Too many colors blind one's eyes; Greed for lust and fondness of beauty will injure essence and cause blindness. Too many sounds deafen one's ears; Loving the five kinds of music causes harmony to leave the heart, and one cannot hear the soundless sounds. Too many flavors spoil one's taste; Shuang means loss. When people become addicted to the five flavors in their mouths, then the mouth is lost — this refers to words that deviate from the Dao. Racing and hunting drive one's mind to madness. Human spirit and energy prefer tranquility; racing and breathing heavily cause the spirit and energy to disperse and be lost, hence leading to madness. Rare goods hinder one's conduct. Fang means injury. Rare goods refer to gold, silver, pearls and jade; when the heart is greedy and desires are insatiable, one's conduct will be harmed and body disgraced.

Therefore, the sage acts for the belly only. Guard the five natures, remove the six emotions, regulate one's will and energy, and cultivate spiritual clarity. Not for the eyes; the eyes do not gaze carelessly — careless gazing causes essence to be lost externally. Therefore, discard that and take this. Discard the eyes' careless gazing, and take instead the belly's cultivation of inner stillness. This is the teaching that Laozi distills into a single principle: turn away from outward stimulation, and return to the root within.