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2. Better to be Happy than Rich
3. Body
5. You May Learn from Victory, You Will Learn from Failure
7. Forest
9. Words Have Enormous Weight: One Word Worth Nine Caldrons
10. Immovable Mind
11. A Journey of 1000 Miles Begins with a Single Step
12. One
13. Protector
14. Romance of the Three Kingdoms
15. Sangha
17. A sly rabbit has three openings to its den
18. The Holy Trinity
19. When Three People Gather, One Becomes a Teacher
20. Three Kingdoms
21. Tiger Rumor
22. The Value of Warriors Lies in Their Quality
25. Lucky Star
26. Shuhari
27. Namu Dai Bosa
望 holds the ideas of ambition, hope, desire, aspiring to, expectations, looking towards, to gaze (into the distance), and in some contexts, full moon rising.
望 is one of those single characters that is vague but in that vagueness, it also means many things.
望 is a whole word in Chinese and old Korean but is seldom seen alone in Japanese. Still, it holds the meanings noted above in all three languages.
安貧樂道 means “It's better to be happy than rich” in Chinese.
Even if you are poor, you should still feel satisfied in your life...
...Satisfaction, happiness and the meaning of your life come from within yourself and not from money or riches of the world.
In Chinese, there are a lot of four-character proverbs which express some very old philosophies.
Though there are only four characters on this scroll, in Chinese, the meanings often surpass the dictionary definition of each character.
In this case, you should not set your expectations too high for the money or riches you wish to have. One who sets their expectations too high is almost always disappointed. Instead, you should cherish what you have, seek to improve yourself from within, and not measure your worth by the size of your bank account.
身 is how to write “body” as in your human body, in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and Korean Hanja.
Depending on the context and certain language issues, this character can also mean: main part, hull, oneself, somebody, person, I, me, sword, lifetime, one's station in life, etc.
While this written word is universal in three languages, it still makes a rather odd selection for a wall scroll. Also, they tend to use 体 (karada) in Japanese for the body (depending on context).
See Also: Karada
This proverb means “Brave people [are] without fear,” or “The brave are without fear.”
勇者不懼 is a proverb credited to Confucius. It's one of three phrases in a set of things he said.
This phrase is originally Chinese but has penetrated Japanese culture as well (many Confucian phrases have) back when Japan borrowed Chinese characters into their language.
This phrase has also been converted into modern Japanese grammar when written as 勇者は懼れず. If you want this version just click on those characters.
See Also: No Fear
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
信義尊嚴勇氣 means fidelity, honor, and courage in Chinese.
This is a word list that was requested by a customer. Word lists are not common in Chinese, but we've put this one in the best order/context to make it as natural as possible.
We used the “honor” that leans toward the definition of “dignity” since that seemed the best match for the other two words.
Please note: These are three two-character words. You should choose the single-column format when you get to the options when you order this selection. The two-column option would split one word or be arranged with four characters on one side and two on the other.
Wooded Area
森林 is how to generically write “forest” or “woods” in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.
If you look at the first character, you will see that it is made up of three trees. The second is actually two trees. 森林 is one of those words that really visually expresses the meaning.
If your name is Forest, I suggest this title to represent your name.
祝誕生日 is the shortest way to write “Happy Birthday” in Japanese.
The first Kanji means “wish” or “express good wishes,” and the last three characters mean “birthday.”
Because a birthday only lasts one day per year, we strongly suggest that you find an appropriate and personal calligraphy gift that can be hung in the recipient's home year-round.
一言九鼎 is an ancient Chinese proverb used in modern times to talk of profound or powerful words.
The literal meaning is “one word [worth] nine [sacred] tripods.” The tripod is a highly-prized three-legged (sometimes four-legged) metal pot or kettle of ancient China. They are often made of bronze, and the Emperor would have large ones gilded in gold. See the image to the right for an example.
fudoshin
不動心 is one of the five spirits of the warrior (budo) and is often used as a Japanese martial arts tenet.
Under that context, places such as the Budo Dojo define it this way: An unshakable mind and an immovable spirit is the state of fudoshin. It is courage and stability displayed both mentally and physically. Rather than indicating rigidity and inflexibility, fudoshin describes a condition that is not easily upset by internal thoughts or external forces. It is capable of receiving a strong attack while retaining composure and balance. It receives and yields lightly, grounds to the earth, and reflects aggression back to the source.
Other translations of this title include imperturbability, steadfastness, keeping a cool head in an emergency, or keeping one's calm (during a fight).
The first two Kanji alone mean immobility, firmness, fixed, steadfastness, motionless, and idle.
The last Kanji means heart, mind, soul, or essence.
Together, these three Kanji create a title defined as “immovable mind” within the context of Japanese martial arts. However, in Chinese, it would mean “motionless heart,” and in Korean Hanja, “wafting heart” or “floating heart.”
senri no michi mo ippo kara
千里の道も一歩から is the Japanese version of an ancient Chinese proverb that means “a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”
Some will also translate this as a 1000-mile road starts with one brick (a small amount).
In this case, the real measurement is an ancient Chinese “li” or 里, which is romanized as “ri” in Japanese. It's about half a kilometer, so three 里 would be a western mile. A journey of 333 miles begins with a single step, just doesn't sound as natural.
Note: Because this selection contains some special Japanese Hiragana characters, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.
The number one
一 is “one” or “1” in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.
People keep searching for “one” but I'm not sure what you want. This would be a strange selection for a wall scroll, so please don't order it. Post a request on our forum if you want a phrase with “one” in it that you can't find on our site.
The “one” character is really simple, it's just one stroke. Two is two strokes and three is three strokes, from four and above, the characters get more complicated.
In some ways, the “one” character is too simple, it could be a stray mark, or added to a banking document. Therefore, the following banking anti-fraud character for “one” has developed over the last 1500 years in China and Japan:
保護者 is the universal word for protector in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.
The first character means to defend, to protect, to insure or guarantee, to maintain, hold or keep, or to guard.
The second character means to protect.
Together the first and second characters create a word that means to defend, protect, or safeguard.
The last character means person.
Add all three characters together, and you have a word that means “protector,” one who will protect, guard, and keep you safe.
Some will also translate this word as guardian or patron.
Note: Not a common selection for a wall scroll in Asia.
See Also: Guardian Angel
Novel Title
In Buddhism, 僧伽 refers to a community of monks and/or nuns (one of the “Three Jewels”). In general terms, it can simply mean “all followers of the Buddha.”
Notes: Though there are not vast numbers of Chinese Hindus, in the Hindu faith, this term means “community together.”
The original Sanskrit word is also Romanized as samgha.
The first character means “monk.” The second character means Buddha or Shakyamuni.
僧伽 is a transliteration of the original Sanskrit, but it uses two very profound Chinese characters related to Buddhism.
Some may pronounce this as “seng qie” or “seng jia” in Mandarin (two possible pronunciations for the second character). Note that “qie” sounds like “chee-ah” using typical English pronunciation. Chinese Romanization is not actually designed to match English sounds.
Note that when writing this as Kanji, Japanese will tend to write the first character in the form shown to the right. If you select our Japanese master calligrapher, please expect this special Kanji form. However, it should also be noted that this is not a common term in Japanese (except by certain sects of Buddhism or perhaps devout Buddhists in Japan).
儒 is a unique single character that means scholar or Confucian and leaves a favorable impression when read in Chinese.
Specifically, in Japanese Kanji, this means Confucianism, Confucianist or Chinese scholar.
In old Korean Hanja, this means scholar, Confucian scholar, Confucianist, or learned (one who has learned and knows much).
Basically, it's the same in all three languages.
-or- The crafty rabbit has three different entrances to its lair
狡兔三窟 speaks to the cunning character of a sly rabbit. Such a rabbit will not have just one hole but rather a few entrances and exits from his liar.
About 2,250 years ago, a rich man told his assistant to go and buy something wonderful that he did not yet possess. He was a man that already had everything, so the assistant went to a local village that owed a great deal of money to the rich man. The assistant told the village elders that all debts were forgiven. All the villagers rejoiced and praised the rich man's name. The assistant returned to the rich man and told him he had purchased “benevolence” for him. The rich man was mildly amused but perhaps slightly confused by the action.
Sometime later, the rich man fell from the favor of the Emperor and was wiped out without a penny to his name. One day he was walking aimlessly and stumbled into the village where the debts had been forgiven. The villagers recognized the man and welcomed him with open arms, clothed, fed him, and gave him a place to live.
Without trying, the man had become like the sly and cunning rabbit. When his exit was blocked, he had another hole to emerge from - and was reborn. This story and idiom come from a book titled “The Amendment” - it's unclear whether this man actually existed or not. But the book did propel this idiom into common use in China.
Still today, this idiom about the rabbit is used in China when suggesting “backup plans,” alternate methods, and anyone with a good escape plan.
三位一體 is the Chinese and old Korean way to write Holy Trinity.
This would be understood in Japanese as well, but they tend to write it with the last character simplified like 三位一体 in modern Japan.
This can be translated literally as “Three Thrones, One Body.”
Asian Christians will understand this as the Trinity, God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
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.
三國 is the title for the Three Kingdoms period (220-280 A.D.) in Chinese history.
In Korean Hanja, this can also refer to one of several Three Kingdoms periods in Korean history.
In Japanese, this could refer to the Chinese Three Kingdoms period or be the surname Mitsukuni.
These four characters together relay the meaning that can be expressed in English as “When three people say there's a tiger running in the street, you believe it.”
Of course, there is an ancient story behind this idiom...
三人成虎 is actually a proverb that resulted from a conversation that occurred around 300 B.C.
The conversation was between the king of the Wei kingdom and one of the king's ministers named Pang Cong.
It was near the end of one of many wars, this time with the Zhao kingdom. Pang Cong was to be sent by the king to the Zhao kingdom with the king's son, who was to be held hostage. It was common at the time for a king to make his son a hostage to secure stable peace between warring kingdoms.
Before minister Pang Cong departed, he asked his king, “If one person told you a tiger was running in the street, would you believe it?.”
“No,” the king said.
The minister continued, “What if two people told you?”
The king replied, “Well, I would have my doubts but I might believe it.”
The minister continued, “So, what if three people told you that a tiger is running in the streets?”
The king replied, “Yes, I would believe it. It must be true if three people say it.”
The minister then reminded the king, “Your son and I are now traveling far away to live in the distant Zhao kingdom - much farther from your palace than the street. Rumors may fly about me in my absence, so I hope your majesty will weight such rumors appropriately.”
The king replied, “I have every trust in you, do not worry”
While the minister was gone, the king's enemies gossiped about minister Pang Cong on many occasions. At first, the king thought nothing of these comments and rumors. But slowly, as the rumors mounted, the king began to suspect ill of his minister.
Sometime later, when peace was well-established, the minister and prince were freed and returned to the kingdom of Wei. The king received his son BUT DID NOT EVEN SUMMON MINISTER PANG CONG TO THE PALACE!
Hopefully, this story will help you see how dangerous words can be when used to promote rumors or create ill will. And perhaps will inspire you not to believe everything you hear.
There is also a secondary suggestion in this idiom that gossip is as ferocious as a tiger. Some Chinese people who don't know the ancient story above may believe that this scroll means that rumors are as vicious as three tigers.
Note: This proverb appears in my Korean dictionary but is not well-known in Korea.
This literally means: [The value of] soldiers/warriors lies in [their] quality.
兵在精 is part of a longer phrase that ends with “not [just] in [their] quantity.”
兵在精 is a well-known phrase in military circles, so the second part is suggested when one hears or reads these three characters.
See Also: 兵在精而不在多
一度だけ生きる is the simplest Japanese phrase that means “[you] only live once” or “only one [life] to live.”
The first four characters create a word that means “only once.”
The last three characters create a word that means “to live” or “to exist.”
Note: Because this selection contains some special Japanese Hiragana characters, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.
...as in Zen Buddhism
First, let's correct something: The Japanese romanization for this character, “Zen” has penetrated the English language. In English, it's almost always incorrectly used for phrases like “That's so zen.” Nobody says, “That's so meditation” - right? As the title of a sect, this would be like saying, “That's so Baptist!"
禪 by itself just means “meditation.” In that context, it should not be confined to use by any one religion or sect.
Regardless of the dictionary definition, more often than not, this character is associated with Buddhism. And here is one of the main reasons:
Zen is used as the title of a branch of Mahayana Buddhism, which strongly emphasizes meditation practice.
However, it should be noted that Buddhism came from India, and “Chan Buddhism” evolved and developed in medieval China. The Chinese character “Chan” was eventually pronounced as “Zen” in Japanese. Chan Buddhists in China have much in common with Zen Buddhists in Japan.
More about the history of Zen Buddhism here.
Please also note that the Japanese Kanji character for Zen has evolved a little in Japan, and the two boxes (kou) that you see at the top of the right side of the character have been replaced by three dots with tails.
The original character would still be generally understood and recognized in Japanese (it's considered an ancient version in Japan) but if you want the specifically modern Japanese version, please click on the zen Kanji to the right. Technically, there is no difference between the Tensho and Reisho versions of Zen since they are ancient character styles that existed long before Japan had a written language.
There is also an alternate/shorthand/simplified Chinese version, which has two dots or tails above the right-side radical. This version is also popular for calligraphy in China. If you want this version, just click the character to the right.
Further notes: Zen is just one of seven sects of Buddhism practiced in Japan. The others are 律 Ritsu (or Risshū), 法相 Hossō, 論 Sanron 華嚴 Kegon, 天台 Tendai, and 眞言 Shingon.
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The following table may be helpful for those studying Chinese or Japanese...
Title | Characters | Romaji (Romanized Japanese) | Various forms of Romanized Chinese | |
Great Expectations | 望 | bou / nozomi bo / nozomi | wàng / wang4 / wang | |
Better to be Happy than Rich | 安貧樂道 安贫乐道 | ān pín lè dào an1 pin2 le4 dao4 an pin le dao anpinledao | an p`in le tao anpinletao an pin le tao |
|
Body | 身 | mi | shēn / shen1 / shen | |
The Brave Have No Fears | 勇者不懼 勇者不惧 | yuu sha fu ku yuushafuku yu sha fu ku | yǒng zhě bú jù yong3 zhe3 bu2 ju4 yong zhe bu ju yongzhebuju | yung che pu chü yungchepuchü |
You May Learn from Victory, You Will Learn from Failure | 百勝難慮敵三折乃良醫 百胜难虑敌三折乃良医 | bǎi shèng nán lǜ dí sān zhé nǎi liáng yī bai3 sheng4 nan2 lv4 di2 san1 zhe2 nai3 liang2 yi1 bai sheng nan lv di san zhe nai liang yi | pai sheng nan lü ti san che nai liang i | |
Fidelity Honor Courage | 信義尊嚴勇氣 信义尊严勇气 | xìn yì zūn yán yǒng qì xin4 yi4 zun1 yan2 yong3 qi4 xin yi zun yan yong qi xinyizunyanyongqi | hsin i tsun yen yung ch`i hsinitsunyenyungchi hsin i tsun yen yung chi |
|
Forest | 森林 | shinrin | sēn lín / sen1 lin2 / sen lin / senlin | |
Happy Birthday | 祝誕生日 | shuku tan jou bi shukutanjoubi shuku tan jo bi | ||
Words Have Enormous Weight: One Word Worth Nine Caldrons | 一言九鼎 | yī yán jiǔ dǐng yi1 yan2 jiu3 ding3 yi yan jiu ding yiyanjiuding | i yen chiu ting iyenchiuting |
|
Immovable Mind | 不動心 | fu dou shin fudoushin fu do shin | ||
A Journey of 1000 Miles Begins with a Single Step | 千里の道も一歩から | sen ri no michi mo i-ppo ka ra senrinomichimoi-ppokara sen ri no michi mo i-po ka ra | ||
One | 一 | ichi | yī / yi1 / yi | i |
Protector | 保護者 保护者 | hogosha | bǎo hù zhě bao3 hu4 zhe3 bao hu zhe baohuzhe | pao hu che paohuche |
Romance of the Three Kingdoms | 三國演義 三国演义 | sān guó yǎn yì san1 guo2 yan3 yi4 san guo yan yi sanguoyanyi | san kuo yen i sankuoyeni |
|
Sangha | 僧伽 | sougya / sogya | sēng qié / seng1 qie2 / seng qie / sengqie | seng ch`ieh / sengchieh / seng chieh |
Scholar Confucian | 儒 | ju | rú / ru2 / ru | ju |
A sly rabbit has three openings to its den | 狡兔三窟 | jiǎo tù sān kū jiao3 tu4 san1 ku1 jiao tu san ku jiaotusanku | chiao t`u san k`u chiaotusanku chiao tu san ku |
|
The Holy Trinity | 三位一體 三位一体 | sān wèi yì tǐ san1 wei4 yi4 ti3 san wei yi ti sanweiyiti | san wei i t`i sanweiiti san wei i ti |
|
When Three People Gather, One Becomes a Teacher | 三人行必有我師 三人行必有我师 | sān rén xíng bì yǒu wǒ shī san1 ren2 xing2 bi4 you3 wo3 shi1 san ren xing bi you wo shi sanrenxingbiyouwoshi | san jen hsing pi yu wo shih sanjenhsingpiyuwoshih |
|
Three Kingdoms | 三國 三国 | mitsu kuni / mitsukuni | sān guó / san1 guo2 / san guo / sanguo | san kuo / sankuo |
Tiger Rumor | 三人成虎 | sān rén chéng hǔ san1 ren2 cheng2 hu3 san ren cheng hu sanrenchenghu | san jen ch`eng hu sanjenchenghu san jen cheng hu |
|
The Value of Warriors Lies in Their Quality | 兵在精 | bīng zài jīng bing1 zai4 jing1 bing zai jing bingzaijing | ping tsai ching pingtsaiching |
|
You Only Live Once | 一度だけ生きる | ichi do da ke i ki ru ichidodakeikiru | ||
Zen Chan Meditation | 禪 禅 | zen | chán / chan2 / chan | ch`an / chan |
Lucky Star | 福星 | fukusei | fú xīng / fu2 xing1 / fu xing / fuxing | fu hsing / fuhsing |
Shuhari | 守破離 | shu ha ri / shuhari | ||
Namu Dai Bosa | 南無大菩薩 南无大菩萨 | namu dai bosa namudaibosa | ||
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. |
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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.
Check out my lists of Japanese Kanji Calligraphy Wall Scrolls and Old Korean Hanja Calligraphy Wall Scrolls.
Some people may refer to this entry as Three as One Kanji, Three as One Characters, Three as One in Mandarin Chinese, Three as One Characters, Three as One in Chinese Writing, Three as One in Japanese Writing, Three as One in Asian Writing, Three as One Ideograms, Chinese Three as One symbols, Three as One Hieroglyphics, Three as One Glyphs, Three as One in Chinese Letters, Three as One Hanzi, Three as One in Japanese Kanji, Three as One Pictograms, Three as One in the Chinese Written-Language, or Three as One in the Japanese Written-Language.
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