Chapter 48

He who devotes himself to learning (seeks) from day to day to increase (his knowledge); he who devotes himself to the Tao (seeks) from day to day to diminish (his doing). He diminishes it and again diminishes it, till he arrives at doing nothing (on purpose). Having arrived at this point of non-action, there is nothing which he does not do. He who gets as his own all under heaven does so by giving himself no trouble (with that end). If one take trouble (with that end), he is not equal to getting as his own all under heaven.

Commentary

Commentary

FORGETTING KNOWLEDGE. 1. He who seeks learnedness will daily increase. He who seeks Reason will daily di minish. He will diminish and continue to diminish until he arrives at non-assertion. 2. With non-assertion there is nothing that he cannot achieve. When he takes the empire, it is always because he uses no diplomacy. He who uses diplomacy is not fit to take the empire. Next: 49. Trust in Virtue | « Previous: The Canon of Reason and Virtue (Tao te Ching): The Old Ph... Next: The Canon of Reason and Virtue (Tao te Ch...