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舍利

Mandarin · pinyin shè lì

(Buddhism) relic found in the cremated ashes of Buddhists (from Sanskrit "śarīra")

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舍: shě · shè · house, dwelling; dwell, reside
利: lì · gains, advantage, profit, merit

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Mandarin tones

4–4 · she4 li4

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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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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

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

noun · Etymology 1

(Buddhism) śarīra (relics, especially pearl-like objects, found in the cremated ashes of Buddhist spiritual masters)

noun · Etymology 2

(Buddhism, archaic) name of a bird (probably the myna), said to inhabit the Pure Land

name · Etymology 2

(Buddhism) mother of Śāriputra (舍利弗), a chief male disciple of Gautama Buddha

noun · Etymology 3

(～米, ～飯) rice, especially in reference to a good variety of rice used in Japanese sushi

noun · Etymology 4

(historical) Khitan military leader during the Liao dynasty

name · Etymology 5

a surname

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

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