天数 (tiān shǔ) — fate, destiny; fatalism; (Yijing) the five odd numbers (1, 3, 5, 7, 9) that sum to 25, representing the yang principle
Definition
天数 (tiān shù) literally 'heaven's numbers' — in everyday use it means fate or destiny, something preordained and unchangeable. In the Yijing it refers specifically to the five odd numbers (1, 3, 5, 7, 9) symbolizing yang.
noun
fatedestinyfatalism(Yijing) the five odd numbers (1, 3, 5, 7, 9) that sum to 25representing the yang principle
Examples
- 天数，。Tā rèn wéi zhè yí qiè dōu shì tiān shǔ, wú fǎ gǎi biàn.He thinks all this is fate and cannot be changed.
- 《》，天数。Zài 《yì jīng》 zhōng, tiān shǔ dài biǎo yáng shù.In the Yijing, the heavenly numbers represent yang numbers.
- 天数，。Hěn duō rén xiāng xìn tiān shǔ, dàn yě yào nǔ lì.Many people believe in fatalism, but one must still work hard.
Appears in
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