Act selflessly without doing, without lust for results. Work without effort, without anxiety. Think of the small as large, and the few as many. Confront the difficult while it is still easy. Accomplish the great work by a series of small acts. The master never reaches for the great; thus he achieves greatness. When he runs into a difficulty, he stops and gives himself to it. He doesn't cling to his own comfort; thus problems are no problem for him. Repel violence with gentleness and doing good. Requite injury with natural effectiveness. Nature, te, is not conscious of goodness, nor does it design retaliation. It does what it has to do. Nip troubles in the bud. Difficult things of the world can be handled when they are easy. Big things of the world can only be achieved by attending to their small beginnings. Thus you never have to grapple with big things, though yet are capable of achieving them. One who thinks everything easy will end by finding everything difficult. Therefore, one who regards everything as difficult meets with no difficulties in the end. He who makes promises lightly seldom keeps his words. He who takes much to be easy finds much to be difficult. Plan the difficult while it is easy. Accomplish the great when it is small. Once events become full grown they become intractable. The key to the future is keeping watch over the initial state of things. By paying attention to the crucial initial moments, one would have little to do, since problems have not arisen -- the conditions that produce the problems have not arisen. Manage affairs when there are none to manage. Know by not knowing. Regard the great as small, the much as little. Do that which consists in taking no action. Pursue that which is not meddlesome. Savor that which has no flavor.