泥菩薩過江，自身難保
“A clay Buddha crossing the river cannot even protect itself.”
One who cannot save themselves is in no position to help anyone else.
— Traditional Hong Kong Wisdom, Hong Kong
Source: Traditional Hong Kong proverb, public-domain oral tradition
More Proverbs from Hong Kong
Before eating the Dragon Boat Festival rice dumplings, don't put away your winter clothes.
Warns that the weather stays changeable until after the Dragon Boat Festival in early summer, so don't put winter clothing away too soon.
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With money, you can even make a ghost push the millstone.
Money can accomplish things that would otherwise seem impossible.
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When one rooster dies, another crows.
Life goes on — when one thing ends, something else rises to take its place.
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The mountain is big — keep chopping and there will always be more firewood.
There are always more opportunities or options if you keep looking.
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Heaven never seals off every path for a person.
No matter how dire the situation, some way forward will appear.
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Better to rely on yourself than to ask others.
Self-reliance is more dependable than depending on other people's help.
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