64

"It's easy to rule while it's peaceful it's east to plan before it arrive it's easy to break while it's fragile it's easy to disperse while it's small act before it exists govern before it rebels a giant tree grows from the tiniest shoot a great tower rises from a basket of dirt a thousand mile journey begins at your feet but to act is to fail to control is to lose therefore the sage doesn't act he thus doesn't fail he doesn't control he thus doesn't lose when people pursue a task they always fail near the end care at the end as well as the start means an end to failure the sage thus seeks what no one seeks he doesn't prize hard to-get-goods he studies what no one studies he turns to what others pass by to help all things be natural he thus dares not act"