leisure can they have had for adapting themselves to the natural conditions of their existence?
Besides, over-refinement of vision leads to debauchery in colour; over-refinement of hearing leads to debauchery in sound; over-refinement of charity leads to confusion in virtue;
- Here again the manifestation of Tao. See p. 45.
over-refinement of duty towards one's neighbour leads to perversion of principle;
- The eternal principles which are of Tao and not of man.
over-refinement of ceremonial leads to divergence from the true object; over-refinement of music leads to lewdness of thought; over-refinement of wisdom leads to an extension of mechanical art; and over-refinement of shrewdness leads to an extension of vice.
- As shown in the preceding chapter.
If people adapt themselves to the natural conditions of existence, the above eight
- Vision, hearing, charity, duty to one's neighbour, ceremonial, music, wisdom, and shrewdness.
may be or may not be; it matters not. But if people do not adapt themselves to the natural conditions of existence, then these eight become hindrances and spoilers, and throw the world into confusion.
