Tao Te Ching, Chapter 48

Lao Tzu

In the pursuit of learning, every day something is acquired. In the pursuit of Tao, every day something is dropped. Less and less is done until non-action is achieved. When nothing is done, nothing is left undone. The world is ruled by letting things take their course. It cannot be ruled by interfering.

Lao Tzu praises the power of relinquishment in an era when force and control were seen as pathways to mastery. Contrast this with Confucian thought, which emphasized active moral cultivation and social duty. For Lao Tzu, effort becomes a hindrance. True mastery lies in harmonizing with the natural flow, not in imposing one's will upon it.

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