timing is everything; perfect timing
A yojijukugo originating from Zen Buddhism, describing the moment when a chick pecks from inside the egg and the mother pecks from outside simultaneously. Used metaphorically for perfect, mutual timing in any endeavor.
The business deal came together with perfect timing.
The meeting of master and disciple was truly a case of perfect timing.
Both describe perfect synchronization, but 啐啄同時 emphasizes the critical moment of mutual action, while 阿吽の呼吸 refers to a harmonious, unspoken understanding in ongoing interaction.
Standard kanji form for this yojijukugo. The characters 啐 and 啄 are rare outside this expression.
Variant spelling using kana for the first character, likely to aid readability.
From Zen Buddhist terminology, literally 'pecking simultaneously'. The chick inside the egg pecks (啐) and the mother outside pecks (啄) at the same moment, symbolizing the perfect meeting of intention and opportunity.