Chapter XII
(Chapter 12)

Ko Yuen Translation

The Withdrawal from the External

The five colors film over Sight; The five sounds make Hearing dull; The five flavours conceal Taste; occupation with motion and action bedevil Mind; even so the esteem of rare things begetteth covetousness and disorder¹.

The wise man seeketh therefore to content the actual needs of the people; not to excite them by the sight of luxuries. He banneth these, and concentrateth on those².

S. Mitchell Translation

Colors blind the eye.
Sounds deafen the ear.
Flavors numb the taste.
Thoughts weaken the mind.
Desires wither the heart.

The Master observes the world
but trusts his inner vision.
He allows things to come and go.
His heart is open as the sky.

James Legge Translation
1.	Colour's five hues from th' eyes their sight will take; Music's five notes the ears as deaf can make; The flavours five deprive the mouth of taste; The chariot course, and the wild hunting waste Make mad the mind; and objects rare and strange, Sought for, men's conduct will to evil change.
2.	Therefore the sage seeks to satisfy (the craving of) the belly, and not the (insatiable longing of the) eyes. He puts from him the latter, and prefers to seek the former.

GNL not Lao Interpolation

Substance

Too much colour blinds the eye,
Too much music deafens the ear,
Too much taste dulls the palate,
Too much play maddens the mind,
Too much desire tears the heart.

In this manner the sage cares for people:
He provides for the belly, not for the senses;
He ignores abstraction and holds fast to substance.

Tao Teh King
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Ko Yuen Commentary
1.	This is the regular Yogi doctrine, and may be tested by experience of various Bhavanas and other proper concentrations. But Laotze draws a parallel for social or political use. To excite cupidity leads to theft at home, and war abroad. It is only too evident to day how neglect of this rule has destroyed civilization; I need not insist on examples of how A's potash, B's iron, C's coal and D's trade routes have caused E to set the world ablaze. Return to text
2.	The present labour troubles are due to the absurd cult of material complexities miscalled prosperity. Return to text