Chapter 60

治大國，若烹小鮮。
以道蒞天下，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。

Ruling a large state is like simmering a small fish.
When the Way presides over the world, its ghosts have no power;
it is not that the ghosts have no power, but that their power does not harm people;
and not only does their power not harm people, the sage too does not harm people.
Since the two do not harm each other, their virtue joins and comes home.