溫故知新 Old wisdom, today’s insight — ONGO
They Bored One Hole a Day, and on the Seventh Day, Chaos Died
Even an emperor who possesses everything — if he lacks the freedom to open even one door himself, is he free?
All people have seven openings for seeing, hearing, eating, and breathing, but Chaos alone had none, so his friends tried boring some for him. Each day they bored one hole, and on the seventh day, Chaos died.
Zhuangzi left a parable in which friends, meaning well, bore seven openings into Chaos like an ordinary person — and Chaos dies as a result.
📝The Classic Answers
Zhuangzi left a parable in which friends, meaning well, bore seven openings into Chaos like an ordinary person — and Chaos dies as a result. Kindness begun with good intent ends up killing the very being it meant to help. A child seated on the imperial throne at a young age appears to possess everything the world has to offer, yet cannot open even a single door of the Forbidden City by his own hand. The lavish protocol and ritual arranged for him, like the seven holes bored into Chaos's body, erase his original freedom one opening at a time. I look back at whether something I offer 'for someone's sake' is, in fact, boring away their freedom one hole at a time.
🌱Apply It Today
If you are offering something today 'for someone's good,' trace back once whether it truly protects their freedom.
The film is honored as an equal questioner; its plot is rendered only as a universal dilemma. The classic source is an ancient text (Public Domain), and the reflection is 100% original ONGO content.
