Get out the microscope, because we’re going through this poem line-by-line.
- Okay, we have to quote the first line of this chapter: "Ruling a large country is like cooking a small fish" (60.1).
- Fun idea, but what the heck does it mean?
- Well, the next line reminds us that when a country is ruled with the Tao, everything is hunky dory.
- So chances are that the fishy first line is some kind of metaphor for living with the Tao.
- Maybe cooking a small fish is tough because they're easy to overcook.
- So when you're ruling a country, it's important to be moderate in everything.
- Next, we're told that when a country is ruled with the Tao, neither its gods nor its demons can harm it.
- So the demons must be all the bad stuff like violence and turmoil that can happen when a ruler's got no Tao.
- But who are the gods in this equation?
- Natural forces, maybe?
- Or maybe the term "gods" represents stuff that seems positive, but can actually cause damage.
- So maybe if a country is overly passive or generous, this can hurt it as well.
- Moderation in all things, right?
- Ultimately, though, this chapter leaves us with the idea that nonviolence is the way to go.
- Like the gods, the sages don't harm people.
- Choose peace, and peace will come back to you.