How to Read “出藍の誉れ”
Shutsuran no homare
Meaning of “出藍の誉れ”
“Blue surpassing indigo honor” is a phrase that praises when a disciple learns from their master’s teachings and eventually develops abilities that surpass their master.
This expression represents the most ideal outcome in education and guidance. For a master, having a disciple they taught achieve results greater than their own is actually the highest joy. This is because it proves that their teachings were correctly transmitted and further developed.
Even today, it’s used in situations where sports coaches celebrate their students breaking records, or researchers feel proud of discoveries made by students they guided. Rather than simply being “overtaken,” it carries the warm perspective of having “grown up admirably.” Also, when using this phrase, it simultaneously praises not only the disciple’s efforts but also the master’s guidance skills. A true educator would consider raising talent that surpasses themselves to be their greatest success.
Origin and Etymology
The origin of “Blue surpassing indigo honor” lies in the phrase “Blue comes from indigo but is bluer than indigo” from the “Encouraging Learning” chapter of the ancient Chinese text “Xunzi.” This passage was a famous section that explained the importance of learning, meaning “Blue dye is made from the indigo plant, but becomes an even bluer color than the original indigo.”
Xunzi was a philosopher from the late Warring States period who believed that humans could improve through learning. He used this relationship between indigo and blue to express the wonderfulness of disciples surpassing their masters. Since indigo was an important dye plant in ancient China, it was a very familiar and easy-to-understand metaphor for people of that time.
It was transmitted to Japan along with Chinese classics from the Nara to Heian periods, and the term “shutsuran” became established. “Homare” is an old Japanese word meaning “honor” or “glory.” In other words, it came to be used with the meaning “like blue that comes from indigo, it is honorable for disciples to surpass their masters.” Along with dyeing techniques, this beautiful metaphor also took root in Japanese culture.
Interesting Facts
In the world of indigo dyeing, you can actually experience the phenomenon of “blue comes from indigo but is bluer than indigo.” The indigo leaves themselves are green, but when fermented into dye, a beautiful blue color is born, and the more times you dye, the deeper the blue becomes.
Interestingly, in English-speaking countries, a similar meaning is expressed as “The student has become the master,” but expressions that emphasize the master’s pride perspective like Japan’s “Blue surpassing indigo honor” are rare, and it can be said to represent the beauty of master-disciple relationships in Japanese culture.
Usage Examples
- My son has become able to play piano better than me, and I truly feel this is Blue surpassing indigo honor
- Seeing the news that his student won an international competition, the teacher shed tears, saying this is what Blue surpassing indigo honor means
Modern Interpretation
In modern society, the meaning of “Blue surpassing indigo honor” has become more complex. In the information age, the speed of knowledge transmission has dramatically increased, and it has become commonplace for younger generations to overtake their seniors in short periods. Particularly in the IT field, it’s not uncommon for young people who flexibly absorb new technologies to technically surpass experienced senior engineers.
However, there are also challenges unique to modern times. Due to changes in the lifetime employment system, master-disciple relationships have become diluted, and the culture of carefully nurturing people is being lost. Additionally, with the spread of individualism, there’s a tendency to value “being oneself” more than “surpassing one’s master.”
On the other hand, the essential value of this proverb remains unchanged even today. Phenomena where young people who learned techniques on YouTube create videos that surpass professionals, or students who learned programming through self-study develop apps superior to major companies’ systems, can truly be called modern versions of “Blue surpassing indigo honor.”
What’s important is the mindset of those being surpassed. Precisely because we live in an era of rapid change, perhaps what’s required is the ability to genuinely celebrate the growth of successors and maintain an attitude of continuous learning ourselves.
When AI Hears This
Exploring the cultural meaning of the color “blue” reveals the surprising essence of master-disciple relationships. In Eastern culture, blue was not merely a color but a sacred hue symbolizing purity, nobility, and infinity. In Chinese classics, “blue” sounds similar to “pure,” expressing untainted innocence, while in Japan it appears in words like “blue sky” and “youth,” indicating limitless possibilities.
Looking at the indigo dyeing process makes this spiritual meaning even clearer. The liquid extracted from indigo plants initially appears brownish and murky, but transforms into vibrant blue when exposed to air and oxidized. This transformation isn’t simply a chemical reaction—it’s the ideal process of master-disciple relationships itself: “inherent potential blossoming through contact with the external world.”
Psychological research also shows that blue promotes “trust,” “intelligence,” and “composure,” with reports indicating that using blue in learning environments improves concentration. In other words, for a disciple to “surpass” their master doesn’t mean imitating the master’s techniques, but rather allowing the pure and noble possibilities sleeping within themselves to bloom through their relationship with the master.
Just as indigo becomes blue, disciples transform their inherent potential beautifully by touching the “air” that is their master. The master’s true role wasn’t to teach techniques, but to serve as a catalyst that purifies the disciple’s soul and guides them to higher spiritual realms.
Lessons for Today
What “Blue surpassing indigo honor” teaches modern people is that true success is not about shining alone, but about making the next generation shine brighter than yourself.
Modern society is competitive, and we tend to think only about bringing others down, but this proverb shows a completely opposite set of values. When what you taught someone blooms within them and produces results greater than yours, that is your greatest victory.
As parents, bosses, and seniors, we constantly have opportunities to become someone’s “indigo.” Instead of being jealous of juniors’ growth, why not become someone who can genuinely support them? And when someone superior to us appears, we want to have the magnanimity to receive that as hope rather than a threat.
Also, you yourself can continue growing as someone’s “blue.” Never forgetting gratitude to masters and seniors while aiming even higher. By doing so, a beautiful chain of growth is born. This might be the most wonderful aspect of human society.
Comments