Religion
Chapter 60
Translated by James Legge (1891) · From The Tao Teh King (1891)
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).
This translation is printed as prose in its source edition.
Codex Note
Prose translation of a largely rhymed original, with occasional rhymed renderings by Legge; words in parentheses are his supplied additions.
Cite this poem
MLA
Laozi (Lao Tzu). “Chapter 60.” Translated by James Legge. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/laozi/59/.
Chicago
Laozi (Lao Tzu). “Chapter 60.” Translated by James Legge. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/laozi/59/.
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