諺語 · a single proverb
萬變不離其宗
Simplified: 万变不离其宗
What does 萬變不離其宗 (wàn biàn bù lí qí zōng) mean?
萬變不離其宗 (wàn biàn bù lí qí zōng) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "ten thousand changes do not leave the root." In use it means: No matter how much changes, the essence remains the same. 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 Dragon.
Literally: "ten thousand changes do not leave the root."
The reading
The river takes a thousand shapes around stones and bends yet is always the same river, returning to its source after the long rains. Beneath all transformation there is a principle that holds still. Find that and the changes no longer frighten you.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Traditional Chinese proverb (common in philosophical and folk contexts)
Sits beside
上善若水
shàng shàn ruò shuǐ
The finest virtue is like water, which benefits all things and flows to the low places without contending.
天下之至柔，馳騁天下之至堅
tiān xià zhī zhì róu chí chěng tiān xià zhī zhì jiān
The most yielding force in the world overcomes the most unyielding.
心如止水
xīn rú zhǐ shuǐ
A heart as still and clear as motionless water.
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 The Way of Water, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Dragon, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 萬變不離其宗 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 萬變不離其宗 (wàn biàn bù lí qí zōng) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Traditional Chinese proverb (common in philosophical and folk contexts). 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 萬變不離其宗?
In Mandarin it is wàn biàn bù lí qí zōng. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 萬變不離其宗 aloud in Mandarin.