面壁
Chinese edit
face; side; surface face; side; surface; aspect; top |
wall; rampart | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| simp. and trad. (面壁) |
面 | 壁 | |
| Literally: “to face the wall”. | |||
Etymology edit
Bodhidharma, the Buddhist monk credited with transmitting Chan (Zen) Buddhism to China, was said to have practised wall-gazing for nine years near the Shaolin Monastery.
Pronunciation edit
Verb edit
面壁
- (Buddhism) to sit facing the wall in meditation
- (figurative, especially Buddhism) to study or work with undivided attention
- (in general) to face the wall (especially as a punishment); to stand facing the wall (to self-reflect)