法眼 (fǎ yǎn) — (Buddhism) insight; the dharma eye; (honorific) your esteemed judgment (used in formal requests or courtly language)

Definition

A Buddhist term for enlightened insight ("the dharma eye"); in courtly or honorific use it means "your esteemed judgment," a polite way to appeal to someone's perceptiveness.

noun
(Buddhism) insightthe dharma eye(honorific) your esteemed judgment (used in formal requests or courtly language)

Examples

  • ，法眼。
    Tā xiū xíng duō nián, zhōng yú kāi le fǎ yǎn.
    After years of cultivation, he finally opened the dharma eye.
  • 。
    Qǐng xiān sheng yòng fǎ yǎn zhǐ diǎn yī èr.
    Please, sir, use your esteemed judgment to offer some guidance.
  • 法眼。
    Cǐ shì hái xū nín fǎ yǎn míng chá.
    This matter still requires your esteemed judgment to investigate clearly.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

法fǎdharma or law
眼yǎneye

法 means dharma or law and 眼 means eye; together they picture an eye that sees truth or judges clearly.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
廌廌zhìa type of antelope or caprid
Sound part声符shēngfú
盍
盍hé法fǎ
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

法's older form combined 氵 (water) and 廌 (a type of antelope or caprid), with 盍 as a sound part; later 廌 was dropped.

Open 法 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
目目mùeye
Sound part声符shēngfú
艮
艮gèn眼yǎn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

眼 combines 目, which is an eye, with 艮, which gives the character's sound.

Open 眼 →

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