📖 Meaning
Literally meaning 'to cut off all streams,' this idiom describes insight so profound and far-reaching that it transcends ordinary understanding and severs through the flow of conventional opinions. It conveys a decisive clarity that cuts directly to the essence of a matter, leaving no room for confusion or distraction.
📜 Origin Story
This phrase originates from the Song dynasty Buddhist text 'Wudeng Huiyuan' (Compendium of Five Lamps), which records the teachings of Chan Master Deshan Yuanmi, a disciple of Master Yunmen. The master declared he had three phrases for his students: one that 'covers heaven and earth,' one that 'cuts off all streams,' and one that 'follows the waves.' The phrase 'cutting off all streams' referred to a teaching that decisively severs all dualistic thinking and mental proliferation. The Song neo-Confucian scholar Zhu Xi later adopted this phrase in his 'Zhuzi Yulei' (Classified Conversations of Master Zhu) when discussing the profound workings of heaven and earth.
💡 Example Usage
他的见解截断众流，远超常人。
His insights cut off all streams of conventional thought, far surpassing ordinary people.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 截断众流
- Pinyin: jié duàn zhòng liú
- Literal Translation: cut off, multitude, streams
- Category: Wisdom
- Characters: 4