Tao Te Ching Chapter 63 – 恩始 (道德经 第63章)
Paul PengShare
Tao Te Ching — Chapter 63: Thinking in the Beginning
道德经 第六十三章 · 恩始 · Lao Tzu · Bilingual Edition with Classical Commentaries
Original Text — 原文
English Translation — James Legge
It is the way of the Dao 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. As shown in Chapter 48, the Dao works by subtraction — removing, not adding — and so the sage accomplishes without striving.
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.
✦ Key Insight
Chapter 63 opens with three paradoxes: act without acting, work without effort, taste without tasting. Then comes the practical wisdom: handle the difficult while it is still easy; do the great while it is still small. Every great difficulty was once easy; every great thing was once small. The sage never attempts greatness directly — and so achieves it. The chapter closes with a warning: light promises breed distrust; treating things as easy breeds difficulty. The sage treats even easy things as difficult, and so ends with no difficulties at all.
Classical Commentaries — 古典注释
王弼注 Wang Bi's Commentary
Wang Bi teaches acting without acting, undertaking without effort, tasting without tasting. Great difficulties begin as small ones; great things begin as small. The sage never does great things yet accomplishes greatness. Light promises inspire little trust; too much ease brings great difficulty.
河上公注 Heshang Gong's Commentary
Heshang Gong teaches acting without contrivance. To achieve the great, begin with the small; to handle the difficult, start with the easy. The sage never claims greatness, yet the world returns to him. Light promises bring little trust.
About the Author
Paul Peng
Paul Peng is a Zhengyi Taoist priest from Longhu Mountain, Jiangxi — the ancestral home of the Celestial Masters' tradition. Ordained at 25 after a dream from the Celestial Master, he has practiced for 25 years under Master Zeng Guangliang. He is the curator of this store, which is officially authorized by Tianshi Fu. All items are consecrated at the temple by the resident priest team.
Read his full story →
