本来面目 — “The true colors”
本来面目 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “the true colors”. The original appearance; one's true self or nature. Literally, “original features”.
Frequency
本来面目 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- 本běn
- 来lái
- 面miàn
- 目mù
本来面目 Character Breakdown
Example Sentence with 本来面目
经过一番深入调查，事情终于露出了它的本来面目
After a thorough investigation, the truth of the matter finally revealed its true colors.
Origin and Story of 本来面目
Huineng, the Sixth Patriarch of Chan Buddhism, had an awakening in his heart from a young age after hearing people recite Buddhist scriptures. He then traveled to Dongchan Temple in Huangmei County to study Buddhism under Hongren, the Fifth Patriarch of Chan Buddhism.
He was secretly given the patriarch's robe and bowl and fled south overnight.
There, he encountered the monk Huiming, who requested him to expound on Buddhist teachings. Huineng said, "Not thinking of good, not thinking of evil The state where not a single thought arises is your original true self."
Idioms Related to 本来面目
Synonyms of 本来面目
More idioms starting with 本
- běn本xiāng乡běn本tǔ土one's native place or hometown
- běn本wèi位zhǔ主yì义departmental or unit self-interest
- běn本tóng同mò末yì异same origin, different outcomes
- běn本tóng同mò末lí离same goal, different methods
- běn本gù固zhī枝róng荣firm foundation ensures flourishing development
- běn本gù固bāng邦níng宁A stable society comes from content people
- běn本xiǎo小lì利wēi微small capital, meager profit
- běn本xìng性nán难yí移inherent nature is hard to change
- běn本zhī支bǎi百shì世main lineage thriving for generations
- běn本mò末dào倒zhì置put the cart before the horse
- běn本mò末yuán源liú流the whole story from start to finish
- běn本běn本zhǔ主yì义rigid adherence to book knowledge
Questions about 本来面目
- What does 本来面目 mean?
- 本来面目 (běn lái miàn mù) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “the true colors”.
- How do you pronounce 本来面目?
- 本来面目 is pronounced běn lái miàn mù in Mandarin Chinese.
- What does 本来面目 literally mean?
- Literally, 本来面目 means “original features”. It is used to mean “the true colors”.
- Where does 本来面目 come from?
- 本来面目 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
- What is the Chinese definition of 本来面目?
- 原为佛家语，指人的本性。后多比喻事物原来的模样。