DIANJI · 典籍
A source-aware reading page for Tao Te Ching Chapter 60.
治大國,若烹小鮮。
以道莅天下,其鬼不神;
非其鬼不神,其神不傷人;
非其神不傷人,聖人亦不傷人。
夫兩不相傷,故德交歸焉。
Governing a great state is like cooking small fish.
Let the kingdom be governed according to the Tao, and the manes of
the departed will not manifest their spiritual energy. It is not that
those manes have not that spiritual energy, but it will not be
employed to hurt men. It is not that it could not hurt men, but
neither does the ruling sage hurt them.
When these two do not injuriously affect each other, their good
influences converge in the virtue (of the Tao).