孚 fú - Verità - Truth

The character is decomposed into parts:

爫 which means 爪 [zhuǎ - claw]
孑 [zǐ - child]

This symbol represents the claws of a bird’s leg in the act to protect their children, their eggs, newborn life.
Here is the truth that is symbolized by the life and value that we give to it.

76. If you see an intelligent man who tells you where true treasures
are to be found, who shows what is to be avoided, and administers
reproofs, follow that wise man; it will be better, not worse, for
those who follow him.

77. Let him admonish, let him teach, let him forbid what is improper!-
-he will be beloved of the good, by the bad he will be hated.
(more…)

美 měi - Bellezza - Beauty

The character is decomposed into parts:

羊 [yáng - sheep]
大 [dà - big, adult, mature and strong]

In the past the Chinese people saw the sheep as an animal graceful, gentle, meek​​, passive, an example of the grace of the mother nature.

The lower part of the pictograph is a symbol of greatness and maturity.
The radical meaning is also adult person or father (one head, two robust legs and two arms open wide).

Hence, the meaning of beauty in ancient Chinese consists in a semblance pretty big and mature.

愛 aì - Amore - Love

The character is decomposed into parts:

爫 [zhǎo, zhuǎ - hand]
冖 [mì - crown, embrace]
心 [xīn - hearth and mind]
友 [yǒu - friend]

So the chinese symbol for “love” has the meaning of a friendship which touches both “hearth” and ” mind” (xin) and becomes also a physical contact, a total embrace.
The “crown” symbol gives also a sacred meaning to “love”.

Zen Bamboo Relax Wallpaper

Those who see worldly life as an obstacle to Dharma
see no Dharma in everyday actions.
They have not yet discovered that
there are no everyday actions outside of Dharma.

Dogen

Note: Dharma is the Cosmic Law

Click here to DOWNLOAD the Zen Bamboo Wallpaper!

“Happiness is when what you think,
what you say, and what you do are in harmony.”
Mahatma Gandhi

“Immersed in clear waters,
we suffer thirst”
Dino Olivieri

60. Long is the night to him who is awake; long is a mile to him who
is tired; long is life to the foolish who do not know the true law.

61. If a traveller does not meet with one who is his better, or his
equal, let him firmly keep to his solitary journey; there is no
companionship with a fool.
(more…)

44. Who shall overcome this earth, and the world of Yama (the lord of
the departed), and the world of the gods? Who shall find out the
plainly shown path of virtue, as a clever man finds out the (right)
flower?

45. The disciple will overcome the earth, and the world of Yama, and
the world of the gods. The disciple will find out the plainly shown
path of virtue, as a clever man finds out the (right) flower.
(more…)

A beautiful girl in the village was pregnant. Her angry parents demanded to know who was the father. At first resistant to confess, the anxious and embarrassed girl finally pointed to Hakuin, the Zen master whom everyone previously revered for living such a pure life. When the outraged parents confronted Hakuin with their daughter’s accusation, he simply replied “Is that so?”

When the child was born, the parents brought it to the Hakuin, who now was viewed as a pariah by the whole village. They demanded that he take care of the child since it was his responsibility. “Is that so?” Hakuin said calmly as he accepted the child.

For many months he took very good care of the child until the daughter could no longer withstand the lie she had told. She confessed that the real father was a young man in the village whom she had tried to protect. The parents immediately went to Hakuin to see if he would return the baby. With profuse apologies they explained what had happened. “Is that so?” Hakuin said as he handed them the child.