The pursuit of learning is to increase day after day.This is the chapter that prevents me from ever becoming a Taoist. Is it a failing on my part, an incompatibility, or something with Taoism? I do not know.
The pursuit of Tao is to decrease day after day.
It is to decrease and further decrease until one reaches the
point of taking no action.
No action is undertaken, and yet nothing is left undone.
An empire is often brought to order by having no activity
(laissez-faire),
If one (likes to) undertake activity, he is not qualified to
govern the empire.
I understand that the pursuit of Tao is to decrease. Get rid of your baggage, get rid of your assumptions, quit trying to acquire things. Simplicity. I can respect that and find great peace as I simplify my own life. It is only the word learning that gets to me. Perhaps another translation would have a better feel for me. Too many say learning or knowledge. It may mean to acquire, to build the assumptions and general knowledge.
I draw a line and say that truth (or perhaps Truth, if there is such a thing) is not something to increase or decrease.
I find learning vital, how else would one know about the Tao?
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