Tao Te Ching, 12

The five colors cause one’s eyes to be blind.

The five tones cause one’s ears to be deaf.

The five flavors cause one’s palate to be spoiled.

Racing and hunting cause one’s mind to be mad.

Goods that are hard to get injure one’s activities. 

(Tao Te Ching, 12)

Today, I would try to interpret the above cannon which is part of the topic "Harmfulness of Knowledge and Desire".

In the Chinese Tradition, the number five symbolizes the associations of the elements, grains and mountains (i) which means balance in all things. Since five is balance, it is ideal that the society must be in harmony. Despite the opposites present, each must not disregard the other but complement it to create stability.

In the above cannon, it can be understood that because humans are not perfect, they also get to be distracted and tempted by the material world. That there is still a tendency for them to aim more than who and what they are. The balance (represented by number five) in the world causes them this. It is because humans as they are, they wanted to be above the others, to be treated higher than the others. There is this greediness in the person and the balance in the world causes them to surrender into the temptation. They do not want to be equal to the other so they aimed for something that would mean to disturb the balance in the world.

Tao Te Ching, 12 teaches that greediness will bring no good to the people. No excessive thing is good, but instead it will only bring disorder to the persons life and to the society. When the attitude of being greedy will be of continued practice, selfishness will develop into the person. Selfishness is wanting to have all things all for his/herself. Greediness and selfishness must not be practiced because in wanting to have excessive supply and hoarding them, sometimes the person can do something that is against to the values that Lao Tzu is preaching. "... racing and hunting cause one's mind to be mad" meaning the person will do anything just to get what he/she wants.

The important thing that the cannon is preaching is that all things must be in harmony and the greediness and selfishness only brings disorder to it. Wanting to have more will lead the person in doing things that should not be done meaning he/she may attain it using the good and the bad way. When one used the bad way, it redirects him/her to the Tao which is the ideal life to be lived according to the teachings of Lao Tzu.

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Source
(i) http://www.whats-your-sign.com/chinese-meaning-of-numbers.html