Regulating　a　large　country　is　like　boiling　small　fish。　When　the　Dao　isused　to　oversee　the　world；　then　its　negative　（contractive）　forces　of　naturewill　not　act　as　positive　（expansive）　forces。　Not　＇only＇　will　its　negative（contractive）　forces　not　become　positive　（expansive）　forces；　＇even＇　itsspirits　will　not　（pierce　=）　injure　humans。　Not　＇only＇　will　its　spiritsnot　injure　humans；　＇even＇　extraordinarily　talented　humans　will　not　injurepeople。　Now　when　these　two　do　not　injure　each　other；　then　virtuous　interactionwill　return　thereto。
  61
  A　large　country　is　at　the　low　end　of　the　watershed。　It　takes　the　role　ofthe　female　in　the　world。　In　the　interactions　that　take　place　in　the　world；the　female　always　overcomes　the　male　by　means　of　her　tranquility。　Becauseof　her　tranquility　the　female　is　the　lower　one。　｛Therefore　it　is　appropriatethat　she　be　lower。｝　So　if　the　large　country　takes　the　lower　position　withregard　to　the　smaller　countries；　it　can　then　take　the　smaller　countries。If　the　smaller　countries　take　the　lower　position　with　regard　to　the　largercountry；　then　they　can　｛be｝　take｛n　by｝　the　larger　country。　So　either　oneis　lower　in　order　to　take；　or　lower　in　order　to　be　taken。　The　larger　countryonly　desire　to　foster　all　of　the　people。　The　smaller　countries　only　desireto　enter　into　the　service　of　others。　Now　when　the　two　sides　each　have　gottenwhat　they　desire；　it　is　appropriate　that　the　larger　country　still　takethe　lower　role。
  62
  The　Dao　is　sanctum　for　the　myriad　creatures。　It　is　the　treasure　of　thegood　person；　and　what　protects　the　person　who　is　not　good。　How　can　peoplewho　are　not　good　be　abandoned？　Beautiful　words　can　be　marketed　＇to　people＇。Fine　behavior　can　be　presented　to　people。　So　in　enthroning　a　Son　of　Heavenor　in　installing　one　of　the　three　great　ministers；　reverently　offeringa　jade　ceremonial　disk　as　a　preliminary　to　presenting　a　chariot　and　teamof　four　is　not　as　good　as　kneeling　to　offer　this　Dao。　Why　was　this　Daoesteemed　in　antiquity？　Is　it　not　said：　〃By　it　one　attains　with　｛out？｝seeking。　By　it　one　escapes　from　one's　transgressions？''　Therefore　it　isprized　by　the　world。
  63
  Act　by　nonaction。　Do　by　not　doing。　Find　flavor　in　blandness。　Magnify　thesmall。　Augment　the　few。　Respond　to　enmity　with　virtue。　Solve　difficultproblems　while　they　are　still　easy。　Do　great　tasks　while　they　are　yet　small。The　difficult　problems　of　the　world　must　be　solved　while　they　are　stilleasy。　The　great　tasks　of　the　world　must　be　done　while　they　are　still　small。For　this　reason　the　Sage　never　undertakes　great　projects；　and　so　he　canaccomplish　great　things。　When　acquiescence　is　given　lightly；　trust　mustbe　diminished。　When　things　are　oversimplified；　difficulty　must　be　magnified。So　the　Sage　treats　things　as　even　more　difficult　＇than　they　would　seemto　be＇；　and　＇so＇　in　the　end　there　is　no　difficulty。
  64
  It　is　easy　to　maintain　control　of　things　while　they　are　still　quiescent。It　is　easy　to　plan　for　them　before　they　have　given　any　inkling。　When　thingsare　crisp；　they　are　easy　to　shear　off。　When　things　are　minute；　they　areeasily　dispersed。　Do　it　before　they　come　into　existence！　Regulate　thembefore　they　become　disordered！　A　tree　of　two　spans　starts　as　the　finestfilament。　A　tower　of　nine　stories　begins　by　heaping　up　dirt。　A　journeyof　a　thousand　miles　begins　beneath　one's　feet。　Those　who　do　things　defeat＇their　goals＇。　Those　who　clutch　at　things　lose　them。　For　that　reason　theSage　has　no　activity　and　so　suffers　no　defeats。　He　clutches　at　nothingand　so　loses　nothing。　In　pursuing　their　objectives　the　people　constantlyfail　when　they　are　about　to　succeed。　If　you　are　as　careful　of　conclusionsas　you　are　of　beginnings；　then　you　will　not　ruin　things。　For　that　reasonthe　Sage　desires　not　to　desire；　and　does　not　value　scarce　commodities。He　learns　non…learning；　in　order　to　return　to　what　the　multitudes　havepassed　by；　and　thereby　can　aid　in　the　natural　processes　of　the　myriad　creatureswithout　daring　to　act　forcefully。
  65
  Those　of　antiquity　who　were　good　at　the　practice　of　the　Dao　did　not　enlightenpeople…rather；　they　made　them　ignorant。　The　people　are　difficult　to　regulatewhen　they　are　too　clever。　So　to　use　cleverness　to　regulate　a　country　isto　do　injury　to　the　country。　To　not　use　cleverness　to　regulate　a　countryis　to　be　a　benefactor　to　the　country。　Knowing　these　two　alternatives　constitutesa　model。　Having　a　constant　awareness　of　this　model　is　called　the　dark　andmysterious　virtue。　The　dark　and　mysterious　virtue　is　profound　and　remote。It　is　opposed　to　＇the　ordinary　inclinations　of＇　creatures　and　so　comesinto　a　great　confluence　＇with　the　total　process　of　the　universe＇。
  66
  The　reason　that　the　great　rivers　and　the　seas　can　be　the　kings　of　the　hundredvalleys　is　that　they　are　good　at　lying　beneath　them。　Thus　they　can　be　thekings　of　the　hundred　valleys。　So　if　one　would　be　superior　to　people；　onemust　by　words　put　oneself　beneath　them。　If　one　would　lead　the　people；　onemust　put　one's　person　（i。e。；　interests）　behind　them。　For　that　reason；　althoughthe　Sage　is　on　top；　the　people　do　not　perceive　him　to　be　a　burden。　Althoughhe　is　in　front　of　them；　the　people　do　not　take　that　to　be　an　injury。　Sothe　world　takes　joy　in　pushing　him　to　the　fore　and　does　not　become　tiredof　him。　Because　he　does　not　contend；　no　one　in　the　world　can　contend　withhim。
  67
  Everyone　in　the　world　says　that　my　Dao　is　great　and　yet　it　does　not　seemso。　Now　only　because　it　is　great　does　it　not　seem　so。　If　it　seemed　so；then　long　would　it　have　been　petty。　I　have　three　treasures　that　I　upholdand　protect：　The　first　is　called　compassion；　the　second　is　called　thrift；the　third　is　not　being　willing　to　be　first　in　the　world。　Being　compassionate；one　is　able　to　be　brave。　Being　thrifty　one　is　able　to　be　generous。　Notbeing　willing　to　be　first　in　the　world；　one　is　able　to　become　the　ChiefAgent　＇of　the　processes　of　the　universe　that　constitute　the　manifestationsof　the　Dao＇。　Now　should　one　abandon　compassion　and　yet　seek　to　act　bravely；should　one　abandon　thrift　and　yet　seek　to　be　generous；　or　abandon　one'sposition　at　the　rear　and　yet　seek　to　be　foremost；　then　it　will　be　fatal。And　if　one　wages　war　with　compassion　then　one　will　win。　If　one　seeks　todefend　something　using　compassion　then　it　will　be　secure。　What　Heaven　willgive　salvation；　it　protects　by　means　of　compassion。
  68
  Those　who　are　good　at　being　knights　are　not　martial。　Those　who　are　goodat　warfare　do　not　rage。　Those　who　are　good　at　overcoming　their　adversariesdo　not　join　issue。　Those　who　are　good　at　employing　others　put　themselvesbeneath　them。　That　is　called　the　virtue　of　non…contention。　That　is　calledthe　power　to　employ　others。　That　is　called　the　perfection　attained　by　becominga　match　with　Heaven。
  69
  There　is　a　saying　about　using　armed　forces。　〃I　dare　not　be　the　host　（i。e。；the　initiator）　and　instead　become　the　guest。　I　dare　not　advance　an　inch；but　rather　retreat　a　foot。''　That　is　called　to　make　troop　movements　withoutform；　shoving　aside　without　a　forearm；　destroying　without　involving　anenemy；　and　wielding　arms　without　there　being　a　weapon。　There　is　no　greaterdisaster　than　underestimating　one's　enemy。　If　one　were　to　underestimateone's　enemy　that　would　be　tantamount　to　losing　one's　treasures。　So　whentroops　of　equivalent　strength　are　opposed；　the　side　that　goes　into　battlewith　sorrow　will　win。
  70
  My　words　are　extremely　easy　to　know　and　extremely　easy　to　put　into　practice。No　one　in　the　world　is　able　to　know　them　or　to　put　them　into　operation。＇My＇　sayings　have　ancestors；　and　events　have　rulers。　Now　only　because　theydo　not　know　them　do　they　not　（know　=）　understand　me。　Those　who　know　meare　few；　and　so　I　am　precious。　For　that　reason　the　Sage　cloaks　himselfwith　a　rough　garment　and　holds　his　jade　to　his　bosom。
  71
  To　know　that　you　do　not　know　is　the　best。　To　not　know　that　you　｛do　not｝know　is　a　defect。　Now　only　by　treating　defect　as　defect　can　you　be　withoutdefect。　The　Sage　is　without　defect　because　he　treats　＇all＇　defects　as　defectsand　so　is　without　defect。
  72
  When　the　people　do　not　fear　terrible　things；　then　the　great　terrors　arrive。＇Therefore：＇　Do　not　restrict　the　range　of　their　daily　activities。　Do　notoppress　them　in　their　livelihood。　Now　it　is　only　by　not　oppressing　themthat　they　will　not　find　your　presence　oppressive。　For　this　reason　the　Sageknows　himself　but　does　not　show　himself。　He　loves　himself　but　does　notexalt　himself。　So　he　rids　himself　of　that　and　accepts　this。
  73
  When　one　is　brave　at　acting　bold　then　one　will　be　killed。　When　one　is　braveat　not　acting　bold　then　one　will　live。＇Of＇　these　two　＇one＇　may　involvebenefit　＇and　one　may　involve＇　injury。　Who　knows　the　reason　for　what　Heavenhates。　The　Dao　of　Heaven　does　not　contend　and　yet　is　good　at　winning；　does　notspeak　and　yet　is　good　at　responding；　does　not　summon　yet　things　come　toit　of　their　own　accord；　is　in　repose　and　yet　good　at　laying　plans。　Thevast　net　of　Heaven　is　coarse；　yet　nothing　escapes　it。
  74
  If　the　people　do　not　fear　death；　how　can　anyone　use　＇the　threat　of＇　deathto　intimidate　them？　Supposing　the　people　to　be　caused　to　be　constantlyin　fear　of　death　and　at　the　same　time　to　regard　it　as　an　unusual　event…shouldI　＇be　prepared　to＇　seize　and　have　them　killed　then