THE WAY OF WISDOM

It’s easy to control what is at rest.

It’s easy to handle what’s not yet developed.

It’s easy to shatter what’s still un-tempered.

It’s easy to disperse what’s still limited.

Deal with things before they grow.

Manage affairs before they’re chaotic.

A tree as wide as a man’s arms

Grows from a tiny seed.

A tower nine stories high

Rises from piles of earth.

A journey of a thousand miles

Starts with a single step.

Whoever meddles with things ruins them.

Whoever grasps things loses them.

The wise by non-action ruin nothing.

By not grasping they lose nothing.

People in their projects

Fail on the brink of success.

Be as careful at the end as the start

And failure will be avoided.

So the wise desire to be free of desire,

And place no value on what is scarce:

Learn how to exist without learning,

And correct the faults of the many:

Help all things to conform to nature,

And avoid the rashness of action.