諺語 · a single proverb
寧靜致遠
Simplified: 宁静致远
What does 寧靜致遠 (níng jìng zhì yuǎn) mean?
寧靜致遠 (níng jìng zhì yuǎn) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "through tranquility, reach the far." In use it means: Only a calm, undistracted mind accomplishes far-reaching aims. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Water note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Snake.
Literally: "through tranquility, reach the far."
The reading
You cannot see far from a shaking place. Quiet the room and quiet the mind, and the horizon you were straining toward comes into view on its own.
The story
The line is from Zhuge Liang's 誡子書, the letter of admonition the great strategist wrote to his son near the end of his life: without stillness there is no reaching far, without tranquility no clarity of aim. Only a calm, undistracted mind, he warned, accomplishes anything far-reaching.
When the horizon you are straining toward keeps blurring, the problem is usually the shaking, not the distance. Quiet the room and quiet the mind first, and let the far aim come into focus on its own.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Zhuge Liang 諸葛亮, 誡子書
Sits beside
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 Humility & Self-Mastery, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Snake, Year of the Ox, Year of the Pig, and Year of the Horse.
Questions
Is 寧靜致遠 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 寧靜致遠 (níng jìng zhì yuǎn) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Zhuge Liang 諸葛亮, 誡子書. 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 寧靜致遠?
In Mandarin it is níng jìng zhì yuǎn. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 寧靜致遠 aloud in Mandarin.