一尘不染

Pronunciation: yī chén bù rǎn Literal meaning: Untouched by a single speck of dust

Origin & Usage

The idiom 一尘不染 (yī chén bù rǎn) originates from Buddhist texts, particularly from the Tang dynasty. It is derived from a story in the '法苑珠林' (Fǎ Yuàn Zhū Lín), where it describes the purity of a Bodhisattva's body that remains untouched by even a single speck of dust (尘, dust). This imagery was later extended to describe a person of high moral character who remains untainted by worldly temptations. The idiom breaks down to 一 (yī, one), 尘 (chén, dust), 不 (bù, not), 染 (rǎn, stain). In modern usage, it refers to someone who maintains moral purity and integrity, or to an environment that is exceptionally clean.

Examples

English: "Her integrity remained unblemished, untouched by the corruption around her."

Chinese: 她的品德一尘不染，未受周围腐败的影响。