Line by Line - Verse 64, Line 1

That which is at rest is easily kept hold of;
~ James Legge translation, from The Sacred Books of the East, 1891 ~

Peace is easily maintained;
~ Gia-fu Feng and Jane English translation, published by Vintage Books, 1989 ~

When it is peaceful, it is easy to maintain
~ Derek Lin translation, from Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained, published by SkyLight Paths, 2006 ~

It's easy to maintain balance.
~ Ron Hogan rendition, from Beatrice.com, 2004 ~

When our minds are calm, it is far easier to size up a situation or to make careful plans. We can sit back to examine the various factors and variables in an almost dispassionate manner.

Try doing the same thing when our minds are anything but calm. Thoughts rampage through our head at breakneck speed. Our pulse quickens and feelings of unchecked anxiety may take hold. We are prone to miss factors and variables staring us straight in the face. Decisions rendered under these conditions frequently are not as well thought out as they are when the mind is calm. (I should know!)

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