Chapter 64
When a situation is stable, it is easy to maintain;
Before signs of trouble emerge, plans are easily made.
Fragile things break easily;
Subtle signs disperse effortlessly.
Act before problems take form;
Govern a nation by preparing before chaos arises.
A giant tree that takes several people to embrace grows from a tiny sprout;
A nine-story tower rises from accumulated mounds of earth;
A thousand-mile journey begins with the first step beneath one’s feet.
Those who force outcomes will meet failure;
Those who cling to control will suffer loss.
Thus, the Sage, practicing non-action (Wu Wei), avoids failure;
Holding nothing tightly, the Sage incurs no harm.
People often fail when success seems within reach.
If one remains as cautious at the end as at the beginning, no endeavor will be ruined.
Therefore, the enlightened Sage:
—Seeks what others neglect (the essence beyond desire)
—Values not rare treasures
—Learns what others ignore (the wisdom of unlearning)
—Corrects the common errors of the masses
—Follows the natural course of all things
—And dares not impose artificial interference.
Preemptive Governance ("治之於未乱"):
- Anticipatory leadership, akin to preventive medicine for statecraft.
- Contrasts with reactive crisis management.
Law of Cumulative Growth ("合抱之木生於毫末"):
- Modern parallel: Compound interest in finance or incremental innovation in tech.
Non-Action Paradox ("无为故无败"):
- Strategic restraint, not passivity. Example: Warren Buffett’s "waiting for the right pitch" investment philosophy.
Completion Discipline ("慎终如始"):
- Psychological insight: The "last-mile focus" required in marathon running or software debugging.
Anti-Materialism ("不贵难得之货"):
- Critiques modern consumerism, echoing minimalism movements like Marie Kondo’s "tidying up."
Retained "Wu Wei" (无为) as a capitalized term to preserve its unique Daoist meaning.
Used "natural course" (自然本性) to emphasize organic progression over forced control.
Rendered "corrects common errors" (补救众过) as both moral and practical rectification.
Translated "giant tree" (合抱之木) with descriptive phrasing to convey scale without losing botanical symbolism.
Maintained parallel structure in lines like "Seeks...Values...Learns..." to mirror the original’s rhythmic wisdom.
This translation bridges ancient governance principles with modern leadership frameworks, revealing how Laozi’s insights predate concepts like risk management, systems thinking, and sustainable development by millennia.
