Q0160
“A tree that fills the arms' embrace grows from a tiny shoot;…” — Laozi (Daodejing, Ch. 64)
Verified English quotation. Primary source: Daodejing, Ch. 64. Theme: action.
English
A tree that fills the arms' embrace grows from a tiny shoot; a nine-story tower rises from a heap of earth; a journey of a thousand li begins beneath one's feet.
Source and attribution
The archive attributes this English wording to Daodejing, Ch. 64 and files it under Daoism. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
About Laozi
Laozi is the traditional sage-author of the Daodejing, though historical identity and textual formation remain contested. Early tradition places him in the sixth century BCE as an older contemporary of Confucius; many scholars see the received text as composite and later.
Interpretation
Laozi is making a claim about causation and about timing. Great outcomes are the continuation of small beginnings rather than separate events, which is why the chapter advises attending to things while they are still manageable. The three images — tree, tower, journey — all make the same point about scale emerging from accumulation. This is the basis of the advice that follows: act before the problem consolidates.
Why it matters
It is an argument for early attention rather than heroic effort. What is easy to change now is usually the same thing that becomes intractable later.
Concepts in this quote
- Action
- Action concerns agency: what it is to do something intentionally, and how thought becomes practice.
How to cite this quotation
APA: Laozi. (n.d.). A tree that fills the arms' embrace grows from a tiny shoot; a nine-story tower rises from a heap of earth; a journey of a thousand li begins beneath one's feet. In Philosophy Blind Box. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0160
MLA: Laozi. “A tree that fills the arms' embrace grows….” Philosophy Blind Box, https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0160.
Chicago: Laozi. “A tree that fills the arms' embrace grows….” Philosophy Blind Box. Accessed 2026. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0160.
Frequently asked questions
What is the source of the quotation “A tree that fills the arms' embrace grows…”?
The passage is attributed to Laozi, Daodejing, Ch. 64. The archive attributes this English wording to Daodejing, Ch. 64 and files it under Daoism. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
What does Laozi mean by action?
Philosophy of action asks how intentions, reasons, habits, and consequences hang together. Ethical traditions often insist that knowing the good is incomplete without doing it. This passage enters that discussion through action.