Japanese meaning of 森羅万象

Reading: AI

しんらばんしょう (shinra banshou)

English Translation:

All things in nature and the universe

Meaning & Cultural Context

Meaning:

All phenomena in the cosmos—nature, society, and human affairs—taken as an interlinked whole. Used to signal exhaustive scope or a holistic view.

自然・社会・人事を含む「世界のあらゆる現象」全体。網羅性・全体観を示すときに用いる。

Cultural Context:

Appears in philosophical writing, religion (Shinto–Buddhist cosmology), and rhetoric to frame “everything under heaven” as one field.

哲学・宗教（神仏習合的世界観）・修辞で「天地間のすべて」を一つの視野で捉える語として使われる。

Grammar & Learning Points

Grammar Point

• Noun phrase often used alone or with “を含む/を包む” to refer to all phenomena in the universe (“森羅万象を司る神”).
• Common in philosophical, religious, or poetic language.

Trap for English Speakers

Might be taken to mean just “nature,” but it encompasses *everything*, both natural and human-made.

Example

Basic Example

森羅万象に興味を持つことは学びを広げる。

Having an interest in all things in the universe broadens your learning.

Applied Example

森羅万象すべてが彼の興味の対象だった。

All things in the universe fascinated him.