clean, purify, cleanse, exorcise, Manchu Dynasty
浄 centers on removing impurity to reach a pure state: cleaning, purifying, or cleansing something physically or spiritually. The exorcism sense extends this to driving out unclean spirits, while the Manchu Dynasty reference is a specific historical application of the idea of purification.
浄 is the modern simplified form of 淨. The older form combines 氵 (water) with 靜, suggesting cleansing with water. The modern right side 争 is a simplification of the original phonetic component.
Water 氵 beside 争 (a shape associated with conflict or contention) suggests washing away impurity or spiritual conflict. Picture water purifying a troubled area.
For ジョウ, imagine a pure, clean Joe washing away dirt: Joe -> ジョウ, and his cleaning purifies everything.
washing; cleansing; cleaning; laundering
purification
clean water; purified water
pure; clean; purity
unclean; dirty; impure
pure land (esp. the Western Pure Land paradise of Amitabha); (Buddhist) paradise
Jōdo Shinshū (offshoot of the Jōdo sect); True Pure Land School
water-purification tank
self-purification; self-cleansing
Amitabha's Pure Land; Sukhavati
Pure Land sect (of Buddhism); Jodo (sect)
jōruri; type of dramatic recitation accompanied by a shamisen (associated with Japanese puppet theater)
Japanese puppet theatre in which recited narrative and dialog is accompanied by a shamisen (forerunner of bunraku)
monetary offering; donation
bathroom; toilet (room)
unclean place
Amitabha's Pure Land (composed of nine levels)
denture cleanser
purification of the six roots of perception
anti-money laundering law