📖 Meaning
To look at someone through the eyes of a Buddha, meaning to treat others with kindness and goodwill, refraining from doing them harm. It describes an attitude of benevolence and compassion, often implying a tolerant, merciful disposition toward others.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase originates from the commentary Guan Jing Shu (《观经疏》) by Shandao, the renowned Tang dynasty Pure Land master, in a passage dedicating his work's merit to sentient beings so that they might awaken the bodhisattva mind and 'face each other with kind hearts and look upon one another with Buddha eyes.' It expresses the ideal of viewing all people with the compassionate, non-harming gaze of the Buddha. The idiom was later popularized in Ming dynasty writer Feng Menglong's story collection Jingshi Tongyan (《警世通言》), where it is used in a warning to treat others kindly rather than bring harm.
💡 Example Usage
若能以佛眼相看他人，世间便少了许多纷争。
If people could look upon one another with the Buddha's compassionate eyes, the world would see far less strife.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 佛眼相看
- Pinyin: fó yǎn xiāng kàn
- Literal Translation: Buddha, eye, mutually, look
- Category: Attitude
- Characters: 4