Chapter 60 Dyer
Governing a large country is like frying a small fish.
You spoil it with too much poking.
Approach the universe with the Dao and evil will have no power.
Not that evil is not powerful.
But its power will not be used to harm others.
Not only will it not do harm to others but the sage himself will also be protected.
If only the ruler and his people would refrain from harming each other all the benefits of life would accumulate to the kingdom.
Chapter 60 Henricks
1. Ruling a large state is like cooking small fish.
2. When you use the Way to govern the world, evil spirits won't have godlike power.
3. Actually, it's not that evil spirits won't have godlike power,
4. It's that their power will not harm men.
5. But it's not [just] that their power won't harm men,
6. The Sage, also, will not harm them.
7. Since these two do not harm others,
8. Therefore their Virtues intermingle and return to them.
Chapter 60 Lau
Governing a large state is like boiling a small fish.
When the empire is ruled in accordance with the way,
The spirits lose their potencies.
Or rather, it is not that they lose their potencies,
But that, though they have their potencies, they do not harm the people.
It is not only they who, having their potencies, do not harm the people,
The sage, also, does not harm the people.
As neither does any harm, each attributes the merit to the other.
Chapter 60 Wu
Ruling a big kingdom is like cooking a small fish.
When a man of Tao reigns over the world, demons
have no spiritual powers. Not that the demons have no
spiritual powers, but the spirits themselves do no harm
to men. Not that the spirits do no harm to men, but the
Sage himself does no harm to his people. If only the
ruler and his people would refrain from harming each
other, all the benefits of life would accumulate in the
kingdom.