59. Deep Roots and Long Vision
Text
English translation
Original Chinese text
治人事天莫若啬。
English translation
In governing people and attending to the natural order, nothing is better than careful conservation.
Here conservation does not mean stinginess. It means preserving energy and resources instead of exhausting them, so that government and life can endure.
Original Chinese text
夫唯啬，是谓早服；早服谓之重积德；重积德则无不克；无不克则莫知其极；莫知其极，可以有国；有国之母，可以长久；是谓深根固柢，长生久视之道。
English translation
Only through careful conservation can one be prepared early. Early preparation means steadily accumulating inner strength. With a deep accumulation of such strength, nothing is beyond one's capacity; when nothing is beyond one's capacity, the limit of that capacity cannot be known. With such depth, one can sustain a state. Grasping the source that sustains the state makes long endurance possible. This is called sending roots deep and making the foundation firm—the way of lasting life and far-reaching vision.
Restraint allows capacity and character to be built before a crisis, instead of being spent in hurried reaction. With a deep reserve, both a person and a state have room to meet change and endure.