Chapter 60 of Laozi's Tao Te Ching explains the governance of a great state through a metaphor requiring great delicacy. It is a chapter that explains how Wu Wei governance (無為之治), based on the principles of the Tao (道), stabilizes not only the human world but also the order of the unseen realm (spirits), ultimately allowing Virtue (德) to flourish. It emphasizes that when artificial interference is minimized, a fundamental harmony, stability, and manifestation of Virtue are achieved.
📜 Original Text (原文)
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
📃 Meaning of the Original Text
Governing a great state is like cooking a small fish.
When the world is governed with the Tao, its spirits lose their power to harm.
It is not that the spirits lose their power, but that their power does not harm people.
Not only does their power not harm people, but the Sage also does not harm people.
When these two do not harm each other, then Virtue flows and returns to them both.
🌲 Line-by-Line Translation
治大國若烹小鮮 (zhì dà guó ruò pēng xiǎo xiān)
Governing a great state is like cooking a small fish.
以道蒞天下 其鬼不神 (yǐ dào lì tiān xià, qí guǐ bù shén)
When the world is governed with the Tao, its spirits lose their power to harm.
非其鬼不神 其神不傷人 (fēi qí guǐ bù shén, qí shén bù shāng rén)
It is not that the spirits lose their power, but that their power does not harm people.
非其神不傷人 聖人亦不傷人 (fēi qí shén bù shāng rén, shèng rén yì bù shāng rén)
Not only does their power not harm people, but the Sage also does not harm people.
夫兩不相傷 故德交歸焉 (fū liǎng bù xiāng shāng, gù dé jiāo guī yān)
When these two do not harm each other, then Virtue flows and returns to them both.
💧 Verse-by-Verse Commentary and Interpretation (逐句解說與解釋)
1. 治大國若烹小鮮 (zhì dà guó ruò pēng xiǎo xiān)
o Literal Meaning: Governing a great state is like cooking a small fish.
o Commentary: '治大國' (zhì dà guó) means 'governing a great state.' '若烹小鮮' (ruò pēng xiǎo xiān) means 'is like (若) cooking (烹) a small fish (小鮮).' Small fish have delicate flesh and are easily broken if turned or stirred too often during cooking. They require delicate and minimal handling.
o Interpretation: This is a metaphor explaining that governing a large country is a complex and delicate task that requires very careful and minimal interference, just like cooking delicate small fish. It is a warning that if one frequently changes policies or issues commands, thus stirring things up, the people will fall into chaos and society can collapse. This implies the application of the principle of Wu Wei (無為) to governance.
2. 以道蒞天下 其鬼不神 (yǐ dào lì tiān xià, qí guǐ bù shén)
o Literal Meaning: When one presides over the world with the Tao, its spirits do not manifest their spiritual power.
o Commentary: '以道蒞天下' (yǐ dào lì tiān xià) means 'with (以) the Tao (道), to preside over/govern (蒞) the world (天下).' This means governing according to the principles of the Tao, namely Wu Wei (non-action) and Ziran (naturalness). In '其鬼不神' (qí guǐ bù shén), '其鬼' (qí guǐ) refers to the spirits of that country/land, or unseen supernatural forces or malevolent energies. '不神' (bù shén) can be interpreted as 'are not spiritual,' 'do not cause harm,' or 'do not display their power recklessly.'
o Interpretation: This means that when a country is governed by Wu Wei according to the principles of the Tao, not only the human world but also the unseen supernatural forces or malevolent energies inhabiting the land are quieted and cannot harm the people. It shows that the harmonizing power of the Tao extends to all realms.
3. 非其鬼不神 其神不傷人 (fēi qí guǐ bù shén, qí shén bù shāng rén)
o Literal Meaning: It is not that its spirits are not spiritual; it is that their spiritual power does not harm people.
o Commentary: '非其鬼不神' (fēi qí guǐ bù shén) means 'It is not that (非) its spirits are not spiritual (不神).' This clarifies that the spirits do not inherently lack spiritual power. '其神不傷人' (qí shén bù shāng rén) means 'their (the spirits') spiritual power (神) does not harm people (不傷人).'
o Interpretation: The reason spirits do not cause harm under a Tao-based rule is not because they lack power, but because they are influenced by the harmonious energy of the Tao and therefore do not use their power (神) maliciously to harm people.
4. 非其神不傷人 聖人亦不傷人 (fēi qí shén bù shāng rén, shèng rén yì bù shāng rén)
o Literal Meaning: Not only does their spiritual power not harm people, but the Sage (the ruler) also does not harm people.
o Commentary: '非其神不傷人' (fēi qí shén bù shāng rén) can be read as 'It is not only that their spiritual power does not harm people...' '聖人亦不傷人' (shèng rén yì bù shāng rén) means 'the Sage (the ruler who governs according to the Tao) also (亦) does not harm people (不傷人).'
o Interpretation: Under the rule of the Tao, not only do the spirits refrain from harming people, but the ruler themself also does not oppress or harm the people with artificial laws or coercion. The governance of a Sage who has embodied the Tao is characterized by 'not harming people' (不傷人).
5. 夫兩不相傷 故德交歸焉 (fū liǎng bù xiāng shāng, gù dé jiāo guī yān)
o Literal Meaning: When the two do not harm each other, then Virtue flows and returns to them both.
o Commentary: '夫' (fū) is an introductory particle. '兩不相傷' (liǎng bù xiāng shāng) means 'the two beings/aspects (兩, here the spirits and the Sage) do not harm (不傷) each other (相).' '故' (gù) means for this reason. In '德交歸焉' (dé jiāo guī yān), '德' (dé) is the natural virtue that flows from the Tao, the power that benefits all things. '交歸' (jiāo guī) means to mutually return to, to accumulate for all, to flow back and forth. '焉' (yān) is a final particle.
o Interpretation: Only when a harmonious state is maintained where both the ruler (Sage) and the unseen forces (spirits) do not cause harm to the people, can the natural 'Virtue' (德) that flows from the Tao circulate among all beings, accumulate, and benefit the world. It shows that Virtue flourishes naturally when there is no artificial interference and harm.
🌳 Overall Interpretation
The sixtieth chapter speaks of the profound wisdom of how to govern a great country.
Governing a great state is like cooking a 'small fish' with delicate flesh. Just as it falls apart if stirred too often, it must be handled with care and minimal interference.
When a country is governed according to the principles of the Tao, without artificial interference, not only the lives of the people but also the unseen supernatural forces ('spirits') inhabiting the land become 'un-spiritual,' meaning they are quieted and cannot harm the people. This is not because the spirits inherently lack spiritual power, but because their spiritual power is influenced by the harmonious energy of the Tao and thus 'does not harm' people. And not only does the power of the spirits not harm people, but the 'Sage (ruler) who governs according to the Tao also does not harm people.'
Indeed, when this harmonious state is maintained where both the ruler (Sage) and the unseen forces (spirits) 'do not harm each other's people,' then the natural 'Virtue (德)' that flows from the Tao circulates among all beings, accumulates, and benefits the world.
🌟 The Meaning and Importance of Chapter 60
Chapter 60 presents the following core ideas:
- The Importance of Subtle Regulation: Through the metaphor of governing a great state (若烹小鮮), it emphasizes that the larger and more complex a system is, the more it requires delicate and minimal interference (Wu Wei) instead of artificial manipulation or frequent changes.
- The Efficacy of Wu Wei Governance: Wu Wei governance according to the principles of the Tao (以道蒞天下) has a comprehensive effect that stabilizes not only the order of the human world but also the unseen realm (其鬼), preventing harm.
- The Ruler's Principle of 'Not Harming' (不傷人): It emphasizes that a Sage (ruler) who follows the Tao must not inflict any harm on the people. This means that Wu Wei governance must guarantee the autonomy and peace of the people.
- Harmony and the Flourishing of Virtue: It proposes that when a state of non-harm is achieved between the ruler and natural forces (兩不相傷), the Virtue that flows from the Tao will naturally flourish and bring benefit to all. It shows that harmony without artificial interference is the foundation of Virtue.
Chapter 60 is an important chapter that deeply explains the core political philosophy of the Tao Te Ching, Wu Wei governance (無為之治), through a symbolic metaphor and logical progression. It contains the profound wisdom that for complex systems like a large country, it is more important to entrust things to the natural flow than to exert artificial control, and that the ruler's non-action and non-violence lead to the harmony of the entire society and the flourishing of Virtue.
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