第12章 · 原文
现代白话译文
缤纷的色彩使人眼花缭乱；嘈杂的音乐使人耳朵失聪；丰美的食物使人口舌麻木；纵情骑马打猎使人心情放荡发狂；稀有的物品使人行为不轨。因此，圣人只求饱腹而不求声色娱目，所以摒弃物欲的诱惑，保持内心的安宁。
多版本对照
王弼注（魏晋）
爽差失也．失口之用．故谓之爽．夫耳目口心皆顺其性也．不以顺性命．反以伤自然．故曰盲聋爽狂也．难得之货塞人正路．故令人行妨也．为腹者以物养己．为目者以物役己．故圣人不为目也。
河上公注（汉）
五色令人目盲者，贪淫好色则伤精失明。五音令人耳聋者，淫声美音则伤气失聪。五味令人口爽者，嗜味厚味则伤神失尝。驰骋田猎令人心发狂者，凡难得之货令人行妨者，塞人路妨人政事。
王夫之《老子衍》（明末清初）
目以機為機，腹以無機為機。機與機為應，無機者，機之所取容也。處乎目與腹之中者，心也。方且退心而就腹，而後可以觀物。是故濁不可使有心，清不可使有跡。不以禮制欲，不以知辨志，待物自敝而天乃脫然。
憨山德清《老子道德经解》（明）
此言物欲之害，教人離欲之行也。意謂人心本自虛明，而外之聲色飲食貨利，亦本無可欲。人以為可欲而貪愛之。故眼則流逸奔色，而失其正見，故盲。耳則流逸奔聲，而失其真聞，故聾。舌則流逸奔味，而失其真味，故爽。心則流逸奔境，而失其正定，故發狂。行則逐於貨利，而失其正操，故有妨。所謂利令智昏，是皆以物欲喪心，貪得而無厭者也。聖人知物欲之為害。雖居五欲之中，而修離欲之行，知量知足。如偃鼠飲河，不過實腹而已。不多貪求以縱耳目之觀也。諺語有之，羅綺千箱，不過一暖，食前方丈，不過一飽，其餘皆為榮觀而已。故云雖有榮觀，燕處超然，是以聖人為腹不為目。去貪欲之害，而修離欲之行，故去彼取此。
马王堆帛书异文（西汉）
五色令人目明，五音令人耳聋，五味令人口爽，驰骋田猎令人心发狂。
郭店楚简异文（战国）
此章缺
English Translations / 英文译本
The five colours cause man's eyes to be blinded. The five notes cause his ears to be deafed. The five flavours cause his palate to be spoiled. Racing and hunting and chasing cause his mind to be mad. Goods hard to come by serve to hinder his progress. Therefore the sage is concerned with the belly and not with the eyes. That is why he discards the one and takes the other.
The five colours cause man's eyes to be blinded. The five notes cause man's ears to be deafed. The five flavours cause man's palate to be spoiled. Racing and hunting cause man's mind to be mad. Rare goods cause man's actions to be thwarted. For this reason the sage is concerned with the belly and not the eyes. That is why he rejects the one but accepts the other.
Five colors blind the eye. Five notes deafen the ear. Five flavors dull the palate. Racing and hunting madden the mind. Rare goods tempt people to action. Therefore the sage is for the belly, not the eye. Rejects this, grasps that.