What is still is easy to hold.
What hasn’t shown up is easy to guide.
What’s fragile breaks with ease.
What’s tiny scatters quickly.

Act before things arise.
Secure order before disorder begins.

A great tree grows from a tiny shoot.
A tall tower starts with a basket of earth.
A thousand-mile journey begins with a single step.

Grasp too tightly, and you’ll lose your grip.
Force outcomes, and you’ll cause harm.

The sage doesn’t cling—
so nothing is lost.
He doesn’t force—
so nothing is broken.

Most people fail when they are closest to success.
If they stayed steady at the end,
as they were at the start,
they wouldn’t fall short.

The sage avoids chasing desire.
He values what others overlook.
He learns what others ignore.
He returns to the simplicity others forget.

And so, he helps all things grow—
without interfering.