法眼

Mandarin · pinyin fǎ yǎn

Meanings

  1. discerning eye
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Characters in this entry

法
fǎ · law, rule, regulation, statute; France, French
眼
yǎn · eye; eyelet, hole, opening
Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

3–3 · fa3 yan3

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Read this spelling in Classical texts

Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 4 senses

Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

noun

  1. (Buddhism) "eye of the law" (either "mind which perceives both past and future" or "insight into the dharma")
  2. (Buddhism) Buddhist teaching
  3. (figurative) insight; astuteness; perspicacity; cognizance
  4. (often humble or ironic) someone's appreciation, notice, or acknowledgement

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

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