Taxonomy of meanings for 禪:　　

  • 禪 shàn (OC: djan MC: dʑiɛn) 時戰切 去 廣韻：【襌古文 】
  • 禪 shàn (OC: djans MC: dʑiɛn) 時戰切 去 廣韻：【圭襌又禪讓傳受 】
    • ABDICATE
      • nobject-nominalisationwhat has been abdicated from> the throne
      • nabactthe abdication of the throne
      • viactabdicate
      • vtoNabdicate(also: 禪以天下)
      • vtoNN=humabdicate in favour of
    • SACRIFICE
      • nabactshàn sacrifie
      • viactperform the shàn sacrifice
    • SACRIFICE TO HEAVEN AND EARTH
      • viactperform the shàn sacrifice
      • vtoNperform the shan sacrifice at N
    • REPLACE
    • 禪 chán (OC: djan MC: dʑiɛn) 市連切 平 廣韻：【静也又市戰切 】
      • BUDDHIST SCHOOLS
        • nabThe Buddhist Chán/Zen School
      • MEDITATE
        • nababbreviationBUDDH: meditation; SANSKRIT dhyāna
        • nabactBUDDH: deverbal action-nominalisation> meditation; SANSKRIT dhyāna
        • viactmeditate
      • RELIGION
        • nabsocialZen school
        • nadNbelonging to the Chán/Zen school of Buddhism; of Chán
      • ROOM

        Additional information about 禪

        說文解字: 【禪】，祭天也。从示、單聲。 【時戰切】

          Criteria
        • SACRIFICE

          1. The most general word for making sacrificial offerings of wine and food to spirits of Heaven, of Earth and to the ancestors (perhaps primarily to the spirits of Earth and of the ancestors) is jì 祭 which has become the most common word in Warring States times, replacing sì 祀, which was more common in SHU and SHI.

          2. Sì4 祀 is an archaic word which refers to the making of sacrificial offerings of wine and food to the spirits of Heaven, of Earth and to the ancestors, perhaps primarily and originally to the spirits of Heaven.

          3. Xiǎng 饗／享 refers to making sacrificial offerings in the form of food to one's ancestors.

          4. Diàn 奠 refers specifically to making formal sacrifices to the deceased not too long after his death.

          5. Là 臘 refers specifically to the winter sacrifice to Heaven and Earth.

          6. Fēng 封 refers to an imperial sacrifice to the spirits of Heaven at mount Taishan, where an altar had to be established for the occasion.

          7. Shàn 禪 refers specifically to the imperial sacrifice to the spirits of the Earth at the foot of mount Taishan,.

          8. Wàng 望 refers to sacrifices to the spirits of mountains and streams.

          9. Yì 瘞 refers to placing something (typically jade, or domestic animals) in the ground as part of or as a form of sacrifice to a deceased person.

          10. Lèi 酹 refers to the pouring of libations of wine on the ground.

        • ASCEND

          [ARCHAIC/CURRENT]

          [[BASIC/DERIVED]]

          [DIFFICULT/EASY]

          [ELEVATED/VULGAR]

          [+FIG/LITERAL]

          1. Shēng 升 (ant. jiàng 降 "descend") is perhaps the most general word dedicated to the meaning of "going up", and the word often has a literary, dignified flavour.

          [GENERAL]; [[BASIC]], [[CURRENT]]

          2. Shàng 上 (ant. xià 下 "descend"), on the basis of the general meaning "above", comes to refer to the moving to the position on top of or above something else, and the word has no elevated literary flavour.

          [GENERAL]; [[CURRENT]], [[DERIVED]]

          3. Dēng 登 refers to one entering a vehicle or moving onto a higher surface of any kind, typically (but not always) in a dignified manner.

          [ELEVATED!]; [[CURRENT+]]

          4 Pān 攀 refers to an arduous movement across difficult terrain to a higher position, supporting oneself by objects that one can hold on to as one is moving upwards.

          [DIFFICULT+], [LITERAL]; [[BASIC]], [[CURRENT]]

          5. Yuán 緣 refers to an often arduous movement in difficult "terrain" and guided by certain features of that terrain.

          [DIFFICULT]; [[DERIVED]]

          6. Chéng 乘 refers to the mounting of a vehicle, specifically.

          [SPECIFIC]; [[CURRENT]]

          7. Jī 躋 refers to ascending a burial mound as part of ritual.

          [ARCHAIC], [SPECIFIC]; [[RARE]]

          8. Zhì 陟 "poetic: scale a mountain" (ant. jiàng 降 "descend") is a rare archaising words with highly restricted usage.

          [ARCHAIC], [SPECIFIC]; [[RARE]]

          9. Jí 即 (ant.* xùn 遜 "resign a ruler's position", or perhaps also shàn 禪 "resign the throne") is always metaphorically "ascend (the throne)".

          [SPECIFIC]; [[CURRENT]], [[DERIVED]]

        • YIELD

          1. The dominant general word referring to yielding politely to others or giving precedence to them is ràng 讓 (ant. líng 陵 "treat without proper respect").

          2. Qiān 謙 (ant. jiāo 驕 "arrogant in attitude" and ào 傲 "impolite and arrogant in action") refers to the general attitude or disposition towards giving precedence to others.

          3. Cí 辭 (ant. shòu 受 "accept") refers to declining politely an offer that has been made to one.

          4. Xiè 謝 (ant. shòu 受 "accept") refers to informally but politely declining something offered to one in private context.

          5. Shàn 禪 refers specifically to declining the high office of an emperor.

          NB: Lǐ 禮 "treat with proper yielding politeness" is marginal in this group.

        • ABDICATE

          Ra4ng 讓 refers to abdication with a focus on this act being in favour of a successor.

          Sha4n 禪 refers to abdication with a focus on this act being one of selflessness or lack of mundane ambition.

          Word relations
        • Conv: (ABDICATE)受/RECEIVE The current general word is shòu 受 (ant. jù 拒 "refuse to accept"; ant.* yǔ 與 "give"), which can refer to any concrete or abstract form of receiving or being exposed to.