dearest wish; long-cherished desire
A deeply held, often long-pursued wish or aspiration, frequently used in contexts like sports, politics, or personal goals.
His dearest wish is to win a gold medal at the Olympics.
The bill, which had been a long-cherished desire for years, was finally passed.
Buddha's vow to save all beings
Buddhist term referring to the compassionate vow of a Buddha or bodhisattva to liberate all sentient beings.
It is believed that through Amida Buddha's vow, all people will be saved.
The team finally achieved their long-cherished dream of a national championship.
He fulfilled his long-cherished dream after ten years of effort.
Competing in the Olympics was the athletes' long-cherished dream.
They achieved their long-awaited first championship.
宿願 is a more formal, literary term for a long-cherished desire tied to destiny, whereas 悲願 stresses the emotional intensity and struggle behind the wish.
願望 is a neutral, general term for a desire or wish, while 悲願 implies a deeply emotional, often long-pursued goal achieved through great effort.
悲願 emphasizes a compassionate wish held for others' benefit, while 本願 stresses that the wish is one's own original, fundamental aspiration.
悲観 (pessimism) sounds similar and shares the kanji 悲 with 悲願, but means feeling hopeless about the future rather than a cherished wish.
From 悲 (sadness, compassion) + 願 (wish, vow). Originally a Buddhist term for a compassionate vow, later extended to mean a deeply held personal wish.