The firm easily bear
The early easily plan
The brittle easily break
The small are easily freed

Act before it occurs
Bring order before there is chaos

A tree's wide span is born from the tiniest branch
A nine story tower is built upon packed earth
A journey of a thousand li starts on your own two feet

Playing a role destroys it
Grasping loses it

Knowing this, the Sage plays no role and is never destroyed
Does not grasp, and so knows no loss

The people's affairs tend to fail just as they're about to succeed
But if you remember, the end is the beginning
Then you will not fail them

Knowing this, the Sage desires no desire
Does not treasure precious things
Learns no learnings
And returns humanity to the place they have passed on

He assists the ten thousand things in returning to nature, in being "just themselves"
By teaching them not to "act"

其安易持
其未兆易謀
其脆易泮
其微易散

為之於未有
治之於未亂

合抱之木生於毫末
九層之臺起於累土
千里之行始於足下

為者敗之
執者失之

是以聖人無為故無敗
無執故無失

民之從事
常於幾成而敗之
慎終如始
則無敗事

是以聖人欲不欲
不貴難得之貨
學不學
復眾人之所過

以輔萬物之自然而不敢為