四大皆空 sì dà jiē kōng Four Elements of Emptiness

Explanation

四大：古印度称地、水、火风为“四大”。佛教用语。指世界上一切都是空虚的。是一种消极思想。

Four Elements: In ancient India, earth, water, fire and wind were called "the Four Elements". A Buddhist term. It means that everything in the world is empty. A negative way of thinking.

Origin Story

在古老的东方，一个名叫阿难的年轻僧人，跟随他的师父释迦牟尼学习佛法。一天，师父问他：“你知道四大皆空吗？”阿难摇摇头，师父便带他来到山顶，指着一望无际的云海说：“你看这云海，看似波澜壮阔，实则无根无蒂，飘浮不定，如同梦境般虚幻。这就是四大皆空。地、水、火、风，世间万物皆是如此，都是空虚的幻象。”阿难听完，若有所悟，但仍然心存疑惑，他问道：“师父，那我们为什么要修行呢？如果一切都是空虚的，那还有什么意义呢？”师父慈祥地笑了笑说：“修行是为了破除执着，放下贪欲，获得真正的解脱。即使是四大皆空，也包含着无限的可能性。我们的人生如同河流，即使终将流入大海，但也能够留下美丽的风景。

zài gǔ lǎo de dōng fāng, yī gè míng jiào ā nán de nián qīng sēng rén, gēn suí tā de shī fù shì jiā mó ní xué xí fó fǎ. yī tiān, shī fù wèn tā: "nǐ zhī dào sì dà jiē kōng ma?" ā nán yáo yáo tóu, shī fù biàn dài tā lái dào shān dǐng, zhǐ zhe yī wàng wú jì de yún hǎi shuō: "nǐ kàn zhè yún hǎi, kàn sì bō lán zhuàng kuò, shí zé wú gēn wú dì, piāo fú bù dìng, rú tóng mèng jìng bān xū huàn. zhè jiù shì sì dà jiē kōng. dì, shuǐ, huǒ, fēng, shì jiān wàn wù jiē shì rú cǐ, dōu shì kōng xū de huàn xiàng." ā nán tīng wán, ruò yǒu suǒ wù, dàn réngrán xīn cún yí huò, tā wèn dào: "shī fù, nà wǒ men wèi shén me yào xiū xíng ne? rú guǒ yī qiè dōu shì kōng xū de, nà hái yǒu shén me yì yì ne?" shī fù cí xiáng de xiào le xiào shuō: "xiū xíng shì wèi le pò chú zhí zhuó, fàng xià tān yù, huò dé zhēn zhèng de jiě tuō. jí shì shì sì dà jiē kōng, yě hán zhe wú xiàn de kě néng xìng. wǒ men de rén shēng rú tóng hé liú, jí shì zhōng jiāng liú rù dà hǎi, yě néng gòu liú xià měi lì de fēng jǐng.

In the ancient East, a young monk named Ananda studied Buddhism under his master Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha. One day, the master asked him, "Do you know the concept of the four elements of emptiness?" Ananda shook his head. The master took him to the top of the mountain and pointed to the endless sea of clouds. "Look at these clouds that appear as vast as the sea," said the master, "but they are rootless, impermanent, and float like dreams. That is the emptiness of the four elements. Earth, water, fire and wind, all things in the world are like that, they are empty illusions." Ananda was thoughtful, but still full of doubt. He asked, "Master, then why should we practice? If everything is empty, then what is the point?" The master smiled kindly and said, "Practice is to break free from attachment, let go of desires, and achieve true liberation. Even if everything is empty, it contains infinite possibilities. Our life is like a river, even if it eventually flows into the sea, it can still leave behind beautiful scenery.

Usage

四大皆空常常被用来形容看破红尘，不执着于世间名利的人。

sì dà jiē kōng cháng cháng bèi yòng lái xíng róng kàn pò hóng chén, bù zhí zhuó yú shì jiān míng lì de rén.

The idiom "Four Elements of Emptiness" is often used to describe those who have seen through the world and do not cling to worldly fame and fortune.

Examples

• 世间万物皆为四大皆空，不必执着。

  shì jiān wàn wù jiē wéi sì dà jiē kōng, bù bì zhí zhuó.

  Everything in the world is empty, there is nothing to cling to.

• 他看破红尘，以四大皆空的心态面对世俗。

  tā kàn pò hóng chén, yǐ sì dà jiē kōng de xīn tài miàn duì shì sú.

  He has seen through the world and faces the world with the mentality of emptiness of the four elements.

• 人生苦短，何必执着于四大皆空呢？

  rén shēng kǔ duǎn, hé bì zhí zhuó yú sì dà jiē kōng ne?

  Life is short, why should we cling to the emptiness of the four elements?

Related Idioms

• 空虚

• 无常

• 解脱

Opposite Idioms

• 执着

• 贪婪