Ten Thousand
Overview
The phrase for the myriad things is literally the ten thousand things, and the conventional wish for long life is ten thousand years. Both uses are conventional.
Meaning
Ten thousand is the number of the myriad — the tradition's term for everything that exists, and the source of the word for longevity.
Traditional Interpretation
Sources use ten thousand as the boundless quantity rather than as a number: it is the largest conventional count and it means 'without limit'.
Related Concepts
FAQ
What does ten thousand symbolize in Chinese tradition?
Ten thousand is the number of the myriad — the tradition's term for everything that exists, and the source of the word for longevity. The phrase for the myriad things is literally the ten thousand things, and the conventional wish for long life is ten thousand years. Both uses are conventional.
Why is ten thousand treated as significant?
The reading usually rests on sound and on cosmology rather than on quantity. Ten thousand is the number of the myriad — the tradition's term for everything that exists, and the source of the word for longevity. The longevity wish is the everyday form — ten thousand years was the formula of address to the emperor and remains the shape of the conventional good wish.
How is ten thousand read in Chinese tradition?
Sources use ten thousand as the boundless quantity rather than as a number: it is the largest conventional count and it means 'without limit'. It is grouped under Wood (木) in the five-element system.
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