also: てんどう
Only with reading てんとう
Literary or poetic term for the sun, often personified or used in classical contexts. Reading is てんとう.
A summer day when the sun beats down.
god of heaven and earth
Refers to a divine being ruling the cosmos, found in classical Japanese texts and religious contexts. Both てんとう and てんどう readings possible.
In the Kojiki, there are descriptions of the god of heaven and earth.
laws governing the heavens
Concept from classical Chinese philosophy and early Japanese thought, referring to the natural order or cosmic principles. Rare standalone use; mostly encountered in historical or philosophical texts.
The idea of living in accordance with the laws of heaven is rooted in Eastern thought.
celestial path; celestial motion
Only with reading てんどう
Astronomical term for the apparent path or movement of celestial bodies. Reading てんどう is typical in this context.
Observe the celestial path of the planets.
deva realm; svarga
Only with reading てんどう
Buddhist term for the heavenly realm of devas, one of the six realms of existence (六道). Reading てんどう is standard in Buddhist contexts.
See also: 六道
The deva realm is expounded as one of the six realms.
Asian lady beetle; harlequin ladybird; Halloween beetle
sun-dried
the sun; providence; god
Standard kanji spelling; reading てんとう is common for the sun sense, while てんどう appears in Buddhist and astronomical contexts.
Alternate reading used mainly in Buddhist and astronomical senses; less common for the sun sense.
From Chinese 天道 (tiāndào), originally meaning 'the way of heaven' or 'celestial principle'. In Japanese, it developed additional senses including the sun, a deity, and Buddhist cosmological realm.