[ original ]

Governing a big country, if you cook a little fresh food, you can reach the world with the Tao, and its ghosts are not gods. Not (4) its ghost is not god, its god does not hurt people. A saint doesn't hurt people unless his god doesn't hurt them. Husband and wife don't hurt each other ⑤, so the relationship between Germany and China is not good.

[ translation ]

Governing a big country is like frying a small fish. Governing the world with "Tao", ghosts and gods can't play a role, not only ghosts can't play a role, but ghosts can't hurt people. Not only can ghosts not hurt people, but saints can't hurt people if they have a way. In this way, ghosts and gods and wise saints do not harm people, so people can enjoy the grace of virtue.

[ Notes ]

1. Xiaoxian: small fish.

2. present: present.

3. Ghosts are not gods: Ghosts don't work.

4. No: not only, but also.

5, two don't hurt each other: ghosts and gods and saints don't invade Yue people.

6. How to make friends with virtue: Let the people enjoy the grace of virtue.

[ Quote ]

This chapter is about the principle of governing the country. "Governing a big country, if you cook a little fresh food" is a famous saying that is widely praised by Lao Tzu. This is a metaphor, "cooking small fresh" means frying small fish. This is a comparison between cooking fish and governing the country. The small fish is very tender. If you cut it with a knife or stir it frequently in the pot, the meat will be broken. The ruler of the country should rule the country like frying a small fish, and don't turn it over often. In addition, Lao Tzu is an atheist. He doesn't believe in ghosts and gods, but this chapter talks about ghosts and gods again and again. This means that ghosts and gods don't hurt people, and the rulers who govern the country can't hurt or bother people. Does not mean that Lao Tzu is a theist.

[ Comment ]

"If you run a big country, if you cook small and fresh". This sentence has been widely circulated and deeply influenced politicians in China for thousands of years. The car said: "This passage is about governing the country, and from the truth of" governing by doing nothing ",it puts forward the views of atheism. The idea of governing by doing nothing is the political application of Laozi's idea of doing nothing. Laozi's book attaches great importance to "inaction", puts forward "doing nothing" and "doing nothing without doing anything", explains this truth repeatedly and uses it in many ways, which is the exertion of its view of "Tao is natural". On the one hand, it applies this principle to governing the country and politics, and advocates' doing inaction and teaching without words'. When' people forget to govern, if fish forget to water', there is no need to use religion to assist politics and seek ghosts, so ghosts and gods are senseless. Ghosts and gods no longer do anything, which is the result of inaction of politicians and accords with the law of inaction of Taoism and nature. This is one aspect of its atheistic tendency. " Indeed, this sentence implies that the key to governing is to be quiet and do nothing, and not to disturb the people, otherwise, disaster will come. To ensure the peace of the country, the ruling party must be careful and serious, and can't control the national politics at will with subjective will. This sentence summarizes this extremely complicated strategy of governing the country with extremely vivid and concise language. If the society is changed by personal subjective wishes, the people will be at a loss and the country will be in turmoil. On the contrary, if the policies and decrees formulated by the state can be unswervingly implemented, it will receive the effect of Qiang Bing, a rich country. In this way, all external forces will not have a disastrous effect.