恩始 · 图难于其易
Ēn Shǐ
Classical Chinese Text
为无为，事无事，味无味。大小多少。报怨以德。图难于其易，为大于其细；天下难事，必作于易；天下大事，必作于细。 是以圣人终不为大，故能成其大。夫轻诺必寡信，多易必多难。是以圣人犹难之，故终无难矣。
Translation & Meaning
以顺应自然的无为态度去行事，以清静不扰的方式去处理世务，去品味那平淡质朴中的本真至味。 洞察小可化大、少可积多的转化之理，用宽厚坦荡的德行去化解人世间的怨怼。 筹划困难之事，要从它尚属容易的阶段着手；成就宏大事业，要从它细微之处做起。天下的难事，必定起始于容易之处；天下的大事，必定发端于细微之点。 因此圣人从不好大喜功去贪求浮名大事，反而扎扎实实成就了伟大的功业。 轻易许诺的人必定难以守信，把事情看得太容易的人必定遭遇重重困难。因此圣人凡事都保持审慎敬畏、视同难事来细致对待，所以最终反而没有任何危难。
Linguistic & Character Analysis
- 为 (wèi): act / deem / become
- 无 (wú): formless void / non-being / without
- 事 (shì): affairs / deeds
- 味 (wèi): classical character (wèi)
- 大 (dà): classical character (dà)
- 小 (xiǎo): classical character (xiǎo)
- 多 (duō): classical character (duō)
- 少 (shǎo): classical character (shǎo)
- 报 (bào): classical character (bào)
- 怨 (yuàn): classical character (yuàn)
- 以 (yǐ): in order to / by means of
- 德 (dé): Intrinsic Virtue / inner power
- 图 (tú): classical character (tú)
- 难 (nán): difficult / arduous
- 于 (yú): to / at / in
- 其 (qí): its / their / his / her
- 易 (yì): easy / simple / change
- 细 (xì): classical character (xì)
- 天 (tiān): heaven / nature / cosmos
- 下 (xià): under / earthly realm / humble
- 必 (bì): classical character (bì)
- 作 (zuò): move / arise / operate
- 是 (shì): this / therefore
- 圣 (shèng): sage / enlightened one
- 人 (rén): person / human
- 终 (zhōng): classical character (zhōng)
- 不 (bù): not / un- / without
- 故 (gù): therefore / thus / consequence
- 能 (néng): fruitful / capacity / ability
- 成 (chéng): complete / fulfill
- 夫 (fū): for / indeed / now
- 轻 (qīng): classical character (qīng)
- 诺 (nuò): classical character (nuò)
- 寡 (guǎ): classical character (guǎ)
- 信 (xìn): truth / fidelity / honesty
- 犹 (yóu): classical character (yóu)
- 之 (zhī): particle: of / possessive / it
- 矣 (yǐ): [modal particle of realization]
Commentary
青禾散人评注：无为绝非懒散躺平，而是“图难于其易，为大于其细”——在最微小、最容易处静心深耕，水到渠成而不费强力。