摸象

to touch an elephant (of proverbial blind people)

to feel with the hand / to touch / to stroke / to grope / to steal / to abstract

variant of 摹[mo2]

elephant / CL:隻|只[zhi1] / shape / form / appearance / to imitate

to touch an elephant with closed eyes (idiom); to proceed blindly

blind people touch an elephant (idiom, from Nirvana sutra 大般涅槃經|大般涅盘经[da4 ban1 Nie4 pan2 jing1]); fig. unable to see the big picture / to mistake the part for the whole / unable to see the wood for the trees

multitude of blind people touch an elephant (idiom, from Nirvana sutra 大般涅槃經|大般涅盘经[da4 ban1 Nie4 pan2 jing1]); fig. unable to see the big picture / to mistake the part for the whole / unable to see the wood for the trees

blind people touch an elephant (idiom, from Nirvana sutra 大般涅槃經|大般涅盘经[da4 ban1 Nie4 pan2 jing1]); fig. unable to see the big picture / to mistake the part for the whole / unable to see the wood for the trees