Line by Line - Verse 12, Line 6

Therefore the sage seeks to satisfy (the craving of) the belly, and not the (insatiable longing of the) eyes.
~ James Legge translation, from The Sacred Books of the East, 1891 ~

Therefore the sage is guided by what he feels and not by what he sees.
~ Gia-fu Feng and Jane English translation, published by Vintage Books, 1989 ~

Therefore the sages care for the stomach and not the eyes
~ Derek Lin translation, from Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained, published by SkyLight Paths, 2006 ~

A Master watches the world
~ Ron Hogan rendition, from Beatrice.com, 2004 ~

We live in a world in which some people have far more than they need, while so many others struggle just to survive. Within the dichotomy between these two extremes, we often forget that as human beings our basic needs are the same. When we strip away all the layers of varnish and hubris, we are each simply one manifestation of the grand mystery.

As Derek Lin explains this line,

Caring for the stomach means focusing on one's basic needs and living life with plainness. Caring for the eyes means acquiring even more sensory stimuli, more "eye candy." The former is the only sure cure for sensory overindulgence, and that is why the sages embrace it and discard the latter.

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