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"What is at equilibrium is easy (i) to maintain; What has not emerged is easy (i) to plan (mou); What is fragile is easy (i) to dissolve; What is minute is easy (i) to disperse. Act (wei) when there is yet nothing to do. Govern (chih) when there is yet no disorder (luan). A tree whose trunk is of a man's embrace, Begins from something extremely tiny. A tower of nine stories high, Is built from a heap of earth. A trip of a thousand miles, Begins right at one's feet. He who acts (wei) fails, He who holds on to loses. Therefore the sage does not act (wei) so he does not fail, He does not hold on to, so he does not lose. The people in launching their projects, Often fail when these are near completion. Had they been as careful at the end as at the beginning, There would have been no failures. Therefore the sage desires not to desire, He does not treasure hard-to-get goods; Learns not to learn, He recovers the transgressions (kuo) of many. In assisting the self-becoming (tzu-jan) of all beings, He dares not act (wei)."