The Five Colours Blind the Eye

去彼取此

Qù Bǐ Qǔ Cǐ

Too much colour dulls the eye, too much music the ear, too many flavours the mouth. The sage feeds the belly rather than the craving, and turns from the one to the other.

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3 sentences · 5 notes

五wǔ色sè令lìng人rén目mù盲máng，五wǔ音yīn令lìng人rén耳ěr聋lóng，五wǔ味wèi令lìng人rén口kǒu爽shuǎng，驰chí骋chěng畋tián猎liè，令lìng人rén心xīn发fā狂kuáng，难nán得dé之zhī货huò，令lìng人rén行xíng妨fáng。

1Colour'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.

是shì以yǐ圣shèng人rén为wéi腹fù不bù为wéi目mù，故gù去qù彼bǐ取qǔ此cǐ。

2Therefore the sage seeks to satisfy (the craving of) the belly, and not the (insatiable longing of the) eyes.

3He puts from him the latter, and prefers to seek the former.

Chinese commentary · 5 notes

The notes printed with this chapter in Chinese editions, kept in Chinese, for readers who come to the text that way.

1爽：指口腔味觉发生毛病。

2田久：打猎。

3妨：本指妨碍、损害的意思，这里特指盗窃、掠夺之类行为。

4腹：是指内在自我。目：指外在自我或感觉世界。

5彼：指外。此：指内。

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Read this chapter in Chinese · 去彼取此