May
20
2010

正念場

しょうねんば [shounenba] – The word 正念 comes from Buddhism, and refers to “Right mindfulness”, part of the Noble Eightfold Path to enlightenment. Add 場 (place) to it, and you have a word that means “a situation that tests someone’s true mettle“.

Although originally a Buddhist word, the spiritual connotation has been mostly lost. The word is now more commonly associated with climactic scenes in kabuki theater.

Alternative form: 性根場 [shouneba].

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Posted under Vocabulary Bank by Nihonshock.