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.

佛光 means Buddha's teachings, or Buddha's Light.

This often refers to the aura around the head of Buddha.

Alternate meanings include Spiritual Enlightenment (from Buddha), Buddha's Halo, Light of the Buddha, or Buddha's Glory.

佛眼 is the “Eye of Buddha,” the enlightened one who sees all and is omniscient.

In modern Japan, they also write the first Kanji as shown to the right. Both versions are correct but if you want the modern Japanese version, click on the Kanji to the right instead of the button above.

人間性を再生するのは寛容な心親切な言葉奉仕と思いやりの精神 is known as the Triple Truth of Buddhism in Japanese.

The Buddha ordered that all should know this triple truth...
A generous heart, kind speech, and a life of service and compassion are the things that renew humanity.

That is the English translation most commonly used for this Japanese Buddhist phrase. You might have seen this on a coffee cup or tee shirt.

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

This title is Buddha of Joyful Light.

歡喜光佛 is Amitābha from Sanskrit but pronounced very differently in Chinese and Japanese.

勤求 is a complex word that means inquiring in the Buddha way.

To put it another way, it is seeking something in the right way, at the right time, and diligently seeking only truth or the good.

佛法僧 is the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha.

These three characters are the “Triple Gem” of Buddhism or the Buddhist Trinity.

佛心 means the Buddha's mind, Buddha-heart, or the spiritually enlightened heart/mind.

The Buddha Heart is detached from good and evil and other such constructs. The Buddha Heart has mercy, compassion, and loving-kindness for all sentient life, the good, the wicked, and all in between.

The heart and mind (心) are the same concepts in the ancient Orient, so you can use heart and mind interchangeably in this context.

見性成佛 is a universal phrase that suggests that one may see one's nature and accomplish Buddhahood.

見性 suggests penetrating deep inside oneself to see one's “Original finally Mind.”

成佛 refers to a sentient being who dispenses with illusions and delusions through ascetic practice, is enlightened to the truth, and becomes a Buddha.

This is used by Mahayana, Chan, and Zen Buddhists in China, Korea, and Japan.

You will also see this with the last character written as 仏 in Japanese. In the religious context, 佛 is commonly used to mean Buddha. If you want the other version, see Kenshō Jōbutsu 見性成仏

佛境 means the spiritual region of Buddhas, the state of the Buddha, or the Buddha realm.

佛境 is Bukkyō in Japanese and Fójìng in Mandarin Chinese.

If you are contemplating the Metaverse, in contrast, 佛境 is the Buddha-sphere or Buddhaverse.

佛 is the essence of the Buddha or Buddhism.

Depending on the context, this word and character can be used to refer to the religion and lifestyle of Buddhism, or in some cases, the Buddha himself.

It is interesting to note that this word is separate from all others in the Chinese language. The sound of “fo” has only this meaning. 佛 is in contrast to many sounds in the Chinese language, which can have one of four tones, and more than 20 possible characters and meanings. This language anomaly shows how significantly Buddhism has affected China since ancient times.

More about Buddhism

佛 is also used with the same meaning in Korean Hanja.

It's used in the very religious context of Buddhism in Japan. It should be noted that there are two forms of this Kanji in use in Japan - this is the more formal/ancient version, but it's rarely seen outside of religious artwork and may not be recognized by all Japanese people.

It also acts as a suffix or first syllable for many Buddhist-related words in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean.

See our Buddhism & Zen page

See Also:  Bodhisattva | Enlightenment

仏 is the single Japanese Kanji that can mean Buddha or Buddhism.

This Kanji was a shorthand way to write 佛 (Buddha) in Chinese (popular around the 13th century). Somehow, this became the version of this Chinese character that was absorbed into Japanese and thus became part of standard Kanji. Centuries later, this character is not recognized in China (except for those from China with a background in Chinese literature or language).

仏 is also a rare or derivative Korean Hanja form - but I doubt you will find any Korean that knows that.

仏教 can mean Buddha or Buddhism in Japanese.

Depending on the context, this word can be used to refer to the religion and lifestyle of Buddhism or in some cases, the Buddha himself.

Note: Until the 5th century, Japan did not have a written language. At that time, Japan absorbed Chinese characters to form their written language (these characters are known as “Kanji” in Japanese). The first character of this Buddhism title was a shorthand way to write 佛 (Buddha) in Chinese (popular around the 13th century). Somehow, this became the version of this character that was absorbed into Japanese and thus became part of standard Kanji. Centuries later, this character is not recognized in China at all.

仏 is also a rare form of Buddha Korean Hanja - though seldom used even when the Korean Hanja writing system was more common 100 years ago.

佛教 is the more exact way to express the religion or lifestyle of Buddhism.

It can also be read as “Buddha's Teachings.” 佛教 is Chinese only, as a different character is more commonly used in Japanese to express Buddhism. The same first character is used in Korea, but a slight variation exists in the second character in Korean Hanja. However, it would be fully recognized by any Korean person who can read Hanja.

佛道 is “The way of Buddha, leading to Buddhahood” or the way to becoming a bodhi and enlightened.

Known in Japanese as Butsudō, in Mandarin Chinese as Fódào, and in Korean as Buldo or 불도.

In short, 佛義 is the Principles of Buddhism, but there is more (especially for the second character):

佛 is the character for the Buddha and Buddhism.

義 has deeper meanings including justice, righteousness, morality, honour/honor, teachings, doctrine, right, proper, righteous, loyalty, purpose, or meaning. So the single word “principles” is often used to encompass all these ideas.

佛は衆生の中に在り is “Butsu wa shujo no naka ni ari” and means that the Buddha (potential for Buddhahood) exists in all beings in the universe.

So yes, your dog has the potential to be a Buddha (but only in a future reincarnation as a human). But all things, from the tiny cricket to the humpback whale have Buddha nature within them. If one takes the time to look and contemplate, one will see the Buddha in all things.

In Japan, sometimes the Buddha character is written 仏 instead of 佛, so you might see the whole phrase written as 仏は衆生の中に在り.

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

佛法 can be defined as “The Law of Buddha,” “The Power of Buddha,” or simply “Dharma.”

This title can mean the Buddha of the Western paradise.

But it's more a chant that means “May the lord Buddha preserve us!” or “Merciful Buddha!.”

阿彌陀佛 is also a translation to Chinese, Japanese, and Korean for “Amitâbha Buddha.”

Asian Buddhists will often greet and say goodbye to each other with this phrase/chant/title.

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:  Enlightenment

見性成仏 or Kenshō Jōbutsu is the initial enlightenment that leads to self-awareness, becoming Buddha, and the path to enter Nirvana.

Kenshō Jōbutsu is a complex concept in Japanese Buddhism. 見性成仏 is probably better translated as “Seeing one’s nature and becoming a Buddha.”

See Also:  Enlightenment | Initial Enlightenment

This controversial Buddhist koan means “On encountering Buddha, you should kill him.”

This is the short concise Japanese version of an original statement by ninth-century Chinese Buddhist monk Linji Yixuan, “If You Meet The Buddha On The Road, Kill Him.”

This takes some explaining... The concept here is that if you think you have seen, experienced, or achieved true enlightenment, the chances that you really have are so slim that you should kill or dismiss that idea.

Another suggestion is that one's path to becoming a Buddha is one's own, and one should not get caught up in religious fervor, and avoid “showing off” that they are a Buddhist.

Helpful references for this concept:
Lion's Roar addresses "If You Meet The Buddha On The Road, Kill Him"
Kill the Buddha

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

心光 can mean the light from a Buddha's mind or “merciful heart.”

This would especially be the light emanating from Amitābha.

Note that the character 心 can mean mind or heart. 光 means light or brightness - but in this context can suggest a glow of mercy or compassion. This can also be a Japanese surname that is romanized as Shinkou or Shinko.

Besides the title above, 慈悲 can also be defined as clemency or lenience and sometimes the act of giving charity.

In the Buddhist context, it can be defined as “benevolence,” “loving-kindness and compassion,” or “mercy and compassion.”

This Buddhist virtue is perhaps the most important to employ in your life. All sentient beings that you encounter should be given your loving kindness. And trust me, however much you can give, it comes back. Make your life and the world a better place!

This Chinese/Japanese Buddhist term is the equivalent of Metta Karuna from Pali or Maitri Karuna from Sanskrit.

慈 can mean loving-kindness by itself.
悲 adds a component of sorrow, empathy, compassion, and sympathy for others.

See Also:  Benevolence

僧侶/僧侶 is a Japanese title for a Buddhist monk.

The first Kanji means Buddhist priest or monk by itself.
The second Kanji means follower or companion.

Note, if you order this from the Japanese master calligrapher, the first character will look a bit more like the Kanji shown to the right than the Kanji shown above. Let us know if you have a preference, as both versions are technically-correct in both Chinese and Japanese.

南無阿彌陀佛 is how to express “The Compassionate Amitabha Buddha” (especially for the Pure Land Buddhist Sect).

Some will translate as “Homage to Amitâbha Buddha” or “I seek refuge in the Amitâbha Buddha.”

This is valid in Chinese characters, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.

Sometimes modern Japanese use a different version of the 4th and last Kanji, but the version shown here is the most universal.

This is used to pay homage to Amitabha Buddha.

See Also:  Bodhisattva | Nirvana

南無釋迦牟尼佛 is a Buddhist chant or prayer of respect to the Shakyamuni Buddha.

Some will translate this as the Buddhist vow.

The first two characters, 南無, are sometimes translated as “amen”; others will translate it as “belief in” or “homage to.”
To expand on this, 南無 can also mean “taking of refuge in” while representing devotion or conviction. 南無 as with most religious concepts or words, different people or denominations will have varying definitions.

念佛 is used primarily in Japanese, where it is romanized as nenbutsu.

The meaning is to pray to Buddha, chant the name of Buddha, or repeat the name of Buddha. This can be an audible or inaudible chant.

浄土宗 is the title of Japanese “Pure Land Buddhism.” This form is also romanized/known as “Jodo Shu” (jōdo shū).

Also known as Amidism for the fact that this is a branch of Mahayana (Mahāyāna) Buddhism which focuses on Amitabha (Amitābha) Buddha. This form of Buddhism, along with Chinese characters, came to Japan via China in the 5th century, according to most historians.

Notes:
Pure Land Buddhism is also known as (jōdo bukkyō).
Some will just express it with just (Pure Land).

轉世 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.”

轉世 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:  Rebirth

自性覚れば即ち是れ佛なり is a Zen quote that means “If one realizes one's own nature, one becomes a Buddha.”

The inference here is that if you understand who you really are, and become truly aware of yourself and your original nature, you are well on your way to becoming a liberated person (a Buddha).

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

釋迦牟尼 is a transliteration of “Shakyamuni” or “Sakyamuni” in Chinese, Japanese, and old Korean.

The perceived meaning of the name is roughly translated as “Sage of the Sakyas.”
This same Buddha is also known as “Siddhartha Gautama,” “Gotama Buddha,” “Tathagata,” or simply, “The Supreme Buddha.”

Shakyamuni is the legendary man and prince who eventually established the Buddhist religion.

Note: Occasionally Romanized as “Siddhattha Gotama.”

This combination of characters is sometimes seen and used in South Korea and Japan as well (with the same meaning).

Note: 釋迦牟尼 came from the Sanskrit शाक्यमुनि and can also be romanized with diuretics as Śākyamuni.

釈迦 is the way to write Shakyamuni in Japanese.

It's just two Kanji, the first is a simplified version of the one used in Chinese for Shakyamuni, and the second one is identical to the Chinese.
This refers to the Buddha (Siddhartha Gautama, 563 BCE-483 BCE) also known as Sakyamuni and Gautama Buddha.

This has a very good meaning in Japanese but is an odd selection for a wall scroll. It appears here more for reference.

三寶 is the title for “Three Precious Treasures of Buddhism” or “The Triple Gem.”

These three treasures are the Buddha 佛, the Dharma 法 (teachings or the law of the Buddha), and the Sangha 僧 (the community of monks or followers).

This term is used by most (perhaps not all) Buddhists in China, Japan, and South Korea (written the same in the original form but pronounced differently in each language). Non-Buddhists may just read this as “Three Treasures” without the religious context. For instance, there is also a “Three Treasures of Chinese Medicine” that is sometimes titled the same way.

In modern Japanese and Simplified Chinese, this is written 三宝 instead of 三寶.

浄土真宗 is known in the west as “Shin Buddhism.”

This is a school of Japanese “Pure Land Buddhism.” This form is also known as “True Pure Land Buddhism” or “Jodoshinshu” (jōdoshinshū).

If you are looking for this title, you probably already know the rest of the story.

實道 is a Buddhist title that means “The true way,” “The true religion,” “The way of the truth,” or “The absolute Buddha-truth.”

禪宗 is one way to title “Zen Buddhism.” Because the original pronunciation of Zen in Chinese is Chan, you'll also see this expressed as Chan Buddhism.

From the Buddhist Dictionary:
The Chan, meditative or intuitional, sect is usually said to have been established in China by Bodhidharma, the twenty-eighth patriarch, who brought the tradition of the Buddha-mind from India. This sect, believing in direct enlightenment, disregarded ritual and sūtras and depended upon the inner light and personal influence for the propagation of its tenets, founding itself on the esoteric tradition supposed to have been imparted to Kāśyapa by the Buddha, who indicated his meaning by plucking a flower without further explanation. Kāśyapa smiled in apprehension and is supposed to have passed on this mystic method to the patriarchs. The successor of Bodhidharma was 慧可 Huike, and he was succeeded by 僧璨 Sengcan, 道信 Daoxin, 弘忍 Hongren, 慧能 Huineng, and 神秀 Shenxiu, the sect dividing under the two latter into the southern and northern schools: the southern school became prominent, producing 南嶽 Nanyue and 靑原 Qingyuan, the former succeeded by 馬祖 Mazu, the latter by 石頭 Shitou. From Mazu's school arose the five later schools.