生死有命富貴在天 seishi mei ari, fūki ten ni ari Death and life have their determined appointments - Riches and honors depend upon heaven

生死有命富貴在天 says that how long you live and how high you rise are not yours to decide. 命 is the lot you are given, your span of life, an allotment and not a plan. So the line is a reason to stop worrying over what you lack and to see to your own conduct. In Japan it became a way of facing death without fear. Which clause you take, the span or the rank, is yours.

The line is not Confucius's own words: in the Analects, Zixia offers it as a saying he says he has heard, to console a disciple who grieves that he alone has no brothers.

We want you to be as happy with the meaning as you are with Master Takase's art. To learn more, visit Philology of 生死有命富貴在天.

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