There exists an maxim: “Humanity’s greatest adversary resides within oneself”. External temptations—sensory desires and transient pleasures—ensnare us effortlessly, eroding our primordial essence. As Laozi warns: “The five hues blind human vision; the five tones deafen human hearing; the five flavors numb human discernment” .
Colour’s five hues from the 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.
Therefore the sage seeks to satisfy (the craving of) the belly, and not the (insatiable longing of the) eyes. He puts from him the latter, and prefers to seek the former.
Modern civilization entraps humanity in a labyrinth of external stimuli—visual lusts, material appetites, fleeting gratifications—that corrode our intrinsic nature .
The Sage’s path diverges radically: cultivating inner emptiness while rejecting sensory seductions. This aligns with Laozi’s principle: “The Sage acts from the hollow center, not through deceptive senses”. Such wisdom crystallizes a fundamental truth: authentic sovereignty lies in mastering internal perceptions rather than conquering external realms.
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