守微
原文
其安易持，其未兆易谋。其脆易泮，其微易散。为之于未有，治之于未乱。合抱之木，生于毫末；九层之台，起于累土；千里之行，始于足下。为者败之，执者失之。是以圣人无为故无败；无执故无失。民之从事，常于几成而败之。慎终如始，则无败事，是以圣人欲不欲，不贵难得之货；学不学，复衆人之所过，以辅万物之自然，而不敢为。
王弼注
其安易持，其未兆易谋。以其安不忘危，持之不忘亡，谋之无功之势，故曰易也。其脆易泮，其微易散。虽失无入有，以其微脆之故，未足以兴大功，故易也。此四者，皆说慎终也，不可以无之，故而不持，不可以微之，故而弗散也，无而弗持，则生有焉，微而不散，则生大焉，故虑终之患，如始之祸，则无败事。为之于未有，谓其安未兆也。治之于未乱。谓微脆也。合抱之木，生于毫末；九层之台，起于累土；千里之行，始于足下。为者败之，执者失之。当以慎终除微，慎微除乱，而以施为治之形名，执之反生事原，巧辟滋作，故败失也。是以圣人无为故无败，无执故无失。民之从事，常于几成而败之。不慎终也。慎终如始，则无败事。是以圣人欲不欲，不贵难得之货；好欲虽微，争尚为之，兴难得之货虽细，贪盗为之起也。学不学，复众人之所过。不学而能者，自然也。喻于学者，过也。故学不学，以复众人之过。以辅万物之自然，而不敢为。
英文 · James Legge
(Guarding the minute) That which is at rest is easily kept hold of; before a thing has given indications of its presence, it is easy to take measures against it; that which is brittle is easily broken; that which is very small is easily dispersed. Action should be taken before a thing has made its appearance; order should be secured before disorder has begun. The tree which fills the arms grew from the tiniest sprout; the tower of nine storeys rose from a (small) heap of earth; the journey of a thousand li commenced with a single step. He who acts (with an ulterior purpose) does harm; he who takes hold of a thing (in the same way) loses his hold. The sage does not act (so), and therefore does no harm; he does not lay hold (so), and therefore does not lose his bold. (But) people in their conduct of affairs are constantly ruining them when they are on the eve of success. If they were careful at the end, as (they should be) at the beginning, they would not so ruin them. Therefore the sage desires what (other men) do not desire, and does not prize things difficult to get; he learns what (other men) do not learn, and turns back to what the multitude of men have passed by. Thus he helps the natural development of all things, and does not dare to act (with an ulterior purpose of his own).