A : this is the most literal translation; GUO has Thus you are prepared in advance [early] B : literally “your extremes”, presumably in the sense of “to what extremes you will go” or “how far will you go”; compare to #58 Cross-references possess or take hold of the world or nation : #29, #48, #57, #61 mother : #1, #20, #25, #52 can forever endure : #44 Chapter Sixty 治 大 國 若 烹 小 鮮 以 道 莅 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 Governing a great nation is like cooking a small fish. Because Dao is present in the world, Its ghosts do not have spirit. Not that its ghosts do not have any spirit, But their spirit does not injure people. Not only does their spirit not injure people, The sage also does not injure people. Now : since these two do not injure each other, Therefore their De merges and returns! ♦Governing a great nation is like cooking a small fish.A ♦Because Dao is present in the world2, ♦Its ghosts do not have spirit.B ♦Not that its ghosts do not have [any] spirit, ♦But their spirit does not injure people. ♦Not [only] does their spirit not injure people, The sage2 also does not injure people. ♦Now : since these two do not injure each other, ♦Therefore their De merges and returns ! [intersects,exchanges,mixes] Notes A : compare this line to the first two lines of the previous chapter and it is easy to see why there has long been speculation that this line should end the previous chapter; however, there is an explicit end-of-chapter marker in GUO #59, and GUO does not even contain this chapter; essentially this line is saying it is easy to ruin a small fish by overcooking, and it is easy to ruin a nation by over-controlling B : first – the “it” is literal, presumably meaning “the world’s ghosts”; second – “ghosts” is the most literal, general term, but this could also be referring to demons (or possibly to souls of the ancestors); third – “spirit” might be better thought of in this chapter as “spiritual power”, thus this line seems to be saying that ghosts do not have any power in the world; this and the next few lines can be translated in many different ways, due to the multiple meanings of the symbols for “ghost” and “spirit”, and the lack of any reasonable context – perhaps these lines were addressing some lost ancient scholarly debate or common cultural belief? Cross-references no harm : #35, #56, #58, #66, #81 returning : #14, #16, #19, #20, #22, #25, #28, #34, #40, #52, #58, #64, #65, #80 De and returning : #28, #65