借花献佛

Pronunciation: jiè huā xiàn fó
Literal meaning: Borrow flower offer Buddha

Origin & Usage

This Buddhist-influenced idiom describes borrowing flowers (花) to offer (献) to Buddha (佛), originating from Tang Dynasty temple practices where worshippers would sometimes borrow flowers from temple gardens for their offerings. The practice sparked philosophical discussions about the nature of sincere devotion versus superficial gestures. Historical texts show how it evolved to critique those who used others' resources to gain personal merit. Modern usage describes taking credit using others' resources or efforts, though not always with negative connotations – sometimes indicating clever resource utilization.

Examples

English: "He took credit for the team's work during the presentation"

Chinese: 他在演示中把团队的工作据为己有

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