63rd Chapter

To practice restraint (more deeds than words) we can act without appearing to act,
do without saying we are doing,
taste without emphasizing the taste,
do big things with small actions,
do more beginning with few things,
respond to resentment with ideal virtues.
To solve difficult issues, start with an easy task.
To accomplish a big task start by taking care of small things.
To address the challenging issues of the world, start from a place that is easy;
To tackle big world affairs, one needs to take care of small details first.
Therefore, the sage does not attempt to do anything big, he takes care of every small thing, thus achieves greatness.
If a man promises easily, he will have trouble to fulfill every promise and thus, lose trust.
If a man downplays things, he will encounter challenges everywhere.
Therefore, the sage treats all work carefully like he treats a difficult task, thus when facing challenges, it won’t be a challenge to him anymore.

Implications from the Holy Books

O SON OF BEING! Bring thyself to account each day ere thou art summoned to a reckoning…—Bahá’u’lláh, The Hidden Words, Arabic 31

Reflect ourselves every day, this is “the taking care of small things”. By everyday improve a little bit, we can achieve greatness.

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