To court disaster or invite self-destruction; to rush to one's doom, like a moth drawn irresistibly to a flame despite the fatal consequences.
Era:
Ancient
Frequency:
Story:
During the Southern Dynasties' Liang period, there was a talented scholar named Dao Jin. He was the grandson of Dao Gai, who served as a Jinzi Guanglu Daifu (Gold-Purple Grand Master of Splendid Happiness) in the imperial court. Dao Jin was highly favored by Emperor Xiao Yan, and they frequently composed poetry together. Emperor Xiao Yan once specifically bestowed a poem upon Dao Jin's grandfather, which contained the lines: "Grinding ink to compose articles, the brush flies to write letters, like a moth rushing to the fire, how can one regret the burning of one's body? When old age has certainly arrived, this task can be entrusted to the young Jin."