諺語 · a single proverb
眾生平等
Simplified: 众生平等
What does 眾生平等 (zhòng shēng píng děng) mean?
眾生平等 (zhòng shēng píng děng) is a line of classical verse (shīcí 詩詞). Word for word it reads "all sentient beings are equal." In use it means: Every living creature has the same fundamental worth; status, species, and circumstance do not alter the underlying equality of existence. 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 Pig.
Literally: "all sentient beings are equal."
The reading
The ant and the emperor both want to live. That want is the same want, felt at the same depth, regardless of the body that holds it. Equality is not a policy position. It is a description of what is already true at the level of the heartbeat.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Buddhist core principle; Diamond Sutra 金剛經 tradition
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 Pig, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 眾生平等 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 眾生平等 (zhòng shēng píng děng) is a line of classical verse (shīcí 詩詞), and it comes from Buddhist core principle; Diamond Sutra 金剛經 tradition. 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 眾生平等?
In Mandarin it is zhòng shēng píng děng. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 眾生平等 aloud in Mandarin.