They said, "All men have seven holes,—for seeing, hearing, eating, and breathing. Hun Tun alone has none. We will bore some for him."
So every day they bored one hole; but on the seventh day Hun Tun died.
Illustrating the perils of action. "The empire," says Lao Tzŭ, "is a divine trust, and may not be ruled. He who rules, ruins. He who holds by force, loses."
"Men's actions," says Emerson, "are too strong for them."
With this chapter Chuang Tzŭ completes the outline of his system. The remaining chapters are either supplementary to the preceding seven, or independent essays upon cognate subjects.
CHAPTER VIII.
Joined Toes.
Argument:—Virtues should be natural, not artificial; passive not active. [Chs. [viii] to [xiii] inclusive are illustrative of, or supplementary to, [ch. vii].]