| 苦海无边，回头是岸 |
kǔ hǎi wú biān , huí tóu shì àn |
The sea of bitterness has no bounds, turn your head to see the shore (idiom). Only Buddhist enlightenment can allow one to shed off the abyss of worldly suffering. / Repent and ye shall be saved! |
| 苦 |
kǔ |
bitter / hardship / pain / to suffer / to bring suffering to / painstakingly |
| 苦海 |
kǔ hǎi |
lit. sea of bitterness / abyss of worldly suffering (Buddhist term) / depths of misery |
| 海 |
Hǎi |
surname Hai |
| 海 |
hǎi |
ocean / sea / CL:个,片 / great number of people or things / (dialect) numerous |
| 无 |
mó |
used in 南无 |
| 无 |
wú |
not to have / no / none / not / to lack / un- / -less |
| 无边 |
wú biān |
without boundary / not bordered |
| 边 |
biān |
side / edge / margin / border / boundary / CL:个 / simultaneously |
| 边 |
bian |
suffix of a noun of locality |
| 回 |
huí |
to circle / to go back / to turn around / to answer / to return / to revolve / Hui ethnic group (Chinese Muslims) / time / classifier for acts of a play / section or chapter (of a classic book) |
| 回 |
huí |
to curve / to return / to revolve |
| 回 |
huí |
variant of 回 |
| 回头 |
huí tóu |
to turn round; to turn one's head / later; by and by |
| 头 |
tóu |
head / hair style / the top / end / beginning or end / a stub / remnant / chief / boss / side / aspect / first / leading / classifier for pigs or livestock / CL:个 |
| 头 |
tou |
suffix for nouns |
| 是 |
shì |
to be (followed by substantives only) / correct; right; true / (respectful acknowledgement of a command) very well / (adverb for emphatic assertion) |
| 是 |
shì |
variant of 是 |
| 岸 |
àn |
variant of 岸 |
| 岸 |
àn |
bank; shore; beach; coast |