敬鬼神而远之 — “To show respect to someone or something but keep a polite distance”
敬鬼神而远之 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to show respect to someone or something but keep a polite distance”. Avoiding close interaction or deep involvement. Literally, “Respect gods and spirits, but keep them at a distance”.
敬鬼神而远之 Pronunciation and Pinyin
敬鬼神而远之 Character Breakdown
Stroke OrderExample Sentence with 敬鬼神而远之
Origin and Story of 敬鬼神而远之
During the Spring and Autumn period, Confucius traveled with his disciples across various states. After two unsuccessful attempts to promote his 'benevolent governance' in the State of Wei, he had to go to Chen. Following hardships encountered in Song and Zheng, Confucius himself fell ill and became unconscious for a period, after Sima Niu also fell ill.
Zilu suggested that Confucius pray to ghosts and spirits. However, Confucius had always 'respected ghosts and spirits but kept them at a distance,' adhering to his belief that 'wealth and honor are decided by Heaven, and life and death are destined.' Therefore, he refused to pray.
Idioms Related to 敬鬼神而远之
Synonyms of 敬鬼神而远之
More idioms starting with 敬
- jìng敬shàng上jiē接xià下respect superiors, care for subordinates
- jìng敬shàng上ài爱xià下respect superiors, love subordinates
- jìng敬yè业lè乐qún群dedicated to work and enjoy company
- jìng敬zhī之rú如bīn宾treat with respect due a guest
- jìng敬shì事bù不xiá暇respectfully busy serving others
- jìng敬shì事hòu后shí食Diligently serve before enjoying rewards
- jìng敬tiān天ài爱mín民Revere cosmic order, cherish people
- jìng敬rú如shàng上bīn宾treat with utmost respect as honored guest
- jìng敬jiāng姜yóu犹jì绩diligent and humble despite wealth
- jìng敬xiǎo小shèn慎wēi微extremely cautious and meticulous
- jìng敬bù布fù腹xīn心respectfully express innermost thoughts
- jìng敬gōng恭sāng桑zǐ梓Deeply respect and cherish one's hometown
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Open the tool →Questions about 敬鬼神而远之
What does 敬鬼神而远之 mean?
敬鬼神而远之 (jìng guǐ shén ér yuǎn zhī) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to show respect to someone or something but keep a polite distance”.
How do you pronounce 敬鬼神而远之?
敬鬼神而远之 is pronounced jìng guǐ shén ér yuǎn zhī in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 敬鬼神而远之 literally mean?
Literally, 敬鬼神而远之 means “Respect gods and spirits, but keep them at a distance”. It is used to mean “to show respect to someone or something but keep a polite distance”.
Where does 敬鬼神而远之 come from?
敬鬼神而远之 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 敬鬼神而远之?
敬之而不亲近之意。指对某些人所持的一种态度，即不愿理睬他，又怕得罪他，对他客客气气，绝不接近