What did Lau Tzu mean in chapter 12 of the Tao Te Ching (verse inside)?

[nantogph]

The five colors blind the eyes of man;
The five musical notes deafen the ears of man;
The five flavors dull the taste of man;
Horse-racing, hunting and chasing madden the minds of man;
Rare, valuable goods keep their owners awake at night.

Therefore the Sage:
Provides for thebelly and not the eye.
Hence, he rejects the one and accepts the other.

What is the point of this verse? What is Lau Tzu implying by "he rejects the one and accepts the other?"

[Marblehead]

That our desires will drive us crazy and prevent us from living a contented life.

 

Fill the belly (stay healthy) and empty the mind (of desires).

[ChiDragon]

Posted 01 June 2011 - 09:44 AM

Chapter 12 - The Extravagant World
1. 五色令人目盲
2. 五音令人耳聾
3. 五味令人口爽
4. 馳騁畋獵
5. 令人心發狂
6. 難得之貨
7. 令人行妨
8. 是以聖人為腹不為目
9. 故去彼取此

Translation in terse English
1. Five colors blind the eyes of the beholder.
2. Five tones make people deaf.
3. Five flavors numb the human mouth.
4. Hunting on horse back,
5. Make people's heart go insane.
6. Rare obtainable goods,
7. Make people behave nefariously.
8. A wise man lives for his belly but not for the eyes.
9. Therefore, discard the latter and keep the former.

To keep the former was referring to: "A wise man lives for his belly".
To discard the latter was referring to: "but living just to please the eyes"

Edited November 30, 2014 by ChiDragon

[dawei]

Realize both the belly and the eyes have an appetite. The former has a natural limitation but the latter is not easily satisfied.

 

Keep to natural limits instead of limitless pursuits.

[woodcarver]

Though some may argue with details in the translation, Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching by Red Pine has some super good commentary on each chapter

[Marblehead]

Realize both the belly and the eyes have an appetite. The former has a natural limitation but the latter is not easily satisfied.

 

Keep to natural limits instead of limitless pursuits.

Yeah, I almost always speak to "lessening" our desires. I agree that it is next to impossible to actually empty our mind of all desires.

[woodcarver]

Moderation

[Daeluin]

After a long fast I switched to a raw food diet, avoiding all cooked foods, refined foods, sweeteners, etc.

 

Lettuce had such an amazing sweetness.

 

Previously, ingesting an average amount of sweeteners blinded me to this perception.

 

The five flavors had dulled my tastes.

 

How can we hope to return to and perceive our mysterious center if we dull our perception by feeding our appetites?

 

The clearest I've ever been is when I spent just a week doing nothing but work and training. At night I would feel drawn to watching tv, socializing, coming up with something to do to occupy my time. Instead I went on 3 hour walks and tried to think of nothing. That weekend in class my qi transformed in ways I had never felt. Just a week!

[dawei]

I agree that it is next to impossible to actually empty our mind of all desires.

 

One has to truly recognize where those desires come from... it is not really internal; they are all external...

 

The belly has no nose to smell, nor eyes to see. It is a system unto itself; it is a self-preserving system...

 

The eyes... on the other hand... believe 'the world is my oyster' (Shakespeare)... self-promoting system...