How to Read “Even lapis lazuli’s brilliance comes from polishing”
ru-ri no hi-ka-ri mo mi-ga-ki ka-ra
Meaning of “Even lapis lazuli’s brilliance comes from polishing”
“Even lapis lazuli’s brilliance comes from polishing” means that no matter how talented or gifted someone is, they cannot truly shine without effort and refinement. Natural talent alone is not enough to reach your full potential.
This proverb is used in two situations. First, when talented people are not working hard enough. It warns them that talent without effort is meaningless.
Second, it encourages people who feel they lack talent. It tells them that even if they don’t shine now, polishing their skills will eventually make them brilliant.
Today, this saying is often quoted in fields where talent matters, like sports or art. But it actually applies to everyone.
We all have some kind of raw potential inside us. The effort we put into polishing that potential is what makes our lives shine.
Origin and Etymology
There are no clear historical records about the origin of this proverb. However, we can learn a lot by looking at the words themselves.
“Ruri” refers to lapis lazuli, a beautiful blue gemstone. It is one of the seven treasures in Buddhism. In ancient Japan, lapis lazuli was extremely precious and sacred.
The word “ruri” appears in Buddhist statues and even in the name of the Pure Land of the Medicine Buddha. It was seen as something with a special, divine brilliance.
This proverb focuses on an important fact. Even lapis lazuli cannot show its true beauty in its raw form. No matter how valuable the gemstone is, it only releases that deep blue light after careful polishing by human hands.
This expression likely comes from the world of craftsmen and their training philosophy. During the Edo period, craftsmen believed that talent alone was not enough to become a master.
Long years of practice were essential. The image of a craftsman polishing gemstones overlapped with the image of an apprentice polishing their skills. This is probably how the proverb was born.
By choosing precious lapis lazuli as the subject, our ancestors showed respect for human talent. At the same time, they expressed the importance of the effort needed to polish it.
Interesting Facts
Lapis lazuli traveled from ancient Mesopotamia through China to Japan. The Shosoin treasure house still preserves beautiful lapis lazuli vessels today. They have kept their brilliance for over 1,300 years.
This eternal shine may symbolize how polished human talent can last forever. That’s perhaps why lapis lazuli was chosen for this proverb.
Polishing lapis lazuli requires very advanced techniques. The stone is hard, so grinding it needs special skills and long hours. Completing a single lapis lazuli bead could take many days.
This patience and persistence in polishing gemstones mirrors the patience needed to polish one’s talents.
Usage Examples
- He’s called a genius, but even lapis lazuli’s brilliance comes from polishing, so he practices every single day
- I was feeling down about having no talent, but my teacher said even lapis lazuli’s brilliance comes from polishing, so I decided to try again
Universal Wisdom
“Even lapis lazuli’s brilliance comes from polishing” contains deep insight into human potential. We are all born with some kind of raw gemstone inside us.
But at the same time, this proverb presents a harsh reality. That gemstone will never shine unless it is polished.
This saying has been passed down for generations because humans have always faced two temptations. The first is to rely on talent and stop making effort. The second is to assume you have no talent and give up trying.
Both come from human weakness. But this proverb offers an answer to both temptations.
What’s interesting is how it balances hope and strictness. It says “polish and you will shine” while also saying “without polishing, you won’t shine.” It’s neither too optimistic nor too pessimistic.
This balance reflects the truth of life itself. Talent does exist, but it’s not enough. Effort is necessary, but effort alone isn’t everything either.
Only when talent and effort come together can a person truly shine.
Our ancestors expressed this truth through the beautiful gemstone of lapis lazuli. The fact that even something so valuable needs polishing teaches us both humility and hope at the same time.
When AI Hears This
From a materials science perspective, polishing lapis lazuli is not about “adding something.” It’s about “removing what’s unnecessary.” Before polishing, the surface has bumps and dips measuring several micrometers.
Light scatters randomly off these irregularities, making the stone look dull. Polishing gradually removes these bumps. Eventually, the surface becomes smoother than 0.1 micrometers.
Then light reflects in a uniform direction, creating that deep brilliance we see.
What’s fascinating is that this phenomenon follows the principle of “surface energy optimization.” A material’s surface contains excess energy. The more irregular the surface, the higher and more unstable the energy becomes.
Polishing minimizes the surface area, bringing the energy to its lowest, most stable state. In other words, the brilliance of lapis lazuli is its most physically settled condition.
This applies to human growth too. We often think about “adding skills” or “increasing knowledge.” But true brilliance may come from cutting away unnecessary habits and wasted movements.
Elite athletes move beautifully because unnecessary tension has been removed. Like polishing, subtraction reveals essential strengths.
The science of lapis lazuli teaches us something important. Perfection is not a state where things are added. It’s a state where everything unnecessary has been removed.
Lessons for Today
This proverb teaches us to believe in the potential within ourselves. If you feel you’re not shining right now, maybe you just need more polishing.
On the other hand, if you have some talent, don’t stop making effort. Without polishing, that shine will never become genuine.
Modern society often demands instant results. But truly valuable things take time to polish. Many people shine for a moment on social media, but few keep shining for long.
The difference may be whether they value the polishing process or not.
Whatever you’re working on now, even if results don’t come quickly, you’re definitely being polished inside. Small daily efforts will eventually appear as beautiful brilliance. That day will surely come.
Instead of worrying about whether you have talent, focus on one small polishing task you can do today. A raw lapis lazuli stone looks like an ordinary pebble that nobody notices.
But after continuous polishing, a brilliance that everyone recognizes is waiting for you.
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