Wisdom Chinese & Japanese Calligraphy Wall Scrolls

智 is the simplest way to write wisdom in Chinese, Korean Hanja, and Japanese Kanji.

Being a single character, the wisdom meaning is open to interpretation, and can also mean intellect, knowledge or reason, resourcefulness, or wit.

智 is also one of the five tenets of Confucius.

智 is sometimes included in the Bushido code but is usually not considered part of the seven key concepts of the code.

See our Wisdom in Chinese, Japanese and Korean page for more wisdom-related calligraphy.

See Also:  Learn From Wisdom | Confucius

The simple translation of 知惠 is wisdom, but the more expanded version is “to know all things in their entirety.”

The first Kanji represents “to know” or “to realize.” Combined, these two Kanji mean “learn, know, and understand completely.”

Note: While vaguely understood in Chinese, this is only a real word in Japanese.

Ancient Japanese/Korean version: This is also a word in old Korean Hanja, with a slight difference in the last character - if you want that version (which is also the ancient Japanese version) please click on the character to the right, instead of the button above.

Beyond wisdom, 智慧 can be translated as knowledge, sagacity, sense, and intelligence.

The first character means “wise” or “smart,” and the second character means “intelligence.”

Note: 智慧 is used commonly in Chinese and is a less-common word in Japanese and Korean. If your audience is Japanese, I suggest our other Japanese wisdom option.

This means intellect or wisdom in Japanese too but is a more unusual way to write this word (though both versions are pronounced the same in Japanese).

See Also:  Learn From Wisdom

慧 is a single character that can be translated as wisdom but it has more of an “intelligent” flavor. This can also mean cleverness or wit.

Japanese note: 慧 is understood in Japanese but seldom seen as a lone Kanji.

See Also:  Knowledge | Learning | Read

賢明 is a Japanese word that refers to wisdom, intelligence, and prudence.

賢明 was originally a Chinese word that referred to a wise person or enlightened ruler. It means wise and able, sagacious now in China.

挨一拳得一招挨十拳變諸葛 is a Chinese proverb that literally translates as: Receive one blow, [and one] learns a lesson; Receive ten blows, [and one] becomes a great Zhuge [Liang].

You must first understand that a man named Zhuge Liang was one of the great strategists and philosophers in Chinese history. He's known as a man of great wisdom.

Figuratively, this phrase means:
One can learn much from failure or “hard knocks.”

In Chinese, 纔智 means “ability and wisdom” or “ability and intelligence.”
纔智 can also be defined as brilliance or genius.

In Japanese, 纔智 takes on a meaning more of “wit and intelligence.”

Note that the ancient/traditional form is shown above. After WWII, in both Japan and China, the first character was simplified. If you want this reformed/simplified version, just click on the characters to the right, instead of the button above. This is a good choice if your audience is Japanese.

You can translate this 不经一事不长一智 Chinese proverb in a couple of ways.
The first is: You cannot gain knowledge without practice.
The second, and perhaps more popular way is: Wisdom comes from experience.

It literally means if you are inattentive to your affairs or situations you encounter, you will not gain or grow any wisdom or intellect.

不經一事 means “You can't gain knowledge without practical experience.”

This is the short form (first half) of a longer Chinese proverb. These 4 characters remind you that wisdom only comes from experience.

智恵 is a Japanese word that means wisdom; wit; sagacity; sense; intelligence.

In the Buddhist context, this is prajna (insight leading to enlightenment).

This can also be the Japanese female given name Norie.

This title represents the wisdom and insight of the Buddha, or the penetrative power of Buddha's wisdom, or vision.

佛知見 is a term derived from the Lotus Sutra, perhaps up to 1900 years ago.

妙蓮華 means the wonderful lotus and the symbol of the pure wisdom of Buddha.

This lotus is unsullied in the midst of the impurity of the world.

大智慧門 is the title for “The Great Wisdom Door,” or “The Gate to Great Wisdom.”

This refers to a portal to all wisdom and knowledge in Buddhism.

It's been said that wisdom comes from good judgment, and good judgment comes from experience, while experience comes from a series of times when you used bad judgment.

經驗是智慧之母 is a Chinese proverb that makes the simplest connection between experience and wisdom.

See Also:  Failure is the Mother of Success | Learn From Wisdom

內秀 is an interesting word in Chinese that simultaneously means inner beauty and inner wisdom.

Some will translate it as “intelligent but unassuming.”
It's about having amazing abilities or traits on the inside which are not immediately obvious on the outside.

一道神光 is a Buddhist term that means “inner light,” or “intuitive wisdom.”

This actually reads, “[the] one path/way [of] spiritual light.” It implies that your spirit knows the way, and will light the path for you.

內智 is a Buddhist term that means “inner wisdom.”

When you meet a wise person, you should learn from them and be inspired to become as wise as they are.

見賢思齊 is a pretty long proverb in English, but in Chinese, it's only four characters.
However, in Chinese, the deeper meaning often surpasses the dictionary definition of each character.

In this case, you should seek wise people to learn from throughout your life...
Always try to learn enough to become equal to them. It also suggests that learning and seeking wisdom is a non-ending cycle.

See Also:  Knowledge

悟性 means the power of understanding and insight in Chinese.

It is often associated with Neo-Confucianism. In that regard, it means to realize, perceive, or have the perception of man's true nature. It can also mean finding your soul, the soul of others, or the soul of the world. Some will translate this simply as the state of being “savvy.”

In Japanese, this is often translated as wisdom and understanding.

般若 means great wisdom or wondrous knowledge.

In the Buddhist context, this is prajna or prajñā, to know, to understand, to have the wisdom required to attain enlightenment.

Since this is a wisdom that transcends the realm of logic, the pure, absolute wisdom beyond the reach of words and concepts, it is not obtained through learning but is realized for the first time through a religious experience.

衆智 is a Japanese word that means the wisdom of the many.

三人寄れば文殊の知恵 literally means “when three people meet, wisdom is exchanged.”

Some will suggest this means when three people come together, their wisdom is multiplied.

That wisdom part can also be translated as wit, sagacity, intelligence, or Buddhist Prajna (insight leading to enlightenment).

In the middle of this proverb is “monju,” suggesting “transcendent wisdom.” This is where the multiplication of wisdom ideas comes from.

Note: This is very similar to the Chinese proverb, "When 3 people meet, one becomes a teacher."

Note: Because this selection contains some special Japanese Hiragana characters, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.

吃一塹長一智 is a Chinese proverb that means “Fall into a moat, and you will gain wisdom from the experience.”

It really suggests that the failures, troubles, frustrations, and setbacks that you encounter in your life are actually helping you to find wisdom. Some would also translate this proverb as “Learn from your mistakes” or “Learn from your experience.”

If you are studying Chinese, you will recognize the first character as “eat,” but in this case, it means to “experience” (as used in this proverb, it is suggesting that you have fallen into a moat and/or had a hard time crossing it).
Translated character by character, this whole proverb is, “Experience one moat, gain one wisdom/knowledge.”

Note: This can be pronounced in Korean, but it's not a commonly used phrase.

智を求める者 means “seeker of wisdom” in Japanese.

To break it down:
智 is wisdom.
を is a particle that connects wisdom to the next idea.
求める is a transitive verb that means to want, to wish for, to ask for, to seek, to search for, to look for, or to pursue.
者 is a literary way to write “person.”

Note: Because this selection contains some special Japanese Hiragana characters, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.

智を磨く is an old obscure Japanese phrase that means to refine, cultivate, or improve one's wisdom.

This is the mantra of one who is a seeker of wisdom. They will always want to polish, shine, refine, improve, and expand their knowledge and understanding.

Note: Because this selection contains some special Japanese Hiragana characters, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.

尋智者 is a Chinese title that means “Seeker of Wisdom.”

It's a little ambiguous, as you can also read this as “Seeking a Wise Person.”

Whether you are the person seeking wisdom or in the process of seeking a wise person (you will probably gain wisdom from the wise) this short phrase should suit your needs.

大智 is a Zen Buddhist title that means supreme wisdom, great wisdom, Buddha-wisdom, omniscience, or transcendental wisdom.

大智明 is a Zen Buddhist title that means the great illumination of wisdom.

This refers to wisdom so bright that it shines through obviously to all in its presence.

蓮華智 is the lotus or mystic wisdom of Amitābha.

It's one of the five kinds of wisdom in Buddhism.

大蓮華智慧三摩地智 is the title for “The wisdom of the great lotus, samādhi-wisdom.”

This is also the penetrating wisdom of Amitābha.

不動明王 is the fierce form of the Buddha Vairocana, and the most important of the Myō-ō or Ming Wang class of deities.

Romanized as Fudō Myō-ō, in Japanese Buddhism or Bùdòng Míngwáng / Pu-Tung Ming-Wang in Chinese Buddhism,

Originally Acala/Achala (अचल “The Immovable”), Acalanātha (अचलनाथ “Immovable Lord”) or Āryācalanātha (आर्याचलनाथ, “Noble Immovable Lord”).

In English, this deity is sometimes called “Wisdom King.”

These two characters mean intelligence or intelligent.

The first character means wisdom, intellect, or knowledge.

The second means ability, talent, skill, capacity, capable, able, and can even mean competent.

Together, 知能 can mean “capacity for wisdom,” “useful knowledge,” or even “mental power.” Obviously, this translates more clearly into English as “intelligence.”

Note: This is not the same word used to mean “military intelligence.” See our other entry for that.

In modern Japan, they tend to use a version of the first character without the bottom radical. If your audience for this artwork is Japanese, please click on the Kanji to the right instead of the button above.

覺 can mean to feel; to figure out; thinking; awake; aware; bodhi; knowing; understanding; enlightenment; illumination; apprehend; perceive; realize.

覺 is a character that is impossible to define in a single word.

This term is often associated with Buddhism where it's understood to be: Illumination, enlightenment, or awakening in regard to the real in contrast to the seeming. However, it can also refer to enlightenment in regard to morality and evil.

Notes:

In Japanese, this can be the personal name Satoru.

In certain context, and only when pronounced as "jiao" in Chinese, it can refer to a nap, sleep or the state of sleeping. However, as a single character on a wall scroll, everyone will read this with the awareness or enlightenment context.

By no means is this the only way to write enlightenment. In fact, you should only choose this character if you are looking more for a word meaning awareness.

See Also:  Enlightenment | Knowledge

The Bodhi or 菩提 is the moment of completion in Buddhism.

It is when all things become known and you have completed your journey to enlightenment.

The reference is to the Bodhi tree where Siddhartha Gautama (the legendary man who established the Buddhist religion) achieved enlightenment. Sometimes this is referred to as “the tree of enlightenment,” but if you want the full version with the character for a tree at the end, please see the Bodhi Tree entry.

See Also:  Buddhism | Buddha | Nirvana | Enlightenment

百胜难虑敌三折乃良医 is a Chinese proverb that literally translates as: [Even a general who has won a] hundred victories [may be] hard put to see through the enemy's [strategy], [but one who has] broken [his] arm three [times] [will] be a good doctor.

Figuratively, this means: One cannot always depend on past successes to guarantee future success but one can always learn from lessons drawn from failure.

See Also:  Failure - Mother of Success | Experience - Mother of Success | Fall Down 7 Times Get Up 8 | Hard Knocks

仁義禮智信 are the core of Confucius's philosophy.

Simply stated:
仁 = Benevolence / Charity
義 = Justice / Rectitude
禮 = Courtesy / Politeness / Tact
智 = Wisdom / Knowledge
信 = Fidelity / Trust / Sincerity

Many of these concepts can be found in various religious teachings. It should be clearly understood that Confucianism is not a religion but should instead be considered a moral code for a proper and civilized society.

This title is also labeled “5 Confucian virtues.”

If you order this from the Japanese calligrapher, expect the middle Kanji to be written in a more simple form (as seen to the right). This can also be romanized as "jin gi rei satoshi shin" in Japanese. Not all Japanese will recognize this as Confucian tenets but they will know all the meanings of the characters.

See Also:  Confucius Teachings | Ethics

默而识之学而不厌诲人不倦何有于我哉 is a quote from the Analects of Confucius that translates as:

To quietly recite and memorize the classics,
to love learning without tiring of it,
never be bored with teaching,
How could these be difficult for me?

This is a suggestion that for a true scholar, all of these things come with ease.

This was written over 2500 years ago. The composition is in ancient Chinese grammar and phrasing. A modern Chinese person would need a background in Chinese literature to understand this without the aid of a reference.

自行束脩以上吾未尝无诲焉 means, for anyone who brings even the smallest token of appreciation, I have yet to refuse instruction.

Another way to put it is: If a student (or potential student) shows just an ounce of interest, desire, or appreciation for the opportunity to learn, a teacher should offer a pound of knowledge.

This quote is from the Analects of Confucius.

This was written over 2500 years ago. The composition is in ancient Chinese grammar and phrasing. A modern Chinese person would need a background in Chinese literature to understand this without the aid of a reference.

This Chinese philosophy tells of how we continue to learn throughout our lives.

This proverb can be translated in a few ways such as “Study has no end,” “Knowledge is infinite,” “No end to learning,” “There's always something new to study,” or “You live and learn.”

The deeper meaning: Even when we finish school we are still students of the world gaining more knowledge from our surroundings with each passing day.

See Also:  An Open Book Benefits Your Mind | Learn From Wisdom

Tell somebody how to do something and they might get it.
Show them how to do it, and they will master it in no time.

身教勝於言教 can also be translated as “Behavior teaches more than words.”

失败是成功之母 is a Chinese and Korean proverb that means “Every failure that you experience is a chance to learn from it and find success.”

Knowing what does not work is just as important as finding out what does work.

See Also:  Experience is the Mother of Wisdom

失敗は成功の母 is a Japanese proverb that means exactly what you think.

Every failure that you experience is a chance to learn from it and find success.

Knowing what does not work is just as important as finding out what does work.

Note: This is the Japanese version of an ancient Chinese proverb.

Note: Because this selection contains some special Japanese Hiragana characters, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.

See Also:  Experience is the Mother of Wisdom

知識 has the very strong meaning of “knowledge” and, in some contexts, “learning.”

The first character represents “to know” or “to realize.”

The second character alone refers to the ability to “recognize” or “realize” and can also be used to mean “knowing.”

See Also:   Learn From Wisdom

You may learn when everything goes right but the lessons learned when everything goes wrong are more vivid and lead to long-lasting wisdom.

Another way to look at this: One cannot always depend on past successes to guarantee future success but one can always learn from lessons drawn from failure.

Note: Because this selection contains some special Japanese Hiragana characters, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.

This word is often used to describe the idea of opening the minds of the young or the new generation.

See Also:  Learning is Eternal | Learn From Wisdom

There are several ways to translate this ancient proverb. Translated literally and directly, it says, “Open roll has/yields benefit.”

To understand that, you must know a few things...

First, Chinese characters and language have deeper meanings that often are not spoken but are understood - especially with ancient texts like this. Example: It's understood that the “benefit” referred to in this proverb is to the reader's mind. Just the last character expresses that whole idea.

Second, Chinese proverbs are supposed to make you think and leave a bit of mystery to figure out.

Third, for this proverb, it should be noted that roll = book. When this proverb came about (about two thousand years ago), books were rolls of bamboo slips strung together. The first bound books like the ones we use today did not come about until about a thousand years after this proverb when they invented paper in China.

開卷有益 is a great gift for a bookworm who loves to read and increase their knowledge. Or for any friend that is or wants to be well-read.

Some other translations of this phrase:
Opening a book is profitable
The benefits of education.

This is the serenity prayer, as used by many 12-step programs and support groups.

In Chinese, this says:
God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

This is a Japanese version of the serenity prayer, as used by many 12-step programs and support groups.

In Japanese, this says:
God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

Note: Because this selection contains some special Japanese Hiragana characters, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.

三人行必有我师 means “when three people meet, one becomes the teacher.”

This famous Chinese philosophy suggests that when people come together, they can always learn from each other.

One person must be the teacher and others learn. And in turn, the others become the teachers of the knowledge they possess.

It is important to remember that we all have something to teach, and we all have something to learn as well.

君子豹変す is a Japanese proverb that suggests that a wise man is willing to change his mind, but a fool will stubbornly never change his.

The first word is 君子 (kunshi), a man of virtue, a person of high rank, a wise man.

The second word is 豹変 (hyouhen), sudden change, complete change.

The last part, す (su), modifies the verb to a more humble form.

The “fool” part is merely implied or understood. So if wise and noble people are willing to change their minds, it automatically says that foolish people are unwilling to change.

賢 is used to refer to being a wise, trustworthy, and virtuous person. But it also contains the ideas of intelligence, genius, scholarship, virtue, sage, saint, good, and excellent in character.

賢 is used in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja. Also used in a Buddhist context with the same meaning.

Note: Can also be the male given name, Masaru, in Japanese.