諺語 · a single proverb
泥菩薩過河——自身難保
Simplified: 泥菩萨过河——自身难保
What does 泥菩薩過河——自身難保 (ní pú sa guò hé——zì shēn nán bǎo) mean?
泥菩薩過河——自身難保 (ní pú sa guò hé——zì shēn nán bǎo) is a two-part riddle-saying (xiēhòuyǔ 歇後語). Word for word it reads "A clay bodhisattva crossing the river-cannot even protect itself." In use it means: Someone who is in no position to help others because they are in danger themselves. Used when a would-be protector is equally vulnerable. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Earth note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Dragon.
Literally: "A clay bodhisattva crossing the river-cannot even protect itself.."
The reading
The one we lean on may be crumbling under the same weight. Goodwill alone does not guarantee the strength to follow through. Before offering rescue, a person must honestly measure their own footing. This is not selfishness but the arithmetic of survival. Honest self-assessment is the foundation of genuine help.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Traditional folk xiehouyu, documented in multiple dialect collections
Sits beside
井底之蛙
jǐng dǐ zhī wā
Someone with an extremely narrow view of the world, who mistakes the small circle of sky above the well for the whole sky.
冰凍三尺，非一日之寒
bīng dòng sān chǐ, fēi yī rì zhī hán
Nothing deep-a skill, a habit, a ruin-forms overnight.
心急吃不了熱豆腐
xīn jí chī bù liǎo rè dòu fu
Impatience will not speed things up.
Keep reading
Return to the Proverb Pond to draw another of the eighty-seven, or hear one read aloud. Read the rest of its chapter in Humility & Self-Mastery, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Dragon, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 泥菩薩過河——自身難保 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 泥菩薩過河——自身難保 (ní pú sa guò hé——zì shēn nán bǎo) is a two-part riddle-saying (xiēhòuyǔ 歇後語), and it comes from Traditional folk xiehouyu, documented in multiple dialect collections. It is living Chinese heritage, given here with per-character pinyin and its source so you can trust the line, not a phrase invented in English.
How do you pronounce 泥菩薩過河——自身難保?
In Mandarin it is ní pú sa guò hé——zì shēn nán bǎo. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 泥菩薩過河——自身難保 aloud in Mandarin.