Chapter XLVIII
(Chapter 48)

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Ko Yuen Translation

Oblivion Overcoming Knowledge
1. The scholar seeketh daily increase of knowing; the sage of Tao daily decrease of doing.
2. He decreaseth it, again and again, until he doth no act with the lust of result.  Having attained this Inertia all accomplisheth itself.
3. He who attracteth to himself all that is under Heaven doth so without effort.  He who maketh effort is not able to attract it.

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S. Mitchell Translation
In pursuit of knowledge,
every day something is added.
In the practice of the Tao,
every day something is dropped.
Less and less do you need to force things,
until finally you arrive at non-action.
When nothing is done,
nothing is left undone.

True mastery can be gained
by letting things go their own way.
It can't be gained by interfering.

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James Legge Translation
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.

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GNL not Lao Interpolation

Inaction
The follower of knowledge learns as much as he can every day;
The follower of the Way forgets as much as he can every day.

By attrition he reaches a state of inaction
Wherein he does nothing, but nothing remains undone.

To conquer the world, accomplish nothing;
If you must accomplish something,
The world remains beyond conquest.

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