feelings of the people; popular sentiment
Rare, somewhat archaic term for the collective feelings or will of the common people, often used in historical or political discourse. Modern equivalents include 民意 (みんい) or 世論 (せろん/よろん).
Rulers should take the feelings of the people into account.
bottom-up communication; conveying subordinates' views upward
Compound of 下 (か, 'below, lower') and 意 (い, 'mind, thought'), literally 'the thoughts of those below'. The exact historical derivation is uncertain; it appears in older texts referring to the sentiments of the common people.