諺語 · a single proverb
一塵不染
Simplified: 一尘不染
What does 一塵不染 (yī chén bù rǎn) mean?
一塵不染 (yī chén bù rǎn) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "not a single speck of dust." In use it means: Completely pure and uncorrupted; someone who remains untouched by worldly temptation or moral compromise. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Metal note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Goat.
Literally: "not a single speck of dust."
The reading
The monk's robe is white after a decade of walking through dust. Not because the dust avoided him, but because he shook it off every night. Purity is not the absence of exposure. It is the discipline of constant cleaning. The world sends dust at everyone equally. The difference is in who bothers to brush it off.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Buddhist expression; Huineng 惠能, Platform Sutra 六祖壇經 echo
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 Goat, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 一塵不染 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 一塵不染 (yī chén bù rǎn) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Buddhist expression; Huineng 惠能, Platform Sutra 六祖壇經 echo. 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 一塵不染?
In Mandarin it is yī chén bù rǎn. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 一塵不染 aloud in Mandarin.