Chapter 60
Governing a great nation is like cooking small fish—apply gentle heat and minimize stirring (excessive handling will break them). When ruling the world through the Dao, even ghosts and spirits lose their supernatural power (alternatively: malevolent forces cannot stir chaos). Should supernatural forces exist, they would not harm the people. Not only do these forces refrain from harming, but wise rulers also never encroach upon the people. When these two powers mutually abstain from harm, the virtue of the Dao naturally converges and flourishes.
(This passage from Chapter 60 of the Tao Te Ching contains three key revelations:
1. The wisdom of "governing through non-action": Using the "cooking small fish" metaphor to emphasize policy stability and warn against erratic changes
2. The ultimate efficacy of "Dao following nature": When rulers align with natural law, even supernatural forces lose their capacity to disrupt human affairs
3. The harmony between Heaven and humanity: The highest form of virtuous governance emerges when rulers and people, mortal and supernatural realms achieve mutual non-interference)
Note: The disputed phrase "其迨ㄞ哄" shows textual variations across editions, with most scholars considering these five characters later additions, hence omitted in this translation. The primary interpretive debate concerns "ghosts" and "spirits"—they may denote literal supernatural beings or metaphorically represent calamities and destructive impulses.
Notes:
1. Metaphor preservation: Retained "cooking small fish" analogy with explanatory parentheses
2. Ambiguity handling: Presented dual interpretations of "ghosts/spirits" through alternative phrasings
3. Philosophical terms: Used capitalization for core concepts (Dao, Heaven) to denote transcendental principles
4. Structural parallelism: Maintained the threefold commentary format seen in previous chapters
5. Textual criticism: Added scholarly note about disputed characters to reflect the Tao Te Ching's complex transmission history
The translation balances poetic concision with conceptual precision, echoing the minimalist style characteristic of Laozi's wisdom while addressing interpretive complexities for modern readers.
