♦[Men who expect] most [duties to be] easy will certainly have many difficulties.B [too many] Thus2 the sage2 plans for things to be difficult, [schemes] [them] Therefore in the end he is without difficulty ! Notes Only the first four sentences and the last three are in GUO. A : this line could also be translated as Taste without tasting or Taste by non-tasting but it is phrased this way because of the reference in #35 about how Dao’s words are “without flavor” (using the same two symbols in both chapters) B : this line literally reads “too many easy certainly too many difficult” but is worded in this way due to the lines that precede and follow it Cross-references non-action : #2, #3, #37, #38, #43, #48, #57, #64 non-interference : #48, #57 sage can achieve greatness : #34 sage plans for difficulties : #73 Chapter Sixty Four • 其 安 易 持 • 其 未 兆 易 謀 • 其 脆 易 泮 • 其 微 易 散 • 為 之 於 未 有 • 治 之 於 未 亂 合 抱 之 木 生 於 毫 末 九 層 之 臺 起 於 累 土 千 里 之 行 始 於 足 下 • 為 者 敗 之 執 者 失 之 是 以 聖 人 無 為 故 無 敗 • 無 執 故 無 失 • 民 之 從 事 常 於 幾 成 而 敗 之 • 慎 終 如 始 則 無 敗 事 • 是 以 聖 人 欲 不 欲 不 貴 難 得 之 貨 學 不 學 • 復 眾 人 之 所 過 • 以 輔 萬 物 之 自 然 而 不 敢 為 • 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. ♦What is peaceful is easy to hold. [it] ♦What has not yet been revealed is easy to plan for. [it] [omen,sign,portent] ♦What is brittle is easy to shatter. [it] [fall apart]