[DDJ Meaning] Chapter 12

[dawei]

Legge

 

12

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.

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. 

 

Lau

 

12

The five colors make man's eyes blind; 

The five notes make his ears deaf; 
The five tastes injure his palate; 
Riding and hunting 
Make his mind go wild with excitement; 
Goods hard to come by 
Serve to hinder his progress.

Hence the sage is 
For the belly 
Not for the eye.

Therefore he discards the one and takes the other. 

 

Feng/English

 

12

The five colors blind the eye. 
The five tones deafen the ear. 
The five flavors dull the taste. 
Racing and hunting madden the mind. 
Precious things lead one astray.

Therefore the sage is guided by what he feels and not by what he sees. 
He lets go of that and chooses this.

 

Bill Porter (Red Pine)

 

12

The five colours make our eyes blind the five tones make our ears deaf the five

flavours make our mouths numb
riding and hunting make our minds wild hard-to-get goods make us break laws
thus the rule of the sage puts the stomach ahead of the eyes thus he picks this over that

 

The five colors make our eyes blind 

the five tones make our ears deaf

the five flavors make our mouths numb 

riding and hunting make our minds wild 

hard-to-get goods make us commit crimes

thus the rule of the sages

favors the stomach over the eyes

thus they pick this over that

 

Jonathan Star

 

12

The five colours blind the eye
The five tones deafen the ear
The five flavours dull the palate
Racing, hunting, and galloping about only disturb the mind
Wasting energy to obtain rare objects only impedes one’s growth
So the Sage is led by his inner truth not his outer eye
He holds to what is deep and not what lies on the surface

 

Added:

 

Flowing Hands:

 

The five colours blind the eye.

The five tones deafen the ear.

The five flavours dull the taste.

For having in excess, dulls the senses.

When the senses are dulled, men look for more stimulation.

Racing and hunting fever the mind.

Precious things cause greed to arise in Men’s hearts.

Therefore the Sage is guided by what he feels, and not by what he sees.

He lets go of that and chooses this.

 

Ni:

The five basic colors can be made into countless combinations to perplex the eyes.
The five basic tones can be made into infinite compositions to bewilder the ears.
The five basic flavors can be made into numerous stimulations to confuse the tongue.
The pursuit of worldly pleasures can make the mind wild and uncontrollable.
The one who sees the deep nature of life would rather embrace the simple subtle essence of life.

[Geof Nanto]

Personally, I rather you dropped Red Pine's translation because you're using an old version and also the way you're displaying it without his line breaks spoils the poetry. In my eyes it cheapens his work. 

 

They whisper still, the injured stones, the blunted mountains weep

As he died to make us holy, now we die to make things cheap

 

Given the context of this discussion, I think including Flowing Hands version instead would be appropriate. 

Edited May 12, 2017 by Yueya

[dawei]

Personally, I rather you dropped Red Pine's translation because you're using an old version and also the way you're displaying it without his line breaks spoils the poetry. In my eyes it cheapens his work. 

 

They whisper still, the injured stones, the blunted mountains weep

As he died to make men holy, now we die to make things cheap

 

Given the context of this discussion, I think including Flowing Hands version instead would be appropriate. 

 

I keep moving around computers and likely don't have his current version on the one I posted.  I've just added his updated version based on this computer       Added Flowing Hands

 

Also updated the last few chapters just added.

[Jeff]

Another excellent one...

 

What you see, hear and taste are all simply translations in the (local) mind.

Desiring and attachment to things lead you further further from the Dao (and more ego focused).

A Sage is guided by what he knows/feels in is heart and not what is shown/translated in his mind.

He lets go of these images/arising and focus feeling/knowing the Dao.

 

(this chapter is also specifically about "astral" stuff)

Edited May 12, 2017 by Jeff

[Stosh]

These inputs , from the eyes etc, supply a form , to the mind.

The mental construct becomes defined, and becoming defined ,the  mental states quality of being undefined is lost.

The senses reading the external world , defy the minds attempt to look inward expansively. 

Ones identity as an individual is the impediment to sensing oneself as a more  broad awareness. 

Focus on inclusive sentiments , like compassion and devotion , and even duty or social role, undermines the barriers to the expansive sentiment where one is 'one with'  nature or humanity or their purpose. 

[dawei]

In short:  "The Five" are distractions from Dao. 

 

 

The five colours are represented by,

red, green, yellow, black, white,

and match up with the elements of,

fire, wood, earth, water, metal,

the organs of,

heart, liver, spleen, kidneys, lungs,

the facial organs of,

tongue, eyes, mouth, ears, nose,

and the aspects of the mind of,

consciousness, yang spirit, intention, will, yin spirit.

 

 

The five tones are: C, D, E, G, and A.

 

 

The five flavors are:

sweet

sour

salt

bitter

spicy

[Geof Nanto]

For me this one is primarily about avoiding intense experience. I’ve learnt that all intensity is potentially addictive. It’s easy to move into intensity – indeed it’s most compelling – yet it tends to become a trap that’s difficult to escape from. After any intense experience it takes time to readjust and regain the sensitivity necessary to feel into the subtle fullness of Daoist ‘emptiness’. Transitioning away from intense experience always feels uncomfortable, sometimes unbearable so – life feels hollow, disconnected; empty in the sense of barren nothingness. And I seek to hone my sensitivity and grow my roots into that ancient, eternal ‘silence’. That’s where I find my inner peace, my innate belonging.

 

It would be interesting to compile a list of common contemporary intense experiences. Over the decades I've slowly moved away from many. The web in general and Dao Bums in particular would probably currently top mine!  

[AussieTrees]

For me this one is primarily about avoiding intense experience. I’ve learnt that all intensity is potentially addictive. It’s easy to move into intensity – indeed it’s most compelling – yet it tends to become a trap that’s difficult to escape from. After any intense experience it takes time to readjust and regain the sensitivity necessary to feel into the subtle fullness of Daoist ‘emptiness’. Transitioning away from intense experience always feels uncomfortable, sometimes unbearable so – life feels hollow, disconnected; empty in the sense of barren nothingness. And I seek to hone my sensitivity and grow my roots into that ancient, eternal ‘silence’. That’s where I find my inner peace, my innate belonging.

 

It would be interesting to compile a list of common contemporary intense experiences. Over the decades I've slowly moved away from many. The web in general and Dao Bums in particular would probably currently top mine!  

Intensities can be intense energy consuming,and dulling the senses.

So can the mundane,remember what happened to the Macca's guy who ate three meals a day at Maccas.

He became ill with excess.

To much of anything is just that to much.

To much:beer,wine,salami,pizza,religion,sex,drugs,or just about every has a balance yes even doughnuts and cream buns.

Beware of the mundane to much can be unbalancing.

[Geof Nanto]

Intensities can be intense energy consuming,and dulling the senses.

So can the mundane,remember what happened to the Macca's guy who ate three meals a day at Maccas.

He became ill with excess.

To much of anything is just that to much.

To much:beer,wine,salami,pizza,religion,sex,drugs,or just about every has a balance yes even doughnuts and cream buns.

Beware of the mundane to much can be unbalancing.

 

It's been many years since I indulged at the level you're implying. Further to my previous post.....

 

It’s not so much the web as such, rather it’s the overstimulation of ‘left-brain’ function that I want to reduce, yet at the same time I’m drawn back to it. It’s familiar; a long term imbalance that I’ve been working on indirectly through qi based praxis for many, many years. When I disconnect from the web and connect more with the ‘silence’ of my immediate environment using ‘right-brain’ function I feel much better. And I regularly do just that. I've naturally let go of so much. My lifestyle is very simple; I literally chop wood and carry water. But past experience tells me to allow my psyche to adjust slowly; 'self-so,' in its own time. Will power and forcing has proved counterproductive for me. I suspect there’s insights I’ve yet to gain form my Dao Bums connection.  I’ve gained much both directly and indirectly from my couple of years of membership.  

Edited May 12, 2017 by Yueya

[Sketch]

 

• Verse Twelve

Five colors dominate the eyes and blind them.

Five sounds dominate the ears and deafen them.

Five flavors dominate people’s mouths

So they don’t know what they are tasting.

 

Excitement over racing,

 hunting and other sports

 can dominate  the people 

and make them  act crazy.

 

Going to a lot of trouble

 to acquire goods dominates people,  

makes them

Walk a crooked, cursed path.

 

This is why the the person you should emulate 

Is in their belly, 

not in the sights their eyes can see.

 

Edited September 24, 2020 by Sketch