Chinese Terms, Honorifics And Mythologies

Other Miscellaneous Terms : Part 1

9 (九 jiǔ) : The number Nine is an auspicious number in China. It sounds just like 久 (jiǔ), which means "everlasting". Perhaps because of this, Nine is strongly associated with Dragons and the Emperor. There are also Nine Heavens (九天), along with a lot of other symbolism.

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81 (八十一) : The number Eighty-One is an auspicious and "complete" number in China, particularly because 9×9 = 81 (with 9 already being very auspicious). In several novels, cultivators must resist 81 lightning bolts while undergoing a Heavenly Tribulation. This might be a reference to Journey to the West, where the monk Xuanzang faces 81 tribulations along his journey. When he completes his journey and successfully transcends the tribulations, he attains Buddhahood.

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100 (百 bǎi) : The number One Hundred can be used figuratively to mean "numerous" or "all kinds of". So for example, if there's a "Hundred Herbs Shop" in a novel, it probably means that the shop sells a wide variety of herbs, rather than literally 100 types.

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108 (一百零八) : The number One Hundred and Eight is steeped in symbolism, particularly with regards to religion and martial arts.

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10000 / Myriad (万 wàn) : The number Ten Thousand can be used figuratively to mean "myriad" or "innumerable". This is actually the same as in English or Greek, where the word Myriad can mean either the number 10000 or an indefinitely large number. So if something in a novel is said to be "ten thousand years old", that might actually mean it's unfathomably ancient, rather than literally age 10000.

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Amitabha / Amitābha (阿弥陀佛 ēmítuó fó) : A Buddha. He is known as the Buddha of Boundless Light. It is believed that people who sincerely call out his name will be welcomed into his Pure Land after they die. Because of this, Buddhist monks will often chant "Namo Amitabha" (a salutation to Amitabha) or say his name as a greeting or blessing for others.

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A pure land is the celestial realm of a buddha or bodhisattva in Mahayana Buddhism where many Buddhists aspire to be reborn in.

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Arhat (阿罗汉 āluóhàn) (罗汉 luóhàn) : Sometimes written as Lohan or Luohan. A Buddhist title meaning "one who is worthy". Arhats are basically Buddhist sages, often with magical powers.

• Buddhists disagree on what exactly an Arhat is. The Mahayana branch claims Arhats to be far advanced on the path to Enlightenment (but ultimately beneath Buddhas and Bodhisattvas), while the Theravada branch claims Arhats to be little different from a Buddha (both having attained nirvana).

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Auspicious Clouds (祥云 xiángyún) (彩云 cǎiyún) (瑞霞 ruìxiá) : Represent the Heavens and good fortune. Cloud (云 yún) sounds similar to Luck (运 yùn), and clouds float up in the sky - close to the Heavens. Auspicious Clouds are often red (a lucky color) and shaped like a Lingzhi Mushroom (the "mushroom of immortality").