諺語 · a single proverb
心寬體胖
What does 心寬體胖 (xīn kuān tǐ pàng) mean?
心寬體胖 (xīn kuān tǐ pàng) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "heart wide, body round." In use it means: A generous and unworried heart leads to a comfortable and healthy body. 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 Pig.
Literally: "heart wide, body round."
The reading
The person who is not contracting against the world's insults and surprises does not carry that contraction in their body. What the heart does with its grudges shows eventually in the shoulders and the stomach and the quality of sleep. The wide heart is not naive but capacious, able to hold what comes without gripping it, and the body knows the difference.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Traditional Chinese folk health proverb
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 Pig, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Rabbit.
Questions
Is 心寬體胖 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 心寬體胖 (xīn kuān tǐ pàng) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Traditional Chinese folk health proverb. 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 心寬體胖?
In Mandarin it is xīn kuān tǐ pàng. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 心寬體胖 aloud in Mandarin.