Do the not doing, act the not acting, taste the not tasting. Big (grow
恩始 · 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
Do the not doing, act the not acting, taste the not tasting. Big (grows from) small (and) many (from) few. Repay resentment with virtues. Seeking the difficult from their easy (parts), implementing the great from their small (parts); all that is under heaven’s difficult deed, must be worked from the easy; all that is under heaven’s great deed, must be worked from the small.
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]