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“Among all footprints, the elephant's footprint is the greatest; it covers and encompasses the rest.”

A truly great teaching, person, or matter encompasses and outweighs all lesser ones — popularly used in Lao Buddhist communities as everyday proverbial wisdom about scale and significance.

— Traditional Laos Wisdom, Laos

Source: Derived from the Pali Canon simile of the elephant's footprint (Majjhima Nikaya 27, Culahatthipadopama Sutta), popularly carried into Lao Theravada Buddhist folk wisdom

More about Traditional Laos Wisdom →·More Proverbs from Laos →

More Proverbs from Laos

ຄວາຍຕາຍເຫຼືອເຂົາ ຄົນຕາຍເຫຼືອຊື່

“When the buffalo dies it leaves its horns behind; when a person dies they leave their name behind.”

A person's reputation and good name outlast their life, so it is worth guarding.

Traditional Laos Wisdom

Source: Traditional Lao proverb, public-domain oral tradition

ຮູ້ໜ້າບໍ່ຮູ້ໃຈ

“One may know a face without ever knowing the heart.”

Outward appearance reveals nothing about a person's true intentions or character.

Traditional Laos Wisdom

Source: Traditional Lao proverb, public-domain oral tradition

ນ້ຳຂຶ້ນໃຫ້ຮີບຕັກ

“When the water rises, hurry and scoop it.”

Take advantage of favorable conditions while they last, because they will not remain forever.

Traditional Laos Wisdom

Source: Traditional Lao proverb, shared with the wider Lao-Tai (Lao-Isan-Thai) linguistic region, public-domain oral tradition

ຊ້າໆ ໄດ້ພ້າເຫຼັ້ມງາມ

“Slowly, slowly, and one gets a fine knife.”

Patience and careful work produce a better result than rushing a job.

Traditional Laos Wisdom

Source: Traditional Lao proverb, shared with the wider Lao-Tai (Lao-Isan-Thai) linguistic region, public-domain oral tradition

“A distant buffalo always seems to have a long tail.”

Things and people far away seem more impressive than they really are; distance flatters what is unfamiliar.

Traditional Laos Wisdom

Source: Traditional Lao proverb, shared with the wider Lao-Tai (Lao-Isan-Thai) linguistic region, public-domain oral tradition

ນ້ຳຂຶ້ນປາກິນມົດ ນ້ຳລົງມົດກິນປາ

“When the water rises, the fish eat the ants; when the water recedes, the ants eat the fish.”

Fortune and power shift with circumstance, and today's victim can become tomorrow's victor.

Traditional Laos Wisdom

Source: Traditional Lao proverb, shared with the wider Mekong-basin Lao-Tai region, public-domain oral tradition

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