十二章

　　五色令人目盲；五音令人耳聋；五味令人口爽；驰骋畋猎，令人心发狂；难
得之货，令人行妨。是以圣人为腹不为目，故去彼取此。

Chapter 12. 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.