Rénxīn bùzú, shé tūn xiàng.*

Lit People are [sometimes] as greedy as a snake trying to swallow an elephant.

Note [Cf. Jǐngshì Tōngyán, chap. 25; a line of poetry by the Ming dynasty poet Luó Hóngxiān, alluding to an image in the ancient text Shān Hǎi Jīng; see also rén kǔ, bù zhīzú and rénshēng bù zhīzú above and rénxīn gāo guò tiān and zhè shān wàngjiàn below.]

Topics AVARICE GREED Jǐngshì Tōngyán Luó Hóngxiān Shān_Hǎi_Jīng