“The Five Colors Blind the Eye” — chapter 12 of the ‘Tao Te Ching’
Exploring three versions of an ancient Chinese text.
Taoism
“The Five Colors Blind the Eye” — chapter 12 of the ‘Tao Te Ching’
Exploring three versions of an ancient Chinese text.
source: created with Adobe Firefly_Gemini
I take part in a weekly group that is currently reading and discussing the Tao Te Ching. We are using the very popular translation of that ancient book by Stephen Mitchell (1988). The following chapter was among our readings this week:
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.
(Chapter 12 of the Tao Te Ching, by Lao Tzu, translated by Stephen Mitchell, 1988)
One person in our group said they did not agree with the first set of statements, and another said they did not understand them. They suggested colors can be wonderful to look at, sounds can be lovely to hear, and flavors can be a great experience.
Orginal Chinese Text
I had my initial interpretation of what these lines referred to, but first I felt I should check this chapter’s original Chinese characters. Here are those characters and my translation of them:
五色令人目盲。 The five colors cause human blindness. 五音令人耳聾。 The five tones cause human deafness. 五味令人口爽。 The five flavors cause people's mouths dull. 馳騁田獵 令人心發狂。 Galloping a horse and hunting across a field causes the mind [or heart] to go mad. 難得之貨令人行妨。 Rare and precious goods cause people to turn against each other.
是以聖人為腹不為目。 Therefore, the sage chooses his feeling [or belly], not his eyes. 故去彼取此。 So discard that [the eyes], and choose this [the feeling/belly, or maybe this entire chapter].
(Chinese character source: Chinese Text Project: Doa De Jing. https://ctext.org/dao-de-jing/. English translation by Alan Lew, author.)
Authenticity
Is it more authentic to match word for word, or is it more authentic to convey the deeper meaning of the words?
Translating complex ideas between languages is a challenge. Stephen Mitchell took great poetic license in translating some of Lao Tzu’s lines.
Some lines are almost word-for-word translations. Some lines, especially the last two, are very different. They are his best-guess effort at what he felt were Lao Tzu’s meanings or intentions. Mitchell also tries to maintain the compact efficiency of Chinese characters.
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My Translations
My translation above is a mostly accurate word-for-word effort. My interpretation below conveys how I understand the meaning of Chapter 12, which comes from my perspective on contemporary Advaita Vedanta nonduality …
When you see a color, you do not see what is real. When you hear a sound, you do not hear what is real. When you taste a flavor, you do not taste what is real. When you are deep in thought, you become that thought. When you covet a thing, you become that thing.
For the awakened soul, only the unchanging center is real, not the ephemeral and impermanent. Leave the unreal to itself; embrace the reality of everything.
(Chapter 12 of the Tao Te Ching, by Lao Tzu, interpreted by Alan A. Lew, 2026)
Just a few comments:
- Reality is nondual. There is only one thing.
- When we label things, we separate them from the nondual. That includes using labels like ‘red’, ‘loud’, and ‘salty’, as well as the very concepts of ‘color’, ‘sound’, and ‘taste’.
- When we label a thing, we engage with the label (or concept), and not with the reality of a thing that is inseparable from everything.
- The Master/sage/awakened-soul is the awareness of nondual reality with no separation. That does not change, even as senses and thoughts present a world of apparent separation. The sage knows that all separation and diversity is only an appearance (as many nondualists like to say).
Which version of the Tao Te Ching do you prefer?
For More…
- This website contains 11 additional translations of Chapter 12 of the Tao Te Ching. The main difference from my interpretation is that some take the “five colors, sounds, and flavors” to mean being overwhelmed by colors, sounds, and flavors.
- For more on Nonduality (Advaita), see this collection of my articles:
- Note that the articles in that collection are behind the Medium paywall. For paywall-free access to my articles, go to www.AlanLew.com, linked below.
All my articles can be found at www.AlanLew.com:
- subscribe to My Medium Writings
- become a Medium member to support my writings
Visit and Follow New Earth Consciousness (NEC) for More Articles like this.
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