前尘 (qián chén) — (literary) the past; bygone events; (Buddhism) previous existence; impurities of the sentient world
Definition
A literary word for 'the past / bygone events', often carrying a wistful or Buddhist sense of worldly dust and karma from a previous existence. Reads as formal and poetic, not everyday spoken Chinese.
noun
(literary) the pastbygone events(Buddhism) previous existenceimpurities of the sentient world
Examples
- 前尘，。Huí shǒu qián chén, tā bù jīn liú xià le yǎn lèi.Looking back on the past, he couldn't help shedding tears.
- 前尘。Fó jiào rèn wéi qián chén de yè lì huì yǐng xiǎng jīn shēng.Buddhism believes that the karma from previous existence affects this life.
- 前尘，。Wǎng shì rú qián chén, suí fēng sàn qù.Past events are like former dust, scattered by the wind.
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