Governing a country with the Tao is like cooking

Governing a large country is like cooking a small fish—you must not overdo it. When the world is governed by the Tao, ghosts and spirits do not cause trouble. It is not that spirits have no power, but even when they appear, they do not harm people. And it is not only the spirits who do not harm people—the sage also does not harm them. Since neither the spirits nor the sage harms the people, their goodness and blessing flow together to the people.