jesterswilde
DAO DE JINGHome

Chapter 63

为无为

为wèi无wú为wéi，
事shì无wú事shì，
味wèi无wú味wèi。
大dà小xiǎo多duō少shǎo，
报bào怨yuàn以yǐ德dé。
图tú难nán于yú其qí易yì，
为wèi大dà于yú其qí细xì。
天tiān下xià难nán事shì，
必bì作zuò于yú易yì，
天tiān下xià大dà事shì，
必bì作zuò于yú细xì。
是shì以yǐ圣shèng人rén终zhōng不bù为wéi大dà，
故gù能néng成chéng其qí大dà。
夫fū轻qīng诺nuò必bì寡guǎ信xìn，
多duō易yì必bì多duō难nán。
是shì以yǐ圣shèng人rén犹yóu难nán之zhī，
故gù终zhōng无wú难nán矣yǐ。

a> Engage in non-action, undertake having no undertakings, taste the tasteless. Enlarge the small, increase the few, requite hostility with virtue (de).

b> Plan for the difficult on the basis of the simple, do great things on the basis of details – the difficult undertakings of the world are all arise from simple situations, and the greatest undertakings in the world all arise from small details.

c> Hence the sage never does a great act, and is thus able to complete his greatness.

d> Thoughtless assent always brings little trust; many easy acts always lead to many difficulties. Therefore the sage seems to treat them as difficult, and thus never has difficulties.

A modern classroom translation, with labeled subsections for study.

© 2010, 2016, 2019 Robert Eno. Freely available for personal use and not-for-profit educational settings. For other purposes, apart from fair use, copyright is not waived.