一竅不通

Originally describing King Zhou of Shang, from Lüshi Chunqiu:

殺比干而視其心，不適也。孔子聞之曰：“其竅通則比干不死矣。” [Traditional Chinese poetry, trad.]

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杀比干而视其心，不适也。孔子闻之曰：“其窍通则比干不死矣。” [Traditional Chinese poetry, simp.]

From: Lü Buwei, Master Lü's Spring and Autumn Annals, 239 BCE

Shā Bǐgān ér shì qí xīn, bùshì yě. Kǒngzǐ wén zhī yuē: “Qí qiào tōng zé Bǐgān bù sǐ yǐ.” [Pinyin]

Bi Gan was slain and his heart was taken out to be examined. This was against the rules of propriety as well. When Confucius heard about his tyrannical deeds, he said, “Bi Gan would not have died if Zhou were not that impermeable.” (Non-literal translation)

Where Gao You annotated as follows:

紂性不仁，心不通，安於爲惡，殺比干，故孔子言其一竅通，則比干不見殺也。 [Literary Chinese, trad.]

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纣性不仁，心不通，安于为恶，杀比干，故孔子言其一窍通，则比干不见杀也。 [Literary Chinese, simp.]

Zhòu xìng bùrén, xīn bùtōng, ānyú wéi è, shā Bǐgān, gù Kǒngzǐ yán qí yī qiào tōng, zé Bǐgān bù jiàn shā yě. [Pinyin]

King Zhou was so morally corrupt and mentally obtuse that he was steeped in evil deeds, even ordering [his loyal minister] Bi Gan executed. Therefore, Confucius remarked that [as long as] he has one aperture open, Bi Gan would not have been killed then.

Note that in ancient China, it was popularly believed that the seat of consciousness, thought and emotion is located in one's heart, in other words, the heart governs the mind, as reflected in Mencius' assertion, "The function of the heart is to think".

一竅不通

1. to not understand a thing about the topic; it's all Greek to me