天上天下唯我独尊

Japanese

Kanji in this term
天	上	天	下	唯	我	独	尊
てん Grade: 1	じょう Grade: 1	てん Grade: 1	げ Grade: 1	ゆい Grade: S	が Grade: 6	どく Grade: 5	そん Grade: 6
goon

Alternative spelling
天上天下唯我獨尊 (kyūjitai)

Etymology

From Literary Chinese 天上天下，唯我獨尊. In Buddhist legend, the phrase that Shakyamuni uttered right after he was born and on his feet taking seven steps about, pointing at heaven with his right hand and at earth with his left. This phrase seems to be a more condensed translation of what the Buddha was supposed to say. Compare the Pali aggō hamasmi lōkassa, jeṭṭō hamasmi lōkassa, seṭṭhō hamasmi lōkassa, ayamantimā jāti, natthidāni punabbhavo from the Dīgha Nikāya. A slightly different form is 天上天下唯我為尊, from a Chinese translation of the Dīrgha Āgama. Although the phrase sounds extremely arrogant, especially given that the one who purportedly said it was the founder of Buddhism, and it is indeed used to describe hubris, the 我 (“I/me; self; ego”) could be interpreted as "humans" in general instead of the Buddha alone, expressing a human-centric attitude in a country dominated by Hinduism, a polytheistic religion.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [tẽ̞ɲ̟d͡ʑo̞ː tẽ̞ŋɡe̞ jɯ̟ᵝi ɡa̠ do̞kɯ̟̊ᵝsõ̞ɴ]

Phrase

天(てん)上(じょう)天(てん)下(げ)唯(ゆい)我(が)独(どく)尊(そん) • (tenjō tenge yui ga dokuson) ^{←てんじやうてんげゆいがどくそん (tenzyau tenge yui ga dokuson)?}

1. (literal, Buddhism) whether it's above heaven, or it's under heaven, only I reign supreme

See also

• 天(てん)上(じょう)天(てん)下(げ) (tenjō tenge)
• 唯(ゆい)我(が)独(どく)尊(そん) (yui ga dokuson)