Fox Spirits embody desire in Chinese folklore or mythology. In Bones of the Master George is a fox spirit who is less "black" than Lei Shu Bao, yet not as "white" as Tsung Tsai. "Black" Fox Spirits are desirous and make trouble for themselves because they know the Dharma of Buddhism, yet do not follow it; while "white" Fox Spirits are pure and "godlike" (p172-172).
George, like most of the human race, has many desires. He has very potent sexual desires, which he expresses many times throughout the book; for his wife, for Feng-Feng, and essentially any woman he encounters. He has desires for fame and money, for freedom and everything else most Westerners desire. "I was a cerebral ne'er-do-well with a love for books, women, and travel and a distaste for long-term employment," he wrote. Before meeting Tsung-Tsai George was like most Americans; lazy, unappreciative and just cruising out his life doing whatever he wanted.
Lei Shu Bao also has many desires, but his intentions seem to be far more terrible than George's. He desires money, power and sex and even attempts to channel and take Tsung-Tsai's power with the bell ceremony. He is Tsung-Tsai's "most brilliant student," as George says, and it seems as though Tsung-Tsai is disappointed in the way he has turned out.
George and Lei Shu Bao seem to let their desires control them, but each on different levels. Both being students of Tsung-Tsai, they know what they should be doing, but don't always do what they should. George's desires control him and he is always wanting, and mostly unsatisfied in his wants, yet his desires do not drive him so much that he focuses only on fulfilling ...