Han Verse (版の偈)
Inscription on the Zen Sounding Board

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## Japanese (Kanji)

生死事大
無常迅速
各宜醒覚
慎勿放逸

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## Romanization (Rōmaji)

Shōji jidai
Mujō jinsoku
Kaku gi seikaku
Shin butsu hōitsu

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## Literal Translation

Birth-death matter-great
Impermanence swift
Each should awaken
Careful: do not be heedless

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## Poetic English Translation

Great is the matter of birth and death
Impermanence is swift
Each of us must awaken
Don't be careless — don't waste this life

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## Alternative Translations

### Translation 1 (Formal)
The Great Matter of life and death is urgent
Impermanence is swift
Each person should awaken
Be diligent, do not be negligent

### Translation 2 (Direct)
Birth and death: the great matter
All things change swiftly
Awaken! Awaken!
Be careful — don't let go of attention

### Translation 3 (Paul Discoe)
Life and death are the Great Matter
Time swiftly passes by and opportunity is lost
Awake Awake Everyone
Don't waste this life

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## Cultural Context

This verse (版の偈, han no ge) is inscribed on the han (版), a wooden sounding board struck to signal practice periods in Zen monasteries. The han is used across Zen lineages — Soto, Rinzai, and Obaku — as well as in Chinese Chan temples, where the tradition originates.

The verse functions as a visual admonition. Monastics see it each time they pass the han, and its words accompany the striking that calls the community to practice. It serves as a reminder of:

1. **生死事大 (Shōji jidai)** — The urgency of awakening before death
2. **無常迅速 (Mujō jinsoku)** — The swiftness of impermanence
3. **各宜醒覚 (Kaku gi seikaku)** — The personal responsibility to awaken
4. **慎勿放逸 (Shin butsu hōitsu)** — The exhortation to diligence

### Rinzai Variant

A different four-line arrangement appears in the Rinzai lineage:

生死事大　　Birth-death matter-great
光陰可惜　　Time is precious
無常迅速　　Impermanence swift
時不待人　　Time waits for no one

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## Character Breakdown

### 生死事大
- 生死 (shōji) = birth-death, life-death, samsara
- 事大 (jidai) = matter-great, urgent affair

### 無常迅速
- 無常 (mujō) = impermanence (Pali: anicca; Sanskrit: anitya)
- 迅速 (jinsoku) = swift, rapid

### 各宜醒覚
- 各 (kaku/ono-ono) = each, every person
- 宜 (gi/yoroshii) = should, ought to
- 醒覚 (seikaku) = awaken, become aware

### 慎勿放逸
- 慎 (shin/tsutsushimu) = be careful, be cautious
- 勿 (butsu/nakare) = do not
- 放逸 (hōitsu) = negligence, carelessness, heedlessness

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## Linguistic Notes

**放逸 (hōitsu)** — From Sanskrit प्रमाद (pramāda), meaning "heedlessness" or "carelessness." In Buddhism, one of the primary obstacles to awakening. The opposite is 不放逸 (fu-hōitsu), "heedfulness" or "diligence" (Sanskrit: apramāda).

**無常 (mujō)** — Central Buddhist concept (Pali: anicca; Sanskrit: anitya). Everything conditioned arises and passes away. Understanding impermanence deeply leads to non-attachment and freedom.

**光陰 (kōin)** — "Light and shadow" poetically represents the passage of time, like a sundial showing time through shadows. This image appears frequently in East Asian poetry. The Rinzai variant uses this term; the Soto version does not.

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## Sources

- Soto Zen official glossary: "Verse on the Sounding Board" (sotozen.com)
- Chinese Chan monastic codes (*Chanyuan Qinggui*, 1103)
- Paul Discoe, translation of the han verse (cuke.com)
- Rinzai-Obaku Zen: 生死事大 光陰可惜 (rinnou.net)

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**License:** Public domain (traditional text); compilation CC0 1.0
