Refusing to compromise one's integrity or dignity for a meager salary or minor material gain; used to describe a person of high character who is indifferent to fame and wealth.

A Chinese Taoist movement founded in the 2nd century AD by [[张道陵|張道陵|zhang1 dao4 ling2]]; so named because followers were required to contribute five pecks of rice; also known as the [[天师道|天師道|tian1 shi1 dao4]].

(allusion to the poet [[陶潜|陶潛|tao2 qian2]]) to bow and scrape for five pecks of rice; to swallow one's pride or compromise one's values for a small material gain or a low-paying job