Whatisrootediseasytonourish.Whatisrecentiseasytocorrect.Whatisbrittleiseasytobreak.Whatissmalliseasytoscatter.
Preventtroublebeforeitarises.Putthingsinorderbeforetheyexist.Thegiantpinetreegrowsfromatinysprout.Thejourneyofathousandmilesstartsfrombeneathyourfeet.
Rushingintoaction,youfail.Tryingtograspthings,youlosethem.Forcingaprojecttocompletion,youruinwhatwasalmostripe.
Thereforethewisetakeactionbylettingthingstaketheircourse.Theyremainascalmattheendasatthebeginning.Theyhavenothing,thushavenothingtolose.Whattheydesireisnon-desire.Whattheylearnistounlearn.Theysimplyremindpeopleofwhotheyhavealwaysbeen.TheycareaboutnothingbuttheTao.Thustheycancareforallthings.