1. 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).

2. 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.

3. 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.

为学日益，为道日损。

损之又损，以至于无为。

无为而无不为矣！

取天下常以无事。

及其有事，不足以取天下。

【译文】

从事于学则随之以各种附赘的日益增加，从事于道则随之以附赘的日益减少。减少又减少，最后就到了什么也不僵持固着的无为境地。无为就可以因顺自然而无不为。执掌天下，最好是放之自然而让它无所事事。如果为遂行欲利而肆加驱使，那是不足以执掌天下的。