Tao Te Ching道德经
Tao Te Ching/Chapter 63

Act Without Acting

为大于细
Wèi Dà Yú Xì

Do the doing that does not look like doing; taste the tasteless. The difficult things of the world are done while they are still easy, and the great while they are still small.

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6 sentences · 1 notes
为wéi无wú为wéi,事shì无wú事shì,味wèi无wú味wèi。

1(It is the way of the Tao) to act without (thinking of) acting; to conduct affairs without (feeling the) trouble of them; to taste without discerning any flavour; to consider what is small as great, and a few as many; and to recompense injury with kindness.

大dà小xiǎo多duō少shǎo,报bào怨yuàn以yǐ德dé。

2(The master of it) anticipates things that are difficult while they are easy, and does things that would become great while they are small.

图tú难nán于yú其qí易yì,为wéi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。

3All difficult things in the world are sure to arise from a previous state in which they were easy, and all great things from one in which they were small.

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。

4Therefore the sage, while he never does what is great, is able on that account to accomplish the greatest things.

夫fú轻qīng诺nuò必bì寡guǎ信xìn,多duō易yì必bì多duō难nán。

5He who lightly promises is sure to keep but little faith; he who is continually thinking things easy is sure to find them difficult.

是shì以yǐ圣shèng人rén犹yóu难nán之zhī,故gù终zhōng无wú难nán矣yǐ。

6Therefore the sage sees difficulty even in what seems easy, and so never has any difficulties.

Chinese commentary · 1 notes

The notes printed with this chapter in Chinese editions, kept in Chinese, for readers who come to the text that way.

1图:计划。

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