諺語 · a single proverb
捨得
Simplified: 舍得
What does 捨得 (shě dé) mean?
捨得 (shě dé) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "to give up is to gain." In use it means: Letting go of something creates space for something else; loss and gain are two sides of one coin. 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 Goat.
Literally: "to give up is to gain."
The reading
The closet is full. Nothing new fits. You could blame the closet, or you could remove the three coats you have not worn in five years. Every yes you say to the old is a no to something you have not met yet. Release is not subtraction. It is a prerequisite for addition.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Buddhist philosophical tradition; common folk usage
Sits beside
井底之蛙
jǐng dǐ zhī wā
Someone with an extremely narrow view of the world, who mistakes the small circle of sky above the well for the whole sky.
冰凍三尺，非一日之寒
bīng dòng sān chǐ, fēi yī rì zhī hán
Nothing deep-a skill, a habit, a ruin-forms overnight.
心急吃不了熱豆腐
xīn jí chī bù liǎo rè dòu fu
Impatience will not speed things up.
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 Goat, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 捨得 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 捨得 (shě dé) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Buddhist philosophical tradition; common folk usage. 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 捨得?
In Mandarin it is shě dé. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 捨得 aloud in Mandarin.