1. (it is the way of the tao) 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.

2. (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.

3. 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.

为无为，事无事，味无味。

大小多少，报怨以德。

图难于其易，为大于其细。

天下难事，必作于易；

天下大事，必作于细。

是以圣人终不为大，故能成其大。

夫轻诺必寡信，多易必多难。

是以圣人犹难之，故终无难矣。

【译文】

要从事可使自己混沌无为的作为，处理可使自己无所事事的事务，并喜赏波恬浪静的寡淡风光──以保持对细微潜流的异变的敏感。

以对待大事的态度处理小事，以对待复杂的态度处理简单，要用合道之行所生发的德能去消解细微的怨望纠结。处理难事要从轻易处入手，宏观目标要由微观构设去实现。天下难事，必然开始于简易；天下大事，必然建基于细微。因此，圣人始终都不自以为必须独揽大权，所以能成就大事。

那些轻易许诺的，必然难以守信；视问题太过轻易的，必然会遭遇很多的困难。因此，圣人对这些问题都加以认真审慎的处理，所以终于没有困难了。