David Hinton 2002
48
To work at learning brings more each day.
To work at Way brings less each day,
less and still less
until you're doing nothing yourself.
And when you're doing nothing yourself, there's nothing you don't do.
To grasp all beneath heaven, leave it alone.
Leave it alone, that's all,
and nothing in all beneath heaven will elude you.
Chad Hansen 2009
48
In deem-acting on 'study' one daily increases.
In deem-acting on 'the guide ' one daily decreases.
Decrease it and further decrease it.
In order to arrive at no deem-acting.
No deem-acting and nothing not deem-acted.
Taking the social world , you treat relying on lacking social acts as constant.
When it comes to engaging in social acts,
it is not sufficient for taking the social world.
Moss Roberts 2001
48
To pursue learning, learn more day by day;
To pursue the Way, unlearn it day by day:
Unlearn and then unlearn again
Until there is nothing left to pursue:
No end pursued, no end ungained.
Whoever means to win this world below
Never undertakes that task:
Whoever does make that his task
Is not fit to win this world below.
Lok Sang Ho 2002
48
The more we learn,
The more things are plowed into our minds;
The more we follow the Dao,
The more things are taken out of our minds.
As we take more and more things out of our mind,
We finally arrive at the state of losing the sense of contriving and action.
At that point we be in the state of non-action.
At that point all actions will be done in the state of non-action.83
To win the hearts of all under heaven,
We must always leave people alone.84
If we do not leave them alone,
We will not win their adherence.
Gu Zhengku 1993
48
He who seeks learning must increase his knowledge every day;
He who seeks the Tao must reduce his knowledge every day;
He reduces and reduces until he reaches the state of inaction.
When reaching the state of inaction, one can succeeds in everything.
To govern the world well, one must take inaction as the principle.
If one governs with too much action, one is not a worthy governor.
Lin Yutang 1948
48
The student of knowledge (aims at) learning day by day;
The student of Tao (aims at) losing day by day.
By continual losing
One reaches doing nothing (laissez-faire).
He who conquers the world often does so by doing nothing.
When one is compelled to do something,
The world is already beyond his conquering.
Flowing Hands 1987
48
Man's great intelligence is acquired by his ability to learn.
In following the Dao, everyday he must stop learning, and
give up whatever he has been taught, until his mind is open and yielding.
And so, his heart will also be.
When he becomes full and likened to the Dao,
he becomes in tune with the Ten Thousand Things.
For they are all nearer to the Dao than man.
When man goes back to his natural ways,
he will also be in tune with the Dao.
By doing nothing the World is ruled; everything is left to find its own path.