Kanshin

Kanshin is a Japanese term that can denote different concepts depending on the kanji used. In everyday Japanese, kanshin (感心) means admiration or being impressed by someone or something. It is used in phrases such as 彼の演技には感心した, meaning “I was impressed by his performance.” This usage expresses an evaluative reaction toward merit or skill.

In Buddhist and Zen contexts, kanshin can be written as 看心 or 観心 and refers to the practice of looking at or observing the mind. The term conveys monitoring one’s thoughts, feelings, and mental states during meditation with the aim of insight or equanimity. It appears in classic East Asian Buddhist writings and is discussed as a method for investigating the nature of consciousness, rather than a praise-based term.

The two usages are distinct in meaning and context but share the same pronunciation in Japanese. The reading kanshin is common for these characters, and modern usage typically relies on context to determine which sense is intended. In scholarly or Buddhist texts, kanji variants are used to clarify meaning, but pronunciation remains kanshin.