Many custom options...

Tan Paper and Copper Silk Love Wall Scroll
Red Paper and Ivory Silk Love Wall Scroll
Orange Paper Love Scroll
Crazy Blue and Gold Silk Love Scroll


And formats...

Love Vertical Portrait
Love Horizontal Wall Scroll
Love Vertical Portrait

Be Like Water in Chinese / Japanese...

Buy a Be Like Water calligraphy wall scroll here!

Personalize your custom “Be Like Water” project by clicking the button next to your favorite “Be Like Water” title below...

Be Like Water

Quote from Lao Tzu

 ruò shuǐ
Be Like Water Scroll

若水 is part of a very old saying from Lao Tzu.

In these two characters, there is a suggestion to be like water. The full phrase is about the goodness and purity of water. So, when this suggests being like water, it is actually a suggestion to be a good person (one who does not dishonor himself/herself, etc.).

Be Like Water

 xiàng shuǐ yí yàng
Be Like Water Scroll

像水一樣 is a short quote from a much longer statement by Bruce Lee.

He summarized how people should be flexible to all circumstances, attacks, or situations. In the end, he exclaims, “Be like water, my friend.” 像水一樣 is the “Be like water” part alone since that seems to be what most people want.

Ultimate Goodness of Water

Quote from Lao Tzu

 shàng shàn ruò shuǐ
Ultimate Goodness of Water Scroll

上善若水 is a quote that is sometimes presented as “Be like water.”

However, this is an ancient quote from the great philosopher Lao Tzu. It suggests that the ultimate goodness and purity (in the world) is water. Many take this as a suggestion to be like pure/good water.

Mind Like Water

Mizu No Kokoro

 mizu no kokoro
Mind Like Water Scroll

水の心 is the Japanese Buddhist and martial arts phrase, “Mizu no Kokoro,” which means “mind like water” or “heart of water.”

The phrase is a metaphor describing the pond that clearly reflects its surroundings when calm but whose images are obscured once a pebble is dropped into its waters.




This in-stock artwork might be what you are looking for, and ships right away...

Gallery Price: $200.00

Your Price: $79.88

Gallery Price: $176.00

Your Price: $97.77

Gallery Price: $61.00

Your Price: $33.88

Gallery Price: $61.00

Your Price: $33.88

Gallery Price: $200.00

Your Price: $88.88

Gallery Price: $200.00

Your Price: $88.88

Gallery Price: $200.00

Your Price: $88.88

Gallery Price: $144.00

Your Price: $79.88

Gallery Price: $240.00

Your Price: $98.88

Gallery Price: $472.20

Your Price: $298.88

Gallery Price: $472.20

Your Price: $298.88


Not the results for be like water that you were looking for?

Below are some entries from our dictionary that may match your be like water search...

Characters

If shown, 2nd row is Simp. Chinese

Pronunciation
Romanization
Simple Dictionary Definition

Variations:
湯水のごとく
湯水の如く

see styles
 yumizunogotoku
    ゆみずのごとく
(adv,exp) (as in 'spend money like water') (See 湯水・2) like water; like it grows on trees

貪水


贪水

see styles
tān shuǐ
    tan1 shui3
t`an shui
    tan shui
 tonsui
Desire is like water carrying things along.

心水

see styles
xīn shuǐ
    xin1 shui3
hsin shui
 motomi
    もとみ
(female given name) Motomi
The mind as a reflecting water-surface; also the mind as water, clear or turbids.

心性

see styles
xīn xìng
    xin1 xing4
hsin hsing
 shinsei / shinse
    しんせい
one's nature; temperament
mind; disposition; nature
Immutable mind-corpus, or mind-nature, the self-existing fundamental pure mind, the all, the Tathāgata-garbha, or 如來藏心; 自性淸淨心; also described in the 起信論 Awakening of Faith as immortal 不生不滅. Another definition identifies 心 with 性 saying 性卽是心, 心卽是佛 the nature is the mind, and mind is Buddha; another, that mind and nature are the same when 悟 awake and understanding, but differ when 迷 in illusion; and further, in reply to the statement that the Buddha-nature is eternal but the mind not eternal, it is said, the nature is like water, the mind like ice, illusion turns nature to mental ice form, awakening melts it back to its proper nature.

揮金如土


挥金如土

see styles
huī jīn rú tǔ
    hui1 jin1 ru2 tu3
hui chin ju t`u
    hui chin ju tu
lit. to squander money like dirt (idiom); fig. to spend money like water; extravagant

湯水の如く

see styles
 yumizunogotoku
    ゆみずのごとく
(adv,exp) like water; like it grows on trees

湯水のごとく

see styles
 yumizunogotoku
    ゆみずのごとく
(adv,exp) like water; like it grows on trees

湯水のように

see styles
 yumizunoyouni / yumizunoyoni
    ゆみずのように
(expression) (See 湯水・2) like water; like it grows on trees

湯水のように使う

see styles
 yumizunoyounitsukau / yumizunoyonitsukau
    ゆみずのようにつかう
(exp,v5u) to spend (money) like water; to spend (money) like it grows on trees; to throw around (one's money); to play ducks and drakes with

信水

see styles
xìn shuǐ
    xin4 shui3
hsin shui
 shinsui
    しんすい
(given name) Shinsui
Faith pure and purifying like water.

忍水

see styles
rěn shuǐ
    ren3 shui3
jen shui
 ninsui
Patience in its depth and expanse compared to water.

蛙の面に水

see styles
 kaerunotsuranimizu
    かえるのつらにみず
(expression) like water off a duck's back; water on a frog's face

Variations:
蛙の面に水
カエルの面に水
かえるの面に水

see styles
 kaerunotsuranimizu(蛙no面ni水, kaeruno面ni水); kaerunotsuranimizu(kaeruno面ni水)
    かえるのつらにみず(蛙の面に水, かえるの面に水); カエルのつらにみず(カエルの面に水)
(expression) (idiom) like water off a duck's back; water on a frog's face

上善若水

see styles
shàng shàn ruò shuǐ
    shang4 shan4 ruo4 shui3
shang shan jo shui

More info & calligraphy:

Ultimate Goodness of Water
the ideal is to be like water (which benefits all living things and does not struggle against them) (quotation from the "Book of Dao" 道德經|道德经[Dao4 de2 jing1])

如水

see styles
rú shuǐ
    ru2 shui3
ju shui
 nyosui
    にょすい
(personal name) Nyosui
like water

水火氷炭

see styles
 suikahyoutan / suikahyotan
    すいかひょうたん
not getting along well with each other; being like water and oil

蛙の面に小便

see styles
 kaerunotsuranishouben / kaerunotsuranishoben
    かえるのつらにしょうべん
(expression) (colloquialism) (See 蛙の面に水) like water off a duck's back; urine on a frog's face

Variations:
立て板に水
立板に水

see styles
 tateitanimizu / tatetanimizu
    たていたにみず
(exp,n) (idiom) (ant: 横板に雨垂れ) eloquence; volubility; (like) water on a standing board

鐵打的衙門,流水的官


铁打的衙门,流水的官

see styles
tiě dǎ de yá men , liú shuǐ de guān
    tie3 da3 de5 ya2 men5 , liu2 shui3 de5 guan1
t`ieh ta te ya men , liu shui te kuan
    tieh ta te ya men , liu shui te kuan
lit. the yamen is strong as iron, the officials flow like water (idiom); fig. government officials come and go

Variations:
蛙の面に小便
カエルの面に小便
かえるの面に小便

see styles
 kaerunotsuranishouben(蛙no面ni小便, kaeruno面ni小便); kaerunotsuranishouben(kaeruno面ni小便) / kaerunotsuranishoben(蛙no面ni小便, kaeruno面ni小便); kaerunotsuranishoben(kaeruno面ni小便)
    かえるのつらにしょうべん(蛙の面に小便, かえるの面に小便); カエルのつらにしょうべん(カエルの面に小便)
(expression) (idiom) (colloquialism) (See 蛙の面に水) like water off a duck's back; urine on a frog's face

The following table may be helpful for those studying Chinese or Japanese...

Title CharactersRomaji (Romanized Japanese)Various forms of Romanized Chinese
Be Like Water若水ruò shuǐ / ruo4 shui3 / ruo shui / ruoshuijo shui / joshui
Be Like Water像水一樣xiàng shuǐ yí yàng
xiang4 shui3 yi2 yang4
xiang shui yi yang
xiangshuiyiyang
hsiang shui i yang
hsiangshuiiyang
Ultimate Goodness of Water上善若水shàng shàn ruò shuǐ
shang4 shan4 ruo4 shui3
shang shan ruo shui
shangshanruoshui
shang shan jo shui
shangshanjoshui
Mind Like Water水の心mizu no kokoro
mizunokokoro


Dictionary

Lookup Be Like Water in my Japanese & Chinese Dictionary


Successful Chinese Character and Japanese Kanji calligraphy searches within the last few hours...

A Journey of a Thousand MilesA Moment of Time is as Precious as GoldAbbasAbbyAchievementAcupunctureAdaraAdenAdhamAdittoAdnanAdventureAeriAguilarAhmadAikaAileAileenAimanAimiAishaAishiAjaniAjayAkashAkbarAkeelAkiraAkumaAlanAlaniAlayaAleahAlessandraAlexanderAlfredoAliaAlinaAlisaAllahAllieAllysonAloraAltheaAlvinAlyaAmandaAmaranteAmeerAmeliaAminAmmarAnasAndersonAndreaAndyAnhaoAniaAnikaAnishAnkitAnkitaAnn-MarieAnnaAnne-SophieAnnuAnshuAnthonAntonAntoneAntonelaAntonelloAntoniArabellaArdanAriaArianneArinaArionAritzAriyanArjunArlenArmanArthurArvinAshaAsherAshtonAsiyaAthenaAtonementAubreyAvatarAveryAyanAyeshaAylaAzucenaBaileeBambooBe Like WaterBe Like Water My FriendBeauty of NatureBeckyBensonBernBertBethBeulahBeware of the LawyersBiancaBibiBible VerseBishalBlack BeltBlairBlakeBlessingBlessingsBodhi TreeBooneBorisBostonBrave the WavesBraydenBreaBreeannaBriannaBrielleBritneyBrooklynBrotherly LoveBruce LeeBuddhaBushido CodeButchCablayCadeCaidenCaineCaitlynCamilaCamposCarissaCarlCarolineCarpe DiemCarsonCassCassiaCassidyCatholicCeciCedricCelesteCelineCesarChakaChaosChapmanCharisseCharleenChaudharyCheyanneChi EnergyChiaraChinoChloeChop Wood Carry WaterChristelleChristianChristian SoldierChristianityChristinaChung Shin Tong IlCiaraClaireClaraClarissaCliffordClintCloeCollenCommitmentConnieConradCorinthians 13:4CotyCristianCrouching Tiger Hidden DragonDaeshaDahliaDaiseyDakaDaleDaliaDanaDanielDaniela

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.


A nice Chinese calligraphy wall scroll

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.

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.


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 Be Like Water Kanji, Be Like Water Characters, Be Like Water in Mandarin Chinese, Be Like Water Characters, Be Like Water in Chinese Writing, Be Like Water in Japanese Writing, Be Like Water in Asian Writing, Be Like Water Ideograms, Chinese Be Like Water symbols, Be Like Water Hieroglyphics, Be Like Water Glyphs, Be Like Water in Chinese Letters, Be Like Water Hanzi, Be Like Water in Japanese Kanji, Be Like Water Pictograms, Be Like Water in the Chinese Written-Language, or Be Like Water in the Japanese Written-Language.

111 people have searched for Be Like Water in Chinese or Japanese in the past year.
Be Like Water was last searched for by someone else on Nov 20th, 2024