Senses
舍本逐末/ 捨本逐末 to prioritize commerce over farming
(original meaning) to abandon the fundamental pursuit of agriculture and instead pursue the peripheral activities of trade or crafts; literally to abandon the root and pursue the tip
舍本逐末/ 捨本逐末 to focus on trifles over essentials
(extended meaning) to neglect the fundamental or important aspects of a matter and focus on trivial details; to focus on the branch rather than the root