第六十四章 Dao De Jing · Chapter 64

Great things grow from small beginnings; act early, finish as carefully as you begin, and let things be as they are.

其qí安ān易yì持chí，其qí未wèi兆zhào易yì谋móu。

What is at rest is easy to hold; what has not yet appeared is easy to plan for.
其qí脆cuì易yì泮pàn，其qí微wēi易yì散sàn。

What is brittle is easily broken; what is minute is easily scattered.
为wéi之zhī于yú未wèi有yǒu，

Deal with things before they exist;
治zhì之zhī于yú未wèi乱luàn。

put them in order before disorder comes.
合hé抱bào之zhī木mù，

A tree as wide as your arms can reach
生shēng于yú毫háo末mò；

grows from a tiny shoot;
九jiǔ层céng之zhī台tái，

a tower of nine storeys
起qǐ于yú累lěi土tǔ；

rises from a heap of earth;
千qiān里lǐ之zhī行xíng，始shǐ于yú足zú下xià。

a journey of a thousand miles starts beneath your feet.
为wéi者zhě败bài之zhī，执zhí者zhě失shī之zhī。

Whoever acts on it spoils it; whoever grasps it loses it.
是shì以yǐ圣shèng人rén无wú为wéi故gù无wú败bài，

So the sage does not act, and so does not spoil;
无wú执zhí故gù无wú失shī。

does not grasp, and so does not lose.
民mín之zhī从cóng事shì，常cháng于yú几jī成chéng而ér败bài之zhī。

People at their work often spoil it when it is almost done.
慎shèn终zhōng如rú始shǐ，则zé无wú败bài事shì。

Be as careful at the end as at the beginning, and nothing will be spoiled.
是shì以yǐ圣shèng人rén欲yù不bù欲yù，

So the sage desires not to desire,
不bù贵guì难nán得dé之zhī货huò；

and does not value goods that are hard to get;
学xué不bù学xué，复fù众zhòng人rén之zhī所suǒ过guò。

he learns not to learn, and brings people back from where they went too far.
以yǐ辅fǔ万wàn物wù之zhī自zì然rán，而ér不bù敢gǎn为wéi。

He helps the myriad things to be as they are of themselves, and does not dare to act.

Words in this chapter

Words in chapter 64, with pinyin and meaning
Word	Pinyin	Meaning
其	qí	it, he, they (subject)
安	ān	calm, at rest
易	yì	easy
持	chí	to hold
未	wèi	not yet
兆	zhào	sign, first stirring
谋	móu	to plan for
脆	cuì	brittle
泮	pàn	to break apart
微	wēi	subtle, minute
散	sàn	to be split up
为	wéi	to act, to do, to make
之	zhī	it, them (object)
于	yú	to, at
有	yǒu	presence, what is
治	zhì	to govern; in order
乱	luàn	disturbed, in disorder
合抱	hé bào	as wide as the arms reach
之	zhī	of, 's (linking particle)
木	mù	tree
生	shēng	to produce, give life, arise
毫	háo	a fine hair, tiny
末	mò	tip, shoot
九	jiǔ	nine
层	céng	story, tier
台	tái	terrace, tower
起	qǐ	to rise, to appear
累	lěi	to heap up
土	tǔ	earth, soil
千	qiān	thousand
里	lǐ	mile (a li)
行	xíng	to walk, to move
始	shǐ	the beginning
足	zú	foot, feet
下	xià	low, below
者	zhě	one who, that which
败	bài	to ruin, to spoil
执	zhí	to hold, to grasp
失	shī	to lose; loss
是以	shì yǐ	therefore, for this reason
圣人	shèng rén	the sage
无为	wú wéi	non-action
故	gù	therefore
无	wú	not have, without, no
民	mín	the people
之	zhī	that (clause particle)
从事	cóng shì	to engage in
常	cháng	always, ever
几	jī	nearly, close to
成	chéng	to complete, accomplish
而	ér	and, and then
慎	shèn	careful
终	zhōng	the end
如	rú	as if, like
则	zé	then
事	shì	affairs, work
欲	yù	desire, to desire
不	bù	not
贵	guì	to value, to prize
难得	nán dé	hard to obtain
货	huò	goods, valuables
学	xué	learning
复	fù	to return, to bring back
众人	zhòng rén	the many, everyone
所	suǒ	that which, what
过	guò	to go too far
以	yǐ	in order to
辅	fǔ	to help, to support
万物	wàn wù	the myriad things
自然	zì rán	what is so of itself
而	ér	and yet, but
敢	gǎn	to dare

Compare: James Legge (1891)

That which is at rest is easily kept hold of; before a thing has given indications of its presence, it is easy to take measures against it; that which is brittle is easily broken; that which is very small is easily dispersed. Action should be taken before a thing has made its appearance; order should be secured before disorder has begun.

The tree which fills the arms grew from the tiniest sprout; the tower of nine storeys rose from a (small) heap of earth; the journey of a thousand li commenced with a single step.

He who acts (with an ulterior purpose) does harm; he who takes hold of a thing (in the same way) loses his hold. The sage does not act (so), and therefore does no harm; he does not lay hold (so), and therefore does not lose his bold. (But) people in their conduct of affairs are constantly ruining them when they are on the eve of success. If they were careful at the end, as (they should be) at the beginning, they would not so ruin them.

Therefore the sage desires what (other men) do not desire, and does not prize things difficult to get; he learns what (other men) do not learn, and turns back to what the multitude of men have passed by. Thus he helps the natural development of all things, and does not dare to act (with an ulterior purpose of his own).

Public domain. Source: Wikisource.

Meaning of chapter 64

Chapter 64 carries on from chapter 63: deal with things before they grow. What is at rest is easy to hold and what has not yet appeared is easy to plan for; what is brittle or minute is easily broken or scattered. So act before things exist, and put them in order before disorder comes.

Three images make the point: a tree as wide as your arms can reach grows from a tiny shoot, a tower of nine storeys rises from a heap of earth, and a journey of a thousand miles starts beneath your feet. The last has become a common saying, in Chinese and far beyond.

The second half turns the other way. Whoever acts on things spoils them and whoever grasps them loses them, lines also found in chapter 29, so the sage neither acts nor grasps. People often fail when the work is almost done, so be as careful at the end as at the beginning. The chapter closes on 自然 (what is so of itself): the sage helps the myriad things to be as they are of themselves, and does not dare to act. Not valuing goods that are hard to get echoes chapter 3.

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Meaning of chapter 64