Tao Te Ching -64

Take care of things before they become difficult, and to let things unfold without forcing the outcome.

What is steady is easy to hold;
What has not yet appeared
is easy to prepare for.
What is brittle is easy to break;
What is tiny is easy to scatter.

Deal with things before they arise;
bring order before chaos begins.

A tree that fills a person's embrace
grows from a tiny sprout;
A tower nine stories high
begins with a heap of earth;
A journey of a thousand miles
starts with a single step.
Those who interfere will fail.
Those who grasp will lose.
Therefore, the master does not force,
and so does not fail.
The master does not grasp,
and so do not lose.
People often fail when success
is almost within reach,
be as careful at the end
as you were at the beginning,
and there will be no failure.

The master desires not to desire,
 values not rare treasures,
learns to unlearn,
returning to what others have forgotten.
 Following the natural way,
The Master does not interfere.

Translated by C. Wang; edited by R. Smitheram

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