How to Read “覆水盆に返らず”
Fukusui bon ni kaerazu
Meaning of “覆水盆に返らず”
“Spilled water does not return to basin” means that once something has happened or passed, it cannot be undone or returned to its original state.
It is particularly often used to express situations in human relationships where once-broken trust or separated marital relationships are difficult to repair. It is also used in situations where one must accept the reality that time cannot be turned back even when regretting irreversible failures or mistakes.
The reason this proverb is used is to make the abstract concept of “irreversibility” more concrete and easier to imagine by utilizing the properties of water, a substance everyone knows. Just as water spilled from a basin can never return to its original form, it teaches us that there are irreversible events in life. Even today, this lesson lives on in various situations such as divorce, breakdown of friendships, and serious judgment errors.
Origin and Etymology
The origin of “Spilled water does not return to basin” lies in a historical tale of Taigong Wang (Lü Shang) recorded in the ancient Chinese classic “Shiyi Ji.” When Taigong Wang was still unknown, his wife Ma Shi could not believe in her husband’s future potential and sought divorce. Later, when Taigong Wang was discovered by King Wen of Zhou and became prime minister, achieving great success, Ma Shi wished to reconcile.
At that time, Taigong Wang filled a basin with water and spilled it on the ground, saying, “If you can return this water to the basin as it was, we shall become husband and wife again.” Naturally, the spilled water could never return to the basin. This became the origin of “Spilled water does not return to basin.”
This tale was also transmitted to Japan, and similar expressions can be found in Heian period literature. During the Edo period, it became established in its current form and came to be widely used. The easy-to-understand metaphor using water, a familiar material, must have resonated with people’s hearts across the ages. It is truly a proverb filled with the wisdom of our ancestors, expressing the irreversibility of things that have already happened through the scene of spilling water that everyone has experienced.
Interesting Facts
Taigong Wang is known as a sage of ancient China, but actually, he became prime minister after the age of 70. In modern terms, he achieved the greatest success of his life at retirement age. In a way, it might be understandable that his wife Ma Shi lost patience with him.
The character “覆” (fuku) in “覆水” (fukusui) means “to overturn,” but in ancient China, there was also a custom of intentionally spilling water for divination. Because it was water that was deliberately “overturned” rather than accidentally spilled, this tale carries even deeper meaning.
Usage Examples
- Those words cannot be taken back; spilled water does not return to basin, so I should have spoken more carefully
- Even if I want to return to the company I once quit, spilled water does not return to basin, and I probably cannot return to the original relationship
Modern Interpretation
In modern society, the meaning of “spilled water does not return to basin” has become more complex. In today’s digital age, content once posted on the internet is difficult to completely delete, creating exactly the situation of “spilled water does not return to basin.” Inappropriate remarks on social media or posting of inappropriate images may continue to exist permanently due to screenshots and sharing.
On the other hand, modern technology provides many “undo” functions. Computer “undo” buttons, email recall functions, cloud data recovery, etc., have made it possible to correct failures that would have been irreversible in the past. This may have strengthened the sense among younger generations that “you can start over.”
However, in human relationships and trust relationships, the lesson of this proverb remains unchanged even today. Rather, precisely because we live in an era when information spreads instantly, the risk that a single inappropriate remark or action could lead to irreversible consequences has increased. While tolerance for “starting over” has increased due to high divorce rates and the normalization of job changes, it is still rare for things to return completely to their original state.
For modern people, “spilled water does not return to basin” has become an even more important lesson, teaching both caution in digital society and sincerity in human relationships.
When AI Hears This
Taigong Wang’s wife lost patience with her husband’s poverty and divorced him. However, when Taigong Wang rose to great success as the king’s military strategist, she completely changed her tune and sought reconciliation. At this point, Taigong Wang spilled water and said, “If you can restore this water to its original state, then we can reconcile.” This is the origin of this proverb.
What’s fascinating is that the wife’s behavior perfectly exemplifies what modern psychology calls “loss aversion bias.” People tend to feel losses more than twice as heavily as equivalent gains. In other words, the wife felt the loss of her now-successful ex-husband far more acutely than she had felt the anxiety of living with a poor husband.
Furthermore, “cognitive dissonance theory” was also at work. This refers to the psychology of not wanting to admit one’s own errors in judgment. Instead of acknowledging “I was wrong,” the wife tried to justify herself by thinking “circumstances have changed, so now I want to reconcile.”
The same patterns exist countless times in the modern world. For example, cases where people who quit their jobs later say they want to “go back” when their former workplace’s performance improves. Cases where people suddenly pressure for reconciliation after breaking up with a partner who then finds someone new.
The story of Taigong Wang has been sharply depicting the universal human weakness of making decisions based on immediate circumstances and later regretting “if only I had done that back then” for over 2000 years.
Lessons for Today
What “spilled water does not return to basin” teaches modern people is the “importance of taking a breath” before acting. Before making emotional posts on social media, before severing relationships with important people, before making important decisions, ask yourself, “Is it okay to spill this water?”
This proverb is not meant to make us cowardly. Rather, it helps us develop the ability to discern what is truly important. We don’t need to be overly cautious about everything, but it is important to acquire the wisdom to distinguish between things that are irreversible and things that can be redone.
And if you have already “spilled the water,” choose a way of life that cherishes the remaining water rather than continuing to lament it. The past cannot be changed, but how we face the future can be changed. Learning from failure and acting more carefully and lovingly next time—that is the positive power this proverb gives us.
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