# Everything happens for a reason



## badbarbie

*I*s this correct? *I'*m getting it tattooed on the back of my neck this weekend, but *I* want to make sure its correct first.

(*G*uess *I* can*'*t post the picture*.*)

*O*kay lets start over.
*D*oes anyone know how to translate "everything happens for a reason" in *J*apanese?


thanks =]


----------



## wathavy

因果応報
As you meant this colloquial intends to say you have what you did.



Or, 因果律　is exactly what you said but the word is for physics.


----------



## Flaminius

Let me try a more literal translation even if it's a bit long for the canvass you have. 

起こることすべてに意味がある

Gross: Everything that happens has a meaning.
[As we cannot conceive the meaning of a thing that does not happen, this means the same as the English sentence, (which does not seem to follow logic very rigorously).]


----------



## wowlycow

Hiya... I want to get a tattoo saying 'everything happens for a reason' and I want to write it in Japanese. Does anyone know of a Japanese proverb or idiom which means this? Alternatively can anyone offer a decent translation? The one I currently have is: 理由のでき事が起こるある --is this accurate??

Thanks for your help!


----------



## Wishfull

Hi, nice to meet you, wowlycow.

理由のでき事が起こるある　is awkward.
すべての出来事（できごと）には理由（わけ）がある　seems to be more natural.
But I don't think すべての出来事には理由がある　is good for tattoo art.
It consists of kanji (出来事　理由）　and kana (す　べ　て　の　に　は　が　あ　る）.
I think kana is not smart for tattoo art. It is clumsy. 
I think four kanji idiom is smart for tattoo art.

For example,
因果応報
This means every outcome has its reason. Good outcome comes from good reason, and bad outcome comes from bad reason.
So if you get some bad trouble, it depends on your bad behavior in advance.

I think there is a slight difference between 因果応報　and "Everything happens for a reason."
The term 因果応報 originally comes from Buddhism. So it has a religious connotation.
So I wonder if you're a Christian, or a Muslim, or believing any other religion but Buddhism, it might be wrong to you.

Besides, in Japan, tattoo is not for decent people. Out-law people tend to do tattoo. In Japan, a lot of public places ban a tatoo-ed person to enter the place.

I know a lot of people who are regretting for tattoo, because the way of thinking is usually changing as the years go by.
A man might be an out-law person when he is young. But meantime, after he grew old enough, he might cease to be bad. Or vice versa. Who knows?
One cannot erase his tattoo, at least not easily. He needs skin-graft-operations, at least once, or needs several times, which costs extraordinary much, and very risky. 
 Besides according to the bad hygiene condition of tattoo needles, many tattoo-ed persons are suffered from hepatitis C, at least in Japan.

In your thread's theme,  you said "Everything happens for a reason". 
Then I would like you to consider why your thread has not responded by native-Japanese. I would like you to consider the reason, and please choice a better way.
I don't know the cultural difference, but many Japanese would hate to see the tattoo on your skin.


----------



## wowlycow

Thanks so much Wishfull- that was so helpful! I am a christian (half Australian, half Japanese)... the reason I want it in Japanese is because my mum was Japanese- she has told me this from a young age and it's something I really believe... I want it more to mean that even the bad things happen for a reason- not neccesarily a bad one.. everything has a purpose (sometimes we just dont know what it is at the time!).. if you know what I mean. 

I live in America and tattooing isn't a cultural no-no... it is reasonably widespread.


----------



## Wishfull

wowlycow said:


> I want it more to mean that even the bad things happen for a reason- not neccesarily a bad one.. everything has a purpose (sometimes we just dont know what it is at the time!).. if you know what I mean.


Hi.
I think I know.
I can see the philosophy in STAR WARS by George Lucas.
I remember that Qui-Gon Jinn said exactly the same thing in Episode I or II.
_"Everything has its purpose."_
(So it was their destiny to go to the planet Tatween, and met with Anakin Skywalker.)

I know its meaning in English but I just can't translate it into proper Japanese.

「万事原因必然結果」　No, no!
 Not worth while to your tattoo. Not make sense.

Sorry, but I can't.


----------



## mikun

Hi,
When I was young, about 50 years ago, Japan was poor and We have been educated, 'you must study hard because great efffort result in good result'.
This proverb is 苦あれば楽あり、楽あれば苦あり。
The ancient Japanese has endevoured much for hoping to get a future success, but the social situation are changing greatly at present.


----------



## Flaminius

Hello, *wowlycow*.  Welcome to the forums!



wowlycow said:


> The one I currently have is: 理由のでき事が起こるある --is this accurate??



I am afraid this makes little sense as a Japanese sentence.


Like previous posters have said, the literal translation for "Everything happens for a reason" is rarely used in Japanese and there are other idioms laden with similar sentiments.  The one I like is:
これもなにかの縁
kore-mo nanika-no en
This, too, is the result/cause of something.

縁, _sensu stricto_, as a term in Buddhist philosophy (cf. Japanese Wiki), is a condition upon which a cause (因: _in_) bears a result but I translated 縁 into result/cause following the more quotidian use.


----------



## Wishfull

Hi.
I found it, which I believe would be the closest meaning;
*すべては必然*


----------



## jamescutler

Hi,I know a lot of people who are regretting for tattoo, because the way of thinking is usually changing as the years go by.One cannot erase his tattoo, at least not easily. He needs skin-graft-operations, at least once, or needs several times, which costs extraordinary much, and very risky.Thank you.


----------



## Wishfull

Hi.
I agree with you 100%.


----------



## Jacobtguerra

I’m thinking about getting a tattoo in Japanese, but really want the proper translation. Does anyone know the proper translation for everything happens for a reason?


----------



## wushi

I'm not sure I really understand the phrase, but does it mean like "It's God's will?"
If that's the case, I doubt there's any corresponding phrase in Japanese, because most of us just don't believe in God or think that way. You might find one if you search for it, but it may very well be something used by a cult.


----------



## Jacobtguerra

wushi said:


> I'm not sure I really understand the phrase, but does it mean like "It's God's will?"
> If that's the case, I doubt there's any corresponding phrase in Japanese, because most of us just don't believe in God or think that way. You might find one if you search for it, but it may very well be something used by a cult.



"It's God's will" May be what I'm looking for.


----------



## Jacobtguerra

wushi said:


> I'm not sure I really understand the phrase, but does it mean like "It's God's will?"
> If that's the case, I doubt there's any corresponding phrase in Japanese, because most of us just don't believe in God or think that way. You might find one if you search for it, but it may very well be something used by a cult.



I'm actually looking for something like all events have a meaning or nothing is by accident


----------



## kanadaaa

If you want to get a tattoo in Japanese, I don’t think it’s a good idea to try to just translate English phrases.
I’d translate it as 何事にも意味がある, but I don’t expect a sentence like this to be on someone’s skin, if it’s in Japanese.
It even makes me think that it’s going to look ugly as a tattoo.
You might want to look for one- or two-letter proverbs or idioms instead.
They shouldn’t look ugly.


----------



## Jacobtguerra

kanadaaa said:


> If you want to get a tattoo in Japanese, I don’t think it’s a good idea to try to just translate English phrases.
> I’d translate it as 何事にも意味がある, but I don’t expect a sentence like this to be on someone’s skin, if it’s in Japanese.
> It even makes me think that it’s going to look ugly as a tattoo.
> You might want to look for one- or two-letter proverbs or idioms instead.
> They shouldn’t look ugly.


Okay, then what would be a good one or two word translation for every moment is precious.


----------



## Skatinginbc

The Chinese expression for "Everything happens for a reason" is 事出有因--a four-kanji idiom, but I don't know if Japanese speakers can understand it or if it can be counted as Japanese.


----------



## Yokozuna

For the meaning of 'Everything happens for a reason,' I think '因果律,' '起こることすべてに意味がある,' '一切有為,' '因縁生起,' and '因縁因果' are more accurate than '因果応報'.  But still, I think 因果応報 is best for a tattoo. 因果応報 is more common than other words. 因果応報 is a word derived from Buddhism and it means " karma = Good behavior results in a good outcome and bad behavior results in a bad outcome." '因果律' will be also cool, but 起こることすべてに意味がある is too long for a tattoo... and other words are uncommon. We can't understand 事出有因 without explanation. Although we can understand each kanji-character, We can't understand what they mean as a whole. Is the 事出有因 tattoo is cool for Chinese people?

In my opinion, I would choose 因果応報 as a tattoo, it looks cool for Japanese people.


----------

