selflessness; selfless devotion to others
A somewhat formal or literary term emphasizing altruism and putting others before oneself. Often used in ethical or philosophical contexts.
His actions are based on the spirit of selfless devotion to others.
It is not easy to practice selflessness.
利他 means 'altruism' or 'benefiting others' and is more common in everyday and academic contexts. 忘己利他 adds the nuance of forgetting oneself, making it a stronger, more self-sacrificial concept.
自己犠牲 means 'self-sacrifice' and focuses on giving up one's own interests, often with a connotation of loss. 忘己利他 emphasizes devotion to others without necessarily implying loss.
The four-character expression comes from 最澄’s 「山家学生式」: 忘己利他、慈悲之極, “forgetting oneself and benefiting others is the height of compassion.”