title: Tao Te Ching 12 - Thoughts Desires and Trusting
Stephen 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.
Other translations I like
Five colors blind the eyes. Five tones deafen the ears. Five flavors dull the palate. Riding and hunting drive us crazy, the desire for things leads to wrongs.
That’s why the sage nourishes the belly, not merely the eye, choosing one, not the other. Sam Hamill
Related:
- Excess of anything hurts → The Middle Path
- happiness is the absence of desire
- Trusting that the Universe is unfolding exactly as it should