no nên bụt, đói nên ma
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
Fed, a Buddha; starved, a ghost — morality runs on meals.
Literally: full: become Buddha; hungry: become ghost
Examples
No nên bụt, đói nên ma.Full men make Buddhas; hungry men make ghosts.
Editorial example (VI sweep batch 040, illustrative)
Sources & notes
Discovered via Nam ngạn chích cẩm (Phạm Quang Sán, 1918; public domain, via vi.wikisource); retrieved 2026-08-01. Source: source ↗ Attested in Nam ngạn chích cẩm (Phạm Quang Sán, 1918). Definition is an original editorial synthesis, not copied from the source.
Common questions
What does “no nên bụt, đói nên ma” mean?
Fed, a Buddha; starved, a ghost — morality runs on meals. Literally: full: become Buddha; hungry: become ghost
Is “no nên bụt, đói nên ma” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.