諺語 · a single proverb
天生天養
Simplified: 天生天养
What does 天生天養 (tiān shēng tiān yǎng) mean?
天生天養 (tiān shēng tiān yǎng) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "born of heaven, nurtured by heaven." In use it means: Trust that nature and providence will sustain what they created; some things are best left to grow without excessive human interference. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Wood note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Goat.
Literally: "born of heaven, nurtured by heaven."
The reading
The wildflower was not planted, fertilized, or watered by anyone. It found its own crack in the rock, its own angle of sunlight, its own way to bloom. Not everything requires your management. Some things arrive already carrying their own instructions.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Common Cantonese and folk proverb; Daoist sensibility
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 Nature, Seasons & Health, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Goat, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 天生天養 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 天生天養 (tiān shēng tiān yǎng) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Common Cantonese and folk proverb; Daoist sensibility. 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 天生天養?
In Mandarin it is tiān shēng tiān yǎng. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 天生天養 aloud in Mandarin.