第64章 · 原文
现代白话译文
事物安稳时容易持守，问题没显露时容易谋划。事物脆弱时容易消解，事物微小时容易散除。要在事情没有发生时就处理，要在祸乱没有产生时就治理。合抱的大树，是从幼芽开始生长的；九层的高台，是由一筐筐泥土堆积起来的；千里的远行，是从脚下一步步走出来的。妄为必然失败，强行把持必然失去。所以圣人无为所以不会失败，不强求所以不会失去。人们做事情，总是在快要成功时失败。如果在结束时仍像开始时那样谨慎，就不会有失败的事情。所以圣人追求人所不追求的，不稀罕难得的财物；学习别人所不学习的，补救众人所犯的过错。以此辅助万物自然发展而不敢妄为。
多版本对照
王弼注（魏晋）
以其安不忘危．谋之无功之势．故曰易也．虽失无入有．以其微脆之故．未足以兴大功．故易也．此四者皆说愼终也．不可以无野故而不持．不可以微之故而弗散也．无而弗持则生有焉．微而不散则生大焉．故虑终之患如始之祸．则无败事．谓其安未兆也．谓闭微脆也．当以愼终除微．愼微除乱．而以施为治之．形名执之．反生事原．巧辟滋作．故败失也．不愼终也．好欲虽微争尚为之兴．难得之货虽细贫盗为之起．不学而能者自然也．喩于学者过也．故学不学以复众人之所过.
河上公注（汉）
其安易持者，安者，静也。易持者，易守也。
王夫之《老子衍》（明末清初）
失有道者，不為吉先，不為福贅。「未有」、「未亂」而逆治，其事近迎。「幾成」而「慎」有餘，其事近隨。迎隨之非道，久矣，非以其數數於往來而中敝邪？孰知夫往者之方來，而來者之方往也？又孰知夫往者之未嘗往，而來者之來嘗來也？戒其隨，始若迎之；戒其迎，始若隨之。又孰知夫迎隨之可避，而避迎隨之亦可戒也？或敝或避，因物者也。兼而戒之，從事其易者，因道者也。因物者不常，因道者致一。一無所倚，迎幾「早服」，此以「恃萬物主自然而不為」。
憨山德清《老子道德经解》（明）
此言聖人入道之要妙，示人以真切工夫也。凡有為，謂智巧。有事，謂功業。有味，謂功名利欲。此三者，皆世人之所尚。然道本至虛而無為。至靜而無事。至淡而無味。獨聖人以道為懷，去彼取此。故所為者無為。所事者無事。所味者無味。故世人皆以名位為大，以利祿為多而取之。然道至虛微淡泊無物，皆以為小少，故棄而不取。聖人去功與名，釋智遺形，而獨與道游。是去其大多，而取其小少。故至小為至大，至少為至多。故大其小，而多其少也。試觀世人報怨以德，則可知矣。何也。且世之人，無論貴賤，事最大而難解者，怨也。然怨之始也，偶因一言之失，一事之差。遂相搆結，以至殺身滅名，亡國敗家之禍。甚至有積怨深憤，父子子孫，累世相報而未已者。此舉世古今之恆情也。豈非其事極大且多哉。惟聖人則不然。察其怨之未結也，本不有。始結也，事甚小。既結也，以為無與於己。故無固執不化之心，亦無有我以與物為匹敵。其既往也，事已消之，求其朕而不可得。以此觀之，則任彼之怨，在我了無報之之心矣。然彼且以為有怨，在我全無報復之心，彼必以我為德矣。是所謂報怨以德，非謂曲意將德以報怨也。孔子以直報怨，正謂此耳。斯則怨乃事之至大而多，人人必有難釋者。殊不知有至易者存焉。是所謂為無為，事無事，大其小，而多其少也。天下之事，何獨於怨，而事事皆然。故天下之事至難者，有至易存焉。至大者，有至細存焉。人不見其易與細，而於難處圖之，大處為之，必終無成。苟能圖之於易，而為之於細，鮮不濟者。以天下難事必作於易。天下大事必作於細，故也。作者，始起也。是以聖人虛心體道，退藏於密。跡愈隱而道愈光，澤流終古而與天地參。此所謂終不為大，故能成其大也。老子言及至此，抑恐世人把易字當作容易輕易字看。故誡之曰，夫輕諾必寡信，多易必多難。謂世人不可將事作容易看也。且容易許人，謂之輕諾。凡輕許者，必食言而寡信。見事之容易而輕為者，必有始而無終。是故易字，非容易也。世人之所難，而聖人之所易。世人之所易，而聖人之所難。故曰聖人猶難之，故終無難。猶，應作尤。古字通用。更也。謂世人之所甚易者，而聖人更難之，故終不難耳。觀夫文王兢兢，周公業業，戒慎恐懼乎不睹不聞，皆聖人之所難也。余少誦圖難於易為大於細二語，只把作事看。及余入山學道，初為極難，苦心不可言。及得用心之訣，則見其甚易。然初之難，即今之易。今之易，即初之難。然治心如此，推之以及天下之事皆然。此聖人示人入道之真切工夫也。志道者勉之。
马王堆帛书异文（西汉）
其安也，易持也。其未兆也，易谋也。其脆也，易判也。其微也，易散也。
郭店楚简异文（战国）
其安也，易持也。其未兆也，易谋也。其脆也，易判也。其微也，易散也。
English Translations / 英文译本
What is still is easily held. What has not yet shown omens is easily planned. What is fragile is easily broken. What is minute is easily scattered. Act before things exist. Govern before disorder. A tree you can barely reach around grows from a tiny sprout. A nine-story tower rises from a pile of earth. A journey of a thousand miles begins under one's feet. Acting destroys, grasping loses. Therefore the sage does not act, and thus does not destroy. Does not grasp, and thus does not lose. People in their undertakings always ruin things when near success. Be as careful at the end as at the beginning, and you will not ruin things. Therefore the sage desires no desire, values no rare goods, learns what others do not learn, returns the errors of the multitude, and thus assists all things naturally without daring to act.
What is still is easily held. What has not yet shown omens is easily planned. What is fragile is easily broken. What is minute is easily scattered. Act before things exist. Govern before disorder. A tree you can barely reach around grows from a tiny sprout. A nine-story tower rises from a pile of earth. A journey of a thousand miles begins under one's feet. Acting destroys, grasping loses. Therefore the sage does not act, and thus does not destroy. Does not grasp, and thus does not lose. People in their undertakings always ruin things when near success. Be as careful at the end as at the beginning, and you will not ruin things. Therefore the sage desires no desire, values no rare goods, learns what others do not learn, returns the errors of the multitude, and thus assists all things naturally without daring to act.
What is still is easily held. What has not yet shown omens is easily planned. What is fragile is easily broken. What is minute is easily scattered. Act before things exist. Govern before disorder. A tree you can barely reach around grows from a tiny sprout. A nine-story tower rises from a pile of earth. A journey of a thousand miles begins under one's feet. Acting destroys, grasping loses. Therefore the sage does not act, and thus does not destroy. Does not grasp, and thus does not lose. People in their undertakings always ruin things when near success. Be as careful at the end as at the beginning, and you will not ruin things. Therefore the sage desires no desire, values no rare goods, learns what others do not learn, returns the errors of the multitude, and thus assists all things naturally without daring to act.