Master Zongxuan's Treatise on the Profound Outline: Chapter 28, The Dao is Contrary to the Vulgar

Someone asked: What people love most is what the Daoist school most avoids. Why? I answered: Fortune and longevity are what people desire; disaster and premature death are what people abhor. They do not realize that what is most loved invites disaster and premature death, while desirelessness brings great fortune and eternal life. To seek such things excessively is to harm oneself. How deluded is this? Moreover, the beauty of Yan and Zhao is a wrong to one's nature; the licentious music of Zheng and Wei is a disturbance to one's spirit; delicacies and fine wines are a dimming of the heart; official robes and crowns are a burden to the body. These four things, when abandoned, bring tranquility; when pursued, bring disturbance; when forgotten, bring longevity; when indulged in, bring premature death. Therefore, they are the greatest taboos of the Daoist school.

Explanation: Someone asked: The things people love most are what the Daoist school avoids. Why? I answered: Fortune and longevity are what people desire, while disaster and premature death are what people shun. Those who love excessively will invite disaster and premature death, while those without desires can attain fortune and longevity. All these are self-harm caused by excessive seeking. What is there to be confused about? For example, the beauties of Yan and Zhao (it has been said since ancient times that Yan and Zhao produce beautiful women) only harm one's nature; the licentious works of Zheng and Wei only disturb one's spirit. Delicacies and fine wines only cloud the mind, while beautiful clothes and hats only make the body uncomfortable. These four things are sought instead of tranquility; if ignored, one lives long; if attended to, one dies young. Therefore, they are taboo to the Daoist school.

Analysis: This passage can be simply summarized as follows: External objects affect the mind, and when the mind moves, the spirit naturally shifts, thereby affecting one's lifespan. The Daoist school pursues health preservation and a healthier life. The reason why the general public cannot live long is that their daily preferences and habits are problematic. Thus, what the public likes is precisely what the Daoist school avoids.