Koi Fish Legend??

Whats up with the koi fish everywhere...i know its a symbol of protection...but whats up with the story about the koi goes up the waterfall and turns into a dragon..or some bullshit like that..can someone clerify this..

Koi's have nothing to do with protection. Seriously, a "guard fish?"...With freaking lazer beams!!! ... Sorry man here is that answer to your question.... several ways.... According to Japanese legend if a koi succeeded in climbing the falls at a point called Dragon Gate on the Yellow River it would be transformed into a dragon. Based on that legend, it became a symbol of worldly aspiration and advancement. More generally, the Japanese associate koi (also known as carp) with perserverance in adversity and strength of purpose. Because of its strength and determination to overcome obstacles, it stands for courage and the ability to attain high goals. Others say it means good fortune or luck. More input: The Koi Fish is symbolic in the Buddhist Religion, representing courage. Humans 'swim' through the 'ocean of suffering' without fear, just like a fish swims through water. The Koi is symbolic with family. On Childrens Day Koi flags are raised, Black Koi the father, Orange/Red mother, Blue/White for a boy, red/pink for a girl. "There is another word to describe "love" which is "koi". The kanji character for "kokoro (heart)" is included as part of both kanji characters. Both "ai" and "koi" are probably translated as "love" in English. However, they have slightly different nuance: "Koi" is a love for the opposite sex, or a longing feeling for a specific person. It can be described as "romantic love" or "passionate love". While "ai" has the same meaning as "koi," it also has a definition of a general feeling of love. "Koi" can be selfish, but "ai" is a real love. Here are some lines that explain them well: Koi is always wanting. Ai is always giving." A koi tattoo is supposed to represent different things it just depends on the color and the amount of them and the direction they are swimming in the stream. 5 golden koi is supposed to represent eternal wealth and well being. In general Koi are associated with good luck, plain and simple. The colors and size doesn't mean anything.

Well, except Werk that it does mean something... and you had it right, basically The Koi is symbolic with family. Black Koi the father, Orange/Red mother, Blue/White for a boy, red/pink for a girl. Don't exactly take too kindly to the original poster calling a Buddhist legend "Some Bullshit" though....

It happens.... Just another "Opinion." *lol*

True. Okay... Next? By the way Werk, nice to see you've re-descovered the power of your JUMPING, THUMPING, PULSATING MIGHTY SEARCH ENGINE!!!

sorry i didnt mean to offend anyone...i just heard that story about the koi going up the waterfall and was like..what the fuck ever..but thanks guys..

AAAAAAAAAAAhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YOU JUST DID IT AGAIN!!!! THAT WOULD BE LIKE ME SAYING JESUS DIED ON A FLAGPOLE, OR A RASPBERRY BUSH, OR SOME FUCKIN' THING LIKE THAT.... Come to think of it though, sure, why not. All religeons are Joseph Campbellian anyway on some level. Ah, fine. I'm gonna go see if they've got food at this thing... Here we go... some little crackers, and a little blood of Christ to wash it down, that oughta hold me till lunch. (Just kidding!)

i cant stop laughing...but one thing is for sure the koi thing is clerified...thank you...

LMFAO raspberry bush fuck , sorry that was way funny.

Al, I think I finally figured out what you ment when you said, "except it does mean something." - I believe you were talking about the comment about the colors of the fish right? ... I caught that right after I posted the response. I didn't mean for that to be on there. I had pulled all of that stuff off of FAQ Farm. But in another way I guess it is alright because it gives the answer a variety of opinion since not on person answers the questions on that site. ... You remember the Nautical Star post I did? ... Geeeeeeeeeez!

Werk, what I was saying was, you were right. You had it bang on.

so what there is no meaning behind the colours of the Koi? Just if it swims up or down streem?

i need to get my koi colored. does anybody know the truth about the colors?

does any one know what the spot on a koi's head represent? like what is that? a sun?

the world would be so much better without religion

The Koi legend is a beautiful one. The Koi swims up-stream on the Yellow River through 7 waterfalls. On its' way it speaks to every animal it passes drinking from the river and gains a piece of wisdom from each animal. Upon reaching the top it has gained enough wisdom (not knowledge, but wisdom) to pass through the Dragon's Gate. This is where it achieves enlightenment and evolves into a serpent (often represented in Tattoos) and then a Dragon. You will often see a Koi tattoo (particularly in Asia) with the body of a fish but a dragons head. The serpent has a Dragons body and Head bu Koi fins and scales. The Dragon symbolises protection and wisdom, so essentially the Koi does, too. I agree with the others though - your "Whatever the fuck" attitude sucks. Maybe you should follow the path of the Koi and learn from all of us feeding you with our knowledge...

Thanks for the Wiki definition...

Well, hope this helps. i have a koi tattoo of my own that I'm working on. This should answer everyone's questions: Koi are considered a manly symbol, especially after it was appropriated by the Boys' Day Festival in Japan. According to legend, the koi climb the waterfall bravely, and if they are caught, they face their death on the cutting board bravely, like samuri. Other Japanese meanings include perseverance and strength. In China, it is believed that if the koi succeeded in climbing to "Dragon Gate" on the Yellow River, the koi will be transformed into dragons. Because of the Chinese legend, koi are considered a symbol of advancement and aspiration. When used in tattoos, especially with running water, the koi is meant to symbolize courage and the ability to attain goals and to overcome life's difficulties. When the koi in the tattoo is shown swimming upstream, it can be used to mean that the tattooee is still struggling with their problem, whereas a koi swimming downstream implies that the tattooee has already overcome their difficulty. In other cases, the koi swimming downstream can represent the season of fall, and the koi swimming upstream can represent the spring. The specific colors you mentioned to represent the Father, mother, son, and daughter, But there are over 14 different kinds of koi, ranging in many colors. All depending pretty much on your choice. My koi tattoo is blue and white, swimming upstream. The Spot on their head? when a koi swims up the river they speak to all the animals along the path to gather the wisdom to be able to make it past the dragon gate. That spot represents the wisdom it has gathered on its journey. There ya go.