Asian Art Outpost

Adventures in Asian Art



Custom Rebirth Chinese & Japanese Calligraphy Wall Scroll

We have many options to create artwork with Rebirth characters on a wall scroll or portrait.
If you want to create a cool Rebirth Asian character tattoo, you can purchase that on our Chinese and Japanese Tattoo Image Service page and we'll help you select from many forms of ancient Asian symbols that express the idea of Rebirth.

Quick links to words on this page...

  1. Re-Birth / Renaissance
  2. Resurrection / Re-Birth
  3. Reincarnation
  4. Reincarnation / Transmigration of Souls
  5. No Pain No Gain
  6. Frightful Demon / Asura
  7. Eternal Life / Everlasting Life...
  8. Eternal Life / Future Life
  9. The Noble Eightfold Path
10. Phoenix Rising from the Ashes
11. Pure Land / Jodo
12. New Life

Re-Birth / Renaissance

chóng shēng
중생
重
生

This is the Chinese word for rebirth. This can be used literally or metaphorically. As a metaphor, you could use this to say something like "We are watching the rebirth of New Orleans after the disaster of Katrina".

This is sometimes translated as "renaissance".

Note: This is not the Buddhist concept of reincarnation or re-birth.

See Also...  Reincarnation

Resurrection / Re-Birth

fù huó
hukkatsu
부활
復
活

This is the Chinese, Japanese and Korean word for resurrection or rebirth. Basically this means "return to life".

It is the term used in most Asian Bibles to refer to the resurrection of Christ. In Japanese, it is sometimes used to mean a Christian Revival. In some context it can mean resuscitation.

See Also...  Christianity | Jesus Christ | God Of Abraham

Reincarnation (Buddhism)

zhuǎn shì
ten sei
전세
轉
世

This is the Buddhist idea of reincarnation or transmigration.

Other definitions of this term: "Attainer of Nirvana from within the desire realm", "A practitioner who enters directly into Nirvana from the desire realm, without traversing the form and formless realms. One of the 27 kinds of Hinayana sages", or simply, "to return again to this life".

This is also a Japanese title, but the first Kanji was slightly simplified after WWII. Just let us know if you want the modern Japanese version when you order.

See Also...  Buddhism

Reincarnation / Transmigration of Souls

lún huí
rin ne
輪
回

This is a universal word in Japanese and Chinese that expresses the Buddhist idea of "reincarnation", "transmigration of souls" or "the eternal cycle of birth and death". In some context, this can also mean "karma".

The first character means wheel, ring, turn, circle, loop or rotate.
The second character can be thought of as a suffix meaning "-times". This second character can also refer to something that revolves, returns, goes back, or a counter for the number of occurrences of some event.
Together the sum supersedes the parts and it means reincarnation. But knowing the seeing the essence of each character may help you understand some of the meaning behind the word.

廻If you request this selection from our Japanese master calligrapher, please expect that the second Kanji will look like the one shown to the right. This is the more common way to write this in Japanese. It's an alternate form of this character in Chinese (so neither way is technically wrong in either language).

See Also...  Buddhism

No Pain No Gain

Japanese Only

itami na ku shi te eru mo no wa na shi
得
る
も
の
な
し
痛
み
な
く
し
て

Characters shown
above are read
vertically, starting
from the right

This is a Japanese way to express, "No pain, no gain".

Literally, this suggests that with pain, a gain must follow.

The pain Kanji here can also be translated as sorrow or suffering. The gain can also mean profit, advantage, or benefit. In Japanese Buddhist context, that gain Kanji can mean rebirth in paradise, entering nirvana.

Frightful Demon / Asura

ē xiū luó
ashura
아수라
阿
修
羅

This demon title comes from the ancient Sanskrit word Asura. This is often used in Buddhism when describing various demons. Sometime defined as "Fighting and battling giant demon".

In the context of Buddhism: This title originally meant a spirit, spirits, or even the gods (perhaps before 1700 years ago). It now generally indicates titanic demons, enemies of the gods, with whom, especially Indra, they wage constant war. They are defined as "not devas", and "ugly", and "without wine". There are four classes of asuras, separated according to their manner of rebirth. They can be egg-born, womb-born, transformation-born, and spawn- or water-born. Their abode is in the ocean, north of Sumeru, but certain of the weaker dwell in a western mountain cave. They have realms, rulers, and palaces, as have the devas.

In terms of power, Asuras rank above humans but below most of the other deities. They live in the area near the coastal foot of Mount Sumeru (on the northern side). Their domain is partially or wholly in the ocean.

Eternal Life / Everlasting Life
Immortality

yǒng shēng
eisei
영생
永
生

These are the last two words from John 3:16 in the Chinese Union Bible.
Although not specifically Christian, this is the way to express ever-lasting life or eternal life in Chinese.
In Japanese this can either mean eternal life or immortality.

See Also...  Eternity | Reincarnation | Immortality

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Eternal Life / Future Life

lái shì
rai-se
내세
來
世

This word can be used in many different ways. It is often used to express the next life (life in heaven or wherever your soul is bound for). So it does have a religious overtone. However, it can also be used to express your life in the future - perhaps during your present lifetime. It can also be translated as "the next world", "the next generation", "the time that is to come", "otherworld", or simply "posterity".

See Also...  Eternity | Reincarnation | Immortality

The Noble Eightfold Path

Ashtangika Marga / Astangika-Marga / Atthangika Magga

bā zhèng dào
ha sshou dou
팔정도
八
正
道

This is a complex set of steps that Buddhists much take to cleanse karma, achieve enlightenment, eventually cease the cycle of rebirth and live in a state of Nirvana.

If the idea of 8 separate wall scrolls plus this title is too much for you, we can custom-arrange all eight of these concepts on a single wall scroll. Just post your request on our Asian calligraphy forum, and we can discuss options.

Note: This term is exclusively used by devout Buddhists. It is not a common term, and is remains an unknown concept to most Japanese and Chinese people.

See Also...  Buddhism | Enlightenment

Phoenix Rising from the Ashes

fèng huáng niè pán
鳳
凰
涅
磐

This suggests "Legendary Phoenix rises from the ashes". Literally, it means, "Legendary Phoenix [reaches] Nirvana".

There is a legend in China of a great bird which is reborn once every 500 years. This bird gathers all the ill-will, suffering, desire, and other negative things of the whole world. The bird then plunges into the fire to burn away all negative things, sacrificing itself in the process (achieving Nirvana, or perhaps allowing others the opportunity to reach Nirvana).

500 years later, the phoenix is reborn from the ashes again, and the cycle repeats.

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Pure Land / Jodo

Also a sect of Buddhism

jìng tǔ
jou do
정토
淨
土

This literally means "pure land" or "clean earth".

This is also the abbreviated title of a Buddhist sect which involves faith in rebirth of Buddha Amitabha (Amitābha) in the Western Heaven. Sometimes this sect is translated as "Paradise of the West". Other titles of this school of Buddhism include Amidism or Elvsium.

See Also...  Nirvana | Shin Buddhism

New Life

xīn shēng
waka ki
신생
新
生

This literally means "new life" or "new birth" in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.

Depending on context, this word can also mean newborn, new student, rebirth, new birth, nascent.
In Japanese, this can be the given name Wakaki.

Note: This is not the most common word selection for a calligraphy wall scroll. But if you're a westerner, you can bend the rules a bit.


A nice Chinese calligraphy wall scroll

The scroll that I am holding in this picture is a "medium size"
4-character wall scroll.
As you can see, it is a great size to hang on your wall.
(We also offer custom wall scrolls in larger sizes)

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.



See: Our list of specifically Japanese Kanji Calligraphy Wall Scrolls. And, check out Our list of specifically old Korean Hanja Calligraphy Wall Scrolls.

The following table is only helpful for those studying Chinese (or Japanese), and perhaps helps search engines to find this page when someone enters Romanized Chinese or Japanese

Title
Characters 
Simplified
Traditional
Japanese Romaji
(Romanized Japanese)
Various forms of Romanized Chinese
Re-Birth / Renaissance重生
重生
n/achóng shēng
chong sheng
ch`ung sheng
chong2 sheng1
chongsheng
chungsheng
chung sheng
Resurrection / Re-Birth复活
復活
hukkatsu
hukatsu
fù huó
fu huo
fu4 huo2
fuhuo
Reincarnation (Buddhism)转世
轉世
ten sei
tensei
zhuǎn shì
zhuan shi
chuan shih
zhuan3 shi4
zhuanshi
Reincarnation / Transmigration of Souls轮回
輪回 / 輪廻
rin ne
rinne
lún huí
lun hui
lun2 hui2
lunhui
No Pain No Gain痛みなくして得るものなし
痛みなくして得るものなし
itami na ku shi te eru mo no wa na shi
itaminakushiteerumonowanashi
n/a
Frightful Demon / Asura阿修罗
阿修羅
ashuraē xiū luó
e xiu luo
o hsiu lo
e1 xiu1 luo2
exiuluo
Eternal Life / Everlasting Life / Immortality永生
永生
eiseiyǒng shēng
yong sheng
yung sheng
yong3 sheng1
yongsheng
Eternal Life / Future Life来世
來世
rai-selái shì
lai shi
lai shih
lai2 shi4
laishi
The Noble Eightfold Path八正道
八正道
ha sshou dou
hasshoudou
ha sho do
bā zhèng dào
ba zheng dao
pa cheng tao
ba1 zheng4 dao4
bazhengdao
Phoenix Rising from the Ashes凤凰涅磐
鳳凰涅磐
n/afèng huáng niè pán
feng huang nie pan
feng huang nieh p`an
feng4 huang2 nie4 pan2
fenghuangniepan
fenghuangniehpan
feng huang nieh pan
Pure Land / Jodo净土
淨土
jou do
joudo
jo do
jìng tǔ
jing tu
ching t`u
jing4 tu3
jingtu
chingtu
ching tu
New Life新生
新生
waka ki
wakaki
xīn shēng
xin sheng
hsin sheng
xin1 sheng1
xinsheng

If you have not set up your computer to display Chinese, the characters in this table probably look like empty boxes or random text garbage.
This is why I spent hundreds of hours making images so that you could view the characters in the "Rebirth" listings above.
If you want your Windows computer to be able to display Chinese characters you can either head to your Regional and Language options in your Win XP control panel, select the [Languages] tab and click on [Install files for East Asian Languages]. This task will ask for your Win XP CD to complete in most cases. If you don't have your Windows XP CD, or are running Windows 98, you can also download/run the simplified Chinese font package installer from Microsoft which works independently with Win 98, ME, 2000, and XP. It's a 2.5MB download, so if you are on dial up, start the download and go make a sandwich.

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