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Ruler of the Northern Ocean was Hû1, and the Ruler of the Centre was Chaos. Shû and Hû were continually meeting in the land of Chaos, who treated them very well. They consulted together how they might repay his kindness, and said, 'Men all have seven orifices for the purpose of seeing, hearing, eating, and breathing, while this (poor) Ruler alone has not Let us try and make them for him.' Accordingly they dug one orifice in him every day; and at the end of seven days Chaos died 2.
one.
PT. I. SECT. VII. THE WRITINGS OF KWANG-3ZE.
1 Meaning 'Sudden.'
2 The little allegory is ingenious and amusing. It indicates,' says Lin, 'how action (the opposite of non-inaction) injures the first condition of things.' More especially it is in harmony with the Tâoistic opposition to the use of knowledge in government. One critic says that an 'alas!' might well follow the concluding 'died.' But surely it was better that Chaos should give place to another state. 'Heedless' and 'Sudden' did not do a bad work.
>--C=**==
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