諺語 · a single proverb
天意之間，在乎用心
Simplified: 天意之间，在乎用心
What does 天意之間，在乎用心 (tiān yì zhī jiān zài hū yòng xīn) mean?
天意之間，在乎用心 (tiān yì zhī jiān zài hū yòng xīn) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "heaven's intention in between, lies in using the heart." In use it means: Between heaven's will and human fate lies the sincerity of the human heart. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Fire note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Dragon.
Literally: "heaven's intention in between, lies in using the heart."
The reading
The gap between what the sky ordains and what the person receives is not empty but filled with the quality of attention they brought. Heaven's intention is vast and impersonal; the heart applied to it makes it particular, personal, and answerable. Sincerity is the instrument through which the large passes into the life of the small.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Traditional Chinese philosophical saying
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 Dragon, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 天意之間，在乎用心 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 天意之間，在乎用心 (tiān yì zhī jiān zài hū yòng xīn) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Traditional Chinese philosophical saying. 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 天意之間，在乎用心?
In Mandarin it is tiān yì zhī jiān zài hū yòng xīn. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 天意之間，在乎用心 aloud in Mandarin.