諺語 · a single proverb
日日是好日
What does 日日是好日 (rì rì shì hǎo rì) mean?
日日是好日 (rì rì shì hǎo rì) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "Every day is a good day." In use it means: When you stop dividing days into good and bad based on what happens to you, every single day reveals itself as complete and sufficient. 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 Dog.
Literally: "Every day is a good day."
The reading
Yunmen was not denying that some days bring difficulty. He was pointing out that the rating system itself is the problem. A rainy day is only bad if you decided this morning that it should be sunny. A day of loss is only ruined if you treat possession as the default state. Strip away the scorekeeping and what is left is simply this day, alive and full of texture. The practice is not pretending everything is wonderful but refusing to withhold your attention from what is actually here.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Yunmen Wenyan (雲門文偃), Tang Dynasty Chan master
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 Harmony, Virtue & Balance, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Dog, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 日日是好日 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 日日是好日 (rì rì shì hǎo rì) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Yunmen Wenyan (雲門文偃), Tang Dynasty Chan master. 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 日日是好日?
In Mandarin it is rì rì shì hǎo rì. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 日日是好日 aloud in Mandarin.