Chapter 46

为学日益，为道日损。损之又损，以至于无为。无为而无不为。
取天下常以无事，及其有事，不足以取天下。
Translation
When cultivating the knowledge, one makes gradual progress; when cultivating the Tao, one makes gradual regress. With more and more regress, one reaches the state of Wu Wei (inaction). Nothing was undone with inaction.
Those who gain the government often practice Wu Wei, if not, they are not worthwhile to rule.

Comments
Many translations interpret the first sentence in a different way, i.e., when you make a progress in study, you make a regress in the Tao. That is the more knowledge you’ve got, the less Tao you’ve got. I do not find this version attractive. If understood this way, the second sentence is almost impossible to translate. How can you achieve the goal of the Tao by diminishing it? Instead, the progress in Tao is such that it appears to be making regress. When Lao Tzu was describing the old sages, he used lots of ordinary looks and sometimes even dull and foolish.