Mind of No Mind in Chinese / Japanese...

In Japanese, 無心 means innocent or without knowledge of good and evil. It literally means “without mind.”

無心 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: “No mind, a mind without ego. A mind like a mirror which reflects and dos not judge.” The original term was “mushin no shin,” meaning “mind of no mind.” It is a state of mind without fear, anger, or anxiety. Mushin is often described by the phrase “Mizu no Kokoro,” which means “mind like 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 has a good meaning in conjunction with Chan / Zen Buddhism in Japan. However, out of that context, it means mindlessness or absent-mindedness. To non-Buddhists in China, this is associated with doing something without thinking.
In Korean, this usually means indifference.

Use caution and know your audience before ordering this selection.

More info: Wikipedia: Mushin

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.

月の心 means “Mind like the Moon” or, more directly translated, “Moon of Mind.”

月の心 is a phrase used in Zen Buddhism and some Japanese martial arts.

精神 is the kind of spirit you have if you perform well in sports or competitions. It is the idea of having a good attitude and putting your all into something - so much so that others can see or feel your spirit. It is the essence of your being that can only be subjectively described because there are no words that can fully explain what “spirit” really is.

For your information:
My Japanese dictionary further tries to explain this word by comparing it to mind, soul, heart, or intention.
My Chinese dictionary compares these characters to meanings like vigor, vitality, drive, and mentality.
My Korean dictionary defines this as mind, spirit, and soul.

See Also:  Vitality | Heart | Soul

泰然自若 is a Chinese and Japanese proverb/word that means “cool and collected,” “showing no sign of nerves,” “perfectly composed,” “having the presence of mind,” “self-possessed,” “imperturbable,” and/or “calm and self-possessed.”

My Australian friends always say, “No worries, mate.” It's caught on with me, though I drop the “mate” part since it confuses my fellow Americans.

If you would like to express the idea of “no worries,” 放心 is the best and most natural way to say it in Chinese.

The characters you see to the left can be translated as “put your mind at rest” or “to be at ease.” You could literally translate “no worries,” but it doesn't “flow” like this simple Chinese version.

For your info, the first character means to release, to free, to let go, to relax, or to rest. The second character means your heart or your mind.

Note that in Japanese and Korean, this holds the similar meaning of “peace of mind” but can also mean absentmindedness or carelessness, depending on context.

虛心坦懐 is a Japanese proverb that means “with an open and calm mind,” “with no preconceived notions,” or “without reservations.”

In some contexts, it can mean frank or candid.

If you want to remind yourself to approach each situation with no preconceptions, this is a good title for you. This can also refer to the ideas of being candid, frank, and straightforward.

平常心 is the title Heijoshin, as associated with Kendo and Aikido schools of Japanese martial arts.

平常心 is also a word in Japanese that can be translated as “one's self-possession” or “presence of mind.”

In Chinese and Korean, this means “simplicity heart,” “composure,” “calmness,” or a “sense of orderliness.” In Chinese and Korean, this implies that you enjoy what you have, keep your heart in balance, and have no over-blown ambitions.

不干己事不张口一问摇头三不知 literally translates as [About] matters [that] don't concern [you], do not open [your] mouth, [and] when questioned, always shake [your] head “No.”

Figuratively, this means: It is best to remain reticent about other people's affairs and to refuse to make any comment on matters that don't concern you.

悕望の心 is “Kemō no Shin,” a Japanese Zen Buddhist word that means “The seeking mind” or “[Having] The mind to seek something.”

The first two characters mean longing for. The last two mean “of mind” or “of heart.” So, this is a mind that longs for or seeks knowledge, etc.

無事 is a Zen Buddhist term meaning no problem and no trouble.

無事 is the Zen state of perfect freedom from troubles and leaving secular affairs behind.

Sometimes this is used to describe the state of satori and complete tranquility of mind.

Written as 無事に with an extra Hiragana at the end, this becomes an adverb to describe something in the condition of safety, peace, quietness, and without troubles.

無事 (Buji) can also be a given name in Japan.

This has more meaning in the Japanese Zen Buddhist community than in China or Korea, where it can mean “be free” or “nothing to do or worry about.”

魂の伴侶 is a Japanese-only title for soulmates.

魂 means soul, spirit, immortal soul (the part of you that lives beyond your physical body), or the conscious mind. In the Buddhist context, this is vijñāna or viññāṇa (consciousness, life force, or mind).

の is a possessive article that connects everything here.

伴侶 means mates, companions, partners, and spouses.

心の伴侶 is a Japanese-only title for soulmates.

心 means heart, soul, mind, core, or center. In ancient times, the heart was believed to be the mind or center of your soul and being.

の is a possessive article that connects everything here.

伴侶 means mates, companions, partners, and spouses.

This Japanese version of soulmates is about two partners, coupled or joined by their hearts.

信心 is a Chinese, Japanese, and Korean word that means confidence, faith, or belief in somebody or something.

The first character means faith, and the second can mean heart or soul. Therefore, you could say this means “faithful heart” or “faithful soul.”

In Korean especially, this word has a religious connotation.

In the old Japanese Buddhist context, this was a word for citta-prasāda (clear or pure heart-mind).
In modern Japan (when read by non-Buddhists), this word is usually understood as “faith,” “belief,” or “devotion.”

See Also:  Self-Confidence

This Chinese philosophy tells of how we continue to learn throughout our lives.

This proverb can be translated in a few ways such as “Study has no end,” “Knowledge is infinite,” “No end to learning,” “There's always something new to study,” or “You live and learn.”

The deeper meaning: Even when we finish school we are still students of the world gaining more knowledge from our surroundings with each passing day.

See Also:  An Open Book Benefits Your Mind | Wisdom | Learn From Wisdom

気の強い means strong-willed or strong of heart in Japanese.

Here's the character breakdown of this Japanese title:
気 (ki) spirit; mind; heart; nature; motivation; intention; feelings; essence.
の (no) possessive particle.
強い (tsuyoi) strong; powerful; mighty; potent; resistant; resilient; durable.

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

永遠に私の心の中に means “forever in my heart” or “always in my heart” in Japanese.

The character breakdown:
永遠 (eien) eternity; perpetuity; immortality; permanence.
に (ni) indicates the location of a person or thing.
私の (watashi no) my; mine.
心の中 (kokoro no naka) the middle of one's mind; the midst of one's heart.
に (ni) indicates the location of a person or thing (makes this “in” the middle of one's heart).

Note: There’s more than one way to say "Forever in My Heart" in Japanese, so you’ll find another version in our database. This is the very verbose version.

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

十法 is the title of the ten perfect or perfecting Mahāyāna rules.

The order of rules is as follows:
1. right belief.
2. right conduct.
3. right spirit.
4. the joy of the bodhi mind.
5. joy in the dharma.
6. joy in meditation.
7. pursuing the correct dharma.
8. obedience to, or accordance with dharma.
9. departing from pride, desire, etc.
10. comprehending the inner teaching of Buddha and taking no pleasure in attaining such knowledge or noting the ignorance of others.

This title is only used in the context of Buddhism. Japanese and Chinese people who are not familiar with Buddhism will not recognize this title.

淡泊以明志寧靜而致遠 is a kind of complex ten-character proverb composed by Zhuge Liang about 1800 years ago.

This is a Chinese proverb that means “Leading a simple life will yield a clear mind, and having inner peace will help you see far (into the world).”

What I have translated as “simple life” means NOT being materialistic and NOT competing in the rat race.

The last word means “far” but the deeper meaning is that you will surpass what you can currently see or understand. Perhaps even the idea of opening up vast knowledge and understanding of complex ideas.

The whole phrase has a theme that suggests if you are NOT an aggressive cut-throat person who fights his way to the top no matter how many people he crushes on the way, and instead seek inner peace, you will have a happier existence and be more likely to understand the meaning of life.

See Also:  Serenity