Classical Text 古典文獻 · Dao De Jing 道德經
Chapter 48 — Lessening Daily
忘知
Part II — Virtue (De) 下篇·德經
Original Verse
原文
為學日益，為道日損。
損之又損，以至於無為。
無為而無不為。
取天下常以無事，及其有事，不足以取天下。
English Translation
英譯
In the pursuit of learning, every day something is added.
In the pursuit of the Dao, every day something is dropped.
Lessening and lessening, until one reaches Non-action (Wu Wei).
Through Non-action, nothing is left undone.
The world is gained by letting things take their course.
If one interferes, one is not fit to gain the world.
Liuren Fajiao Commentary
六壬法教注疏
This chapter contains the Master Key to Liuren Fajiao. "Learning" (為學) refers to the accumulation of mantras, seals, and techniques. While necessary at the beginning, this is not the ultimate goal. The true path of the "Dao" (為道) is one of "Daily Lessening" (日損).
What do we drop? We drop the ego, the desire for results, and the intellectual grasping of the mind. By "lessening and lessening," we reach the state of Wu Wei. In this state, the practitioner no longer "does" magic; the Dao performs the magic through the practitioner.
"Taking the world with no-interference" (無事) means that the master's magical work is perfectly aligned with natural law. They do not "interfere" (有事) with the world out of personal will, and thus their authority is absolute and effortless.
Source: Dao De Jing (道德經), Chapter 48