Tao Te Ching Chapter 63
第63章
為無為，事無事，味無味。大小多少，報怨以德。圖難於其易，為大於其細；天下難事必作於易，天下大事必作於細。是以聖人終不為大，故能成其大。夫輕諾必寡信，多易必多難。是以聖人猶難之，故終無難矣
(It is the way of the Tao) to act without (thinking of) acting; to conduct affairs without (feeling the) trouble of them; to taste without discerning any flavour; to consider what is small as great, and a few as many; and to recompense injury with kindness.
(The master of it) anticipates things that are difficult while they are easy, and does things that would become great while they are small. All difficult things in the world are sure to arise from a previous state in which they were easy, and all great things from one in which they were small. Therefore the sage, while he never does what is great, is able on that account to accomplish the greatest things.
He who lightly promises is sure to keep but little faith; he who is continually thinking things easy is sure to find them difficult. Therefore the sage sees difficulty even in what seems easy, and so never has any difficulties.
English: James Legge (1891), The Tâo Teh King, Sacred Books of the East vol. 39 (1891) — public domain. Chinese: Wang Bi recension (王弼本), commentary removed.
Character glossary
- 為wèito do, to act; to handle, to govern; to
- 無wúno, not; lacking, -less
- 事shìaffair, matter, business; to serve; acci
- 味wèitaste; smell, odor; delicacy
- 大dàbig, great, vast, high, deep
- 小xiǎosmall, tiny, insignificant
- 多duōmuch, many, multi-; more than, over
- 少shǎofew, little; less; inadequate
- 報bàoto announce, to report; newspaper; payba
- 怨yuànto blame, to complain, to hate; enmity,
- 以yǐaccording to; so as to; because of; then
- 德déethics, morality; compassion, kindness
- 圖túdiagram, chart, map, picture; to plan
- 難nánhard, difficult, arduous; unable
- 於yúat, in, on; to, from; alas!
- 其qíhis, her, its, their; that
- 易yìto change; to exchange, to trade; simple
- 細xìfine, detailed; slender, thin
- 天tiānsky, heaven; god, celestial
- 下xiàbelow, underneath; inferior; to bring do
- 必bìsurely, certainly; must; will
- 作zuòto make; to write, to compose; to act, t
- 是shìto be; indeed, right, yes; okay
- 聖shèngholy, sacred; sage, saint
- 人rénman, person; people
- 終zhōngend; finally, in the end
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 故gùreason, cause; happening, instance
- 能néngcan, may; capable, full of energy
- 成chéngto accomplish; to become; to complete, t
- 夫fūman, husband; worker; those
- 輕qīnglight, gentle; simple, easy
- 諾nuòto promise; to approve, to assent to
- 寡guǎwidowed; friendless, alone
- 信xìnto trust, to believe; letter, sign
- 猶yóusimilar to, just like, as
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 矣yǐparticle of completed action
Similar passages
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- Tao Te Ching Chapter 73
- Analects 14.36
- Tao Te Ching Chapter 34
- Mencius 3A.4
- Zhuangzi Autumn Floods
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0); Chinese Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.