four Noble Truths: Suffering
3. Four Noble Truths: Desire and Attachment
4. Four Noble Truths: Elimination of Desire or Attachment
四諦 is the title of the Four Noble Truths as taught in virtually all sects of Buddhism.
These truths are suffering (dukkha), desire/attachment (samudaya), release from desire/attachment (nirodha), and the path leading away from suffering (magga).
The suggestion behind these truths is that all things in nature suffer. All things in nature have desire and attachment for things in the physical world. The enlightened can release themselves from the bonds of desire and attachment. And finally, once they release all desire and attachment, the enlightened will find a path that leads away from suffering.
This term is exclusively used by devout Buddhists. It is not a common term, and is remains an unknown concept to most Japanese, Chinese, and Korean people.
See Also: Buddhism | Enlightenment
Dukkha
苦諦 relays that part of life in this universe is suffering.
All living things experience some form of suffering, according to Buddhist teaching.
This title is about accepting and understanding that the world is full of suffering.
This term is exclusively used by devout Buddhists. It is not a common term, and is remains an unknown concept to most Chinese, Japanese and Korean people.
See Also: Buddhism | Enlightenment
Samudaya
集諦 represents the idea that the core of suffering is often the concept of desire or attachment.
This can be carnal desire, monetary desire, or the attachment you have to something that you are unwilling to part with (such as a fancy car). 集諦 is a simplification of the second noble truth which is an exploration into the root causes of suffering - it's deeper than I can go in a few sentences.
This term is exclusively used by devout Buddhists. It is not a common term, and is remains an unknown concept to most Chinese, Japanese and Korean people.
See Also: Buddhism | Enlightenment
Nirodha
滅諦 suggests that once you eliminate desire or attachment to worldly things, only then can you achieve enlightenment.
Realize that things are impermanent. That fancy car, beautiful spouse, big house, and impressive career are things you can't take with you. These things are a flash in the pan compared to the infinite span of history, generations to come, time, and space.
This term is exclusively used by devout Buddhists. It is not a common term, and is remains an unknown concept to most Japanese, Korean, and Chinese people.
See Also: Buddhism | Enlightenment
Magga
道諦 is the idea that once you have dealt with your desires and left all desire and attachment behind, only then are you on the path away from suffering (and on your way to enlightenment).
道諦 is also called the path to liberation in some English texts on Buddhism.
This term is exclusively used by devout Buddhists. It is not a common term, and is remains an unknown concept to most Chinese, Japanese and Korean people.
See Also: Buddhism | Enlightenment
苦諦集諦滅諦道諦 is the list of tenets of the Four Noble Truths as taught in virtually all sects of Buddhism.
They are suffering (dukkha), desire/attachment (samudaya), release from desire/attachment (nirodha), and the path leading away from suffering (magga).
The following table may be helpful for those studying Chinese or Japanese...
Title | Characters | Romaji (Romanized Japanese) | Various forms of Romanized Chinese | |
Four Noble Truths (Buddhism) | 四諦 四谛 | shitai | sì dì / si4 di4 / si di / sidi | ssu ti / ssuti |
Four Noble Truths: Suffering | 苦諦 苦谛 | kutai | kǔ dì / ku3 di4 / ku di / kudi | k`u ti / kuti / ku ti |
Four Noble Truths: Desire and Attachment | 集諦 集谛 | jittai | jí dì / ji2 di4 / ji di / jidi | chi ti / chiti |
Four Noble Truths: Elimination of Desire or Attachment | 滅諦 灭谛 | mettai | miè dì / mie4 di4 / mie di / miedi | mieh ti / miehti |
Four Noble Truths: Path Leading Away From Suffering | 道諦 道谛 | doutai / dotai | dào dì / dao4 di4 / dao di / daodi | tao ti / taoti |
Four Noble Truths (Full List) | 苦諦集諦滅諦道諦 苦谛集谛灭谛道谛 | kutai jittai mettai doutai kutaijittaimettaidoutai kutai jittai mettai dotai | kǔ dì jí dì miè dì dào dì ku3 di4 ji2 di4 mie4 di4 dao4 di4 ku di ji di mie di dao di kudijidimiedidaodi | k`u ti chi ti mieh ti tao ti kutichitimiehtitaoti ku ti chi ti mieh ti tao ti |
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. |
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.
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.
Professional calligraphers are getting to be hard to find these days.
Instead of drawing characters by hand, the new generation in China merely type roman letters into their computer keyboards and pick the character that they want from a list that pops up.
There is some fear that true Chinese calligraphy may become a lost art in the coming years. Many art institutes in China are now promoting calligraphy programs in hopes of keeping this unique form
of art alive.
Even with the teachings of a top-ranked calligrapher in China, my calligraphy will never be good enough to sell. I will leave that to the experts.
The same calligrapher who gave me those lessons also attracted a crowd of thousands and a TV crew as he created characters over 6-feet high. He happens to be ranked as one of the top 100 calligraphers in all of China. He is also one of very few that would actually attempt such a feat.