面壁

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Chinese

face; side; surface
face; side; surface; aspect; top
 
wall; rampart
simp. and trad.
(面壁)
Literally: “to face the wall”.

Etymology

Bodhidharma, the Buddhist monk credited with transmitting Chan (Zen) Buddhism to China, was said to have practised wall-gazing for nine years near the Shaolin Monastery.

Pronunciation



Rime
Character
Reading # 1/1 1/1
Initial () (4) (1)
Final () (77) (127)
Tone (調) Departing (H) Checked (Ø)
Openness (開合) Open Open
Division () III IV
Fanqie
Baxter mjienH pek
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang
Shangfang
/miᴇnH/ /pek̚/
Pan
Wuyun
/miɛnH/ /pek̚/
Shao
Rongfen
/mjænH/ /pɛk̚/
Edwin
Pulleyblank
/mianH/ /pɛjk̚/
Li
Rong
/miɛnH/ /pek̚/
Wang
Li
/mĭɛnH/ /piek̚/
Bernhard
Karlgren
/mi̯ɛnH/ /piek̚/
Expected
Mandarin
Reflex
miàn bi
Expected
Cantonese
Reflex
min6 bik1

Verb

面壁

  1. (Buddhism) to sit facing the wall in meditation
  2. (figurative, especially Buddhism) to study or work with undivided attention
  3. (in general) to face the wall (especially as a punishment); to stand facing the wall (to self-reflect)

Derived terms