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Section 64

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其安易持，
Qí ān yì chí,
 It is easy to maintain what is calm.
其未兆易谋，
Qí wèi zhào yì móu,
 It is easy to plan for what has not yet appeared.
其脆易泮，
Qí cuì yì pàn,
 The brittle is easy to break.
其微易散，
Qí wēi yì sàn,
 The small is easy to scatter.
为之于未有，
Wéi zhī yú wèi yǒu,
 Handle things before they exist.
治之于未乱。
Zhì zhī yú wèi luàn.
 Manage affairs before there is disorder.
合抱之木，
Hé bào zhī mù,
 A tree that fills your arms
生于毫末；
Shēng yú háo mò;
 Grows from a tiny sprout.
九层之臺，
Jiǔ céng zhī tái,
 A nine-story terrace
起于累土；
Qǐ yú lěi tǔ;
 Starts from a mound of earth.
千里之行，
Qiān lǐ zhī xíng,
 A journey of a thousand miles
始于足下。
Shǐ yú zú xià.
 Begins beneath your feet.
为者拜之，
Wéi zhě bài zhī,
 If you act hastily, you fail.
执者失之，
Zhí zhě shī zhī,
 If you try to grasp, you lose.
是以圣人无为，
Shì yǐ shèngrén wúwéi,
 Thus, the sage does not force actions
故无败，
Gù wú bài,
 And therefore does not fail.
无执，
Wú zhí,
 He does not cling,
故无师。
Gù wú shī.
 And thus does not lose.
民之从事，
Mín zhī cóng shì,
 People often fail when they are on the brink of success.
常于几成而败之；
Cháng yú jī chéng ér bài zhī;
 Give the same care to the end as to the beginning,
慎终如始，
Shèn zhōng rú shǐ,
 Then you will not fail.
则无败事。
Zé wú bài shì.
 Therefore the sage desires non-desire,
是以圣人欲不欲，
Shì yǐ shèngrén yù bù yù,
 He does not value hard-to-get treasures.
不贵难得之货；
Bù guì nán dé zhī huò;
 He learns to unlearn,
学不学，
Xué bù xué,
 And he rectifies the mistakes of others.
复众人之所过。
Fù zhòng rén zhī suǒguò.
 He helps all things follow their nature
以辅万物之自然，
Yǐ fǔ wànwù zhī zìrán,
 Without presuming to act.