諺語 · a single proverb

不bù動dòng如rú山shān

Simplified: 不动如山

bù dòng rú shān

What does 不動如山 (bù dòng rú shān) mean?

不動如山 (bù dòng rú shān) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "unmoving like a mountain." In use it means: Stay firm and steady when everything around you is in chaos; be the stable center. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Earth note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Ox.

Literally: "unmoving like a mountain."

The reading

The mountain does not lean into the wind or away from it. It stands where it is. That is not stubbornness. It is the kind of stability that comes from knowing your own weight. Be the thing that does not move when everything else is shaking.

What kind of proverb it is

Source The Art of War 孫子兵法, Military Dispositions 軍爭 (Sun Tzu)

Sits beside

暗渡陳倉

àn dù chén cāng

Distracting the enemy with an obvious feint while your real move happens elsewhere.

運籌帷幄

yùn chóu wéi wò

Planning masterfully behind the scenes.

人心齊，泰山移

rén xīn qí tài shān yí

When people are united in purpose, even the greatest obstacles can be overcome.

Keep reading

Return to the Proverb Pond to draw another of the eighty-seven, or hear one read aloud. Read the rest of its chapter in Courage & Decisive Action, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Ox, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Tiger.

Questions

Is 不動如山 a real Chinese proverb?

Yes. 不動如山 (bù dòng rú shān) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from The Art of War 孫子兵法, Military Dispositions 軍爭 (Sun Tzu). It is living Chinese heritage, given here with per-character pinyin and its source so you can trust the line, not a phrase invented in English.

How do you pronounce 不動如山?

In Mandarin it is bù dòng rú shān. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 不動如山 aloud in Mandarin.