Have faults in order to be forgiven? Therefore Dao becomes valuable to the world. Sixty three Act with non-action. Handle duties with non-interference. Taste that which is without-flavor. Greatness is insignificant, too much is less. Repay animosity with De. Plan for the difficult while it is easy. Act on the great while it is tiny. In the world, difficult duties certainly start while easy. In the world, great duties certainly start while tiny. Thus the sage in the end does not act great, Therefore he can achieve his greatness. Men who make promises lightly, certainly few will trust. Men who expect most duties to be easy will certainly have many difficulties. Thus the sage plans for things to be difficult, Therefore in the end he is without difficulty! Sixty four What is peaceful is easy to hold. What has not yet been revealed is easy to plan for. What is brittle is easy to shatter. What is minute is easy to scatter. Act on it while it does not yet exist. Govern them while they are not yet confused. A tree too big to embrace is created from the tiniest shoot. A terrace of nine stories rises from a pile of dirt. A journey of a thousand miles begins from under the feet. He who acts, ruins it. He who grasps, loses it. Thus the sage : Does not act, therefore he does not ruin. Does not grasp, therefore he does not lose. Citizens are always on the verge of achieving their undertakings, yet they ruin them. Be as careful in the end as if it was the beginning, Then you will not ruin your affairs. Thus the sage : Desires to not desire, Does not value rare goods, Learns to not learn. He returns to that which everyone else has passed over, Thus helping the ten thousand creatures to be naturally so, Yet not daring to act. Sixty five The virtue of the ancients (they who acted in Dao), Did not use it to enlighten the citizens, But would have used it to keep them ignorant – The citizens are hard to govern Because they have too much knowledge. Therefore : using knowledge to govern the nation Is the bane of the nation. Not using knowledge to govern the nation Is the good fortune of the nation. He who has knowledge of these two also has them as examples. To always understand these examples – This is called deep and mysterious De. Deep and mysterious De is so profound! and remote! That when creatures return, it returns with them! Then they reach the greatest harmony. Sixty six The reason that rivers and seas can act as kings of the 100 valleys Is because they are good at being lower-than them. Therefore : they can act as kings of the 100 valleys. Thus the sage : In desiring to be above the citizens, He must by means of his speech be lower-than them.