緣 ( pronounced yuan in Cantonese ) may be closely defined as
“a destined connection between 2 persons, which enables them to meet in their lifetime and have a relation of some sort”
This relation can be
1. short termed - like between classmates in one college class,
2. long termed - like between husband and wife in a long marriage,
3. permanent - like between mother and daughter.
It is based on the old Chinese thinking that any 2 persons being able to meet (across the vast space and time) is not easy and must be arranged by some higher being (with the impicit meaning that one should value any meeting or relation made possible by the higher being)
Example 1 :
When 2 persons run into each other frequently, we may say, “they have yuan“
(the coincidences make the running-into-each-other sound like destined, even if they are not)
Example 2 :
The old Chinese quote 有緣千里能相聚, 無緣對面不相逢。 means
“Any people having yuan can meet some day, even if they are thousand miles away.
Any people having no yuan cannot see each other, even if they are face to face apart.”
Filed under: vocabulary | Tagged: Chinese, Chinese Buddhism, Chinese character, Chinese culture, Chinese vocabulary, Chinese word, connection, culture, destined, destined connection
