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Yuan (缘) or Yuanfen (缘份; pinyin: yuán fèn. Pinyin, more formally Hanyu pinyin, is the most common Standard Mandarin Romanization system in use Vietnamese: duyên phận) is a Buddhist-related Chinese concept that means the predetermined principle that dictates a person's relationships and encounters, usually positive, such as the affinity among friends or lovers. Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National Predestination (also linked with Foreknowledge) is a religious concept which involves the relationship between God and His creation Friendship is a term used to denote co-operative and supportive behavior between two or more beings In common usage the term can be defined as the "binding force" that links two persons together in any relationship. The concept of synchronicity from the Swiss psychologist Carl Jung can be seen as similar to yuánfèn, which Chinese people also believe to be a universal force governing the happening of things to some people at some places. Synchronicity is the Experience of two or more events which are causally unrelated occurring together in a meaningful manner Yuánfèn belongs to the family of concepts known in theology as determinism. The term "concept" is traced back to 1554–60 ( l conceptum - something conceived but what is today termed "the classical theory of concepts" is the theory of Aristotle Theology is the study of a god or the gods from a religious perspective Determinism is the philosophical Proposition that every event including human cognition and behaviour decision and action is causally determined

Some believe that the driving forces and causes behind yuánfèn are the actions done in the previous reincarnations. Therefore, it can be understood as the relational- as opposed to the physical- aspect of karma in Buddhism. Karma ( Sanskrit: कर्म, kárman - "act action performance" Pali: kamma) is the concept of "action" Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices However, while karma often refers to the consequences of an individual's actions on him- or herself, yuán is always used in conjunction with two persons.

The proverb yǒu yuán wú fèn (有緣無份), "Have fate without destiny," is sometimes used to describe couples who meet, but who do not for whatever reason stay together.

Unlike other Chinese social relations, which describe abstract, but easily noticeable, connections between people, nowadays, Chinese merely use this word poetically or to emphasize a meant-to-be relationship, and almost never in a serious business or legal situation. Chinese social relations are Social relations typified by a reciprocal Social network.

Usage

"Have fate without destiny"; custom tattoo.

• The proverbial saying "Have fate without destiny" refers to couples who were fated to come together, but not destined to stay together, and as such is sometimes used as a break-up line. Destiny refers to a predetermined course of events It may be conceived as a predetermined future whether in general or of an individual
• Upon meeting a person (of either gender) who is hard to find, one might aptly exclaim: "It is yuánfèn that has brought us together!"
• When one encounters another repeatedly in various locations such that it seems to be more than coincidence, one can refer to yuánfèn.
• As a counter-example, when two people know each other, e. g. as penpals, but never have the opportunity to meet face-to-face, it can be said that their yuánfèn is too superficial or thin. Pen pals (or penpals or pen friends) are People who regularly write to each other particularly via Postal mail.

The proverb: 百世修来同船渡，千载修得共枕眠 (pinyin: bǎi shì xiū lái tóng chuán dù, qiān zǎi xiū dé gòng zhěn mián)

• Literally: It takes hundreds of reincarnations to bring two persons to ride in the same boat; it takes a thousand eons to bring two persons to share the same pillow. Pinyin, more formally Hanyu pinyin, is the most common Standard Mandarin Romanization system in use This goes to show just how precious yuánfèn is.

• An alternative of this proverb is: 十年修得同船渡，百年修得共枕眠 (pinyin: shí nián xiū dé tóng chuán dù, bǎi nián xiū dé gòng zhěn mián),which means literally: ten years of meditation (or good deeds) bring two people to cross a river in the same ferry, and a hundred years of meditation (or good deeds) bring two people to rest their heads on the same pillow. Pinyin, more formally Hanyu pinyin, is the most common Standard Mandarin Romanization system in use It conveys the same message.

Translations

Often yuánfèn is said to be the equivalent of "fate" (as is with the title of a 1984 movie, given the western name Behind the Yellow Line, starring Leslie Cheung) or "destiny". Leslie Cheung Kwok-Wing ( September 12, 1956 – April 1, 2003) nicknamed elder brother (哥哥 was an Actor and Musician However, these words do not have the element of the past playing a role in deciding the outcome of the uncertain future. The most common Chinese term for "fate" or "destiny" is mìngyùn (命運), literally "the turn of events in life".

"Providence" and "predestination" are also not exact translations, because these words imply that the things happen by the will of God or gods, whereas yuánfèn does not necessarily involve divine intervention. Predestination (also linked with Foreknowledge) is a religious concept which involves the relationship between God and His creation God is the principal or sole Deity in Religions and other belief systems that worship one deity. Chinese mythology is a collection of Cultural history, Folktales, and Religions that have been passed down in oral or written form

See also

• Chinese social relations