| Governing a big country is like cooking a small fish. | | | | time. You don't need to tell a tree to grow or a dog to |
| Let all under heaven be governed in accordance with | | | | bark. They do it because it's their nature. The Tao is |
| the Tao,and the demons will not manifest their power. | | | | the natural, gentle Way of non-violence, of allowing |
| It is not that they lack powerbut rather they will not use | | | | others to be who they wish to be. |
| their powerto harm people. | | | | Once you go with the flow instead of forcing issues, |
| They are not the only ones who have powerand do | | | | the demons of rage, resentment, disappointment, |
| not use it to harm the people. | | | | jealousy, envy and greed might still be there, but they |
| The True Person does not harm the people.whenever | | | | will have no power over you and those you deal with. |
| there is ho harm done,that power flows into the | | | | It's easy to hurt someone with a spiteful remark, or to |
| common Virtue. | | | | use sarcasm as a weapon. My partner knows how to |
| As a mother of five, I find it hard to determine when to | | | | push my buttons better than anyone else. Words that |
| speak up and when to be quiet. I am often tempted to | | | | would be easily brushed off if they came from |
| scold my teenage daughter, and threaten her with | | | | someone else really affect me when he uses them. |
| punishment when she's untidy and her room looks like | | | | It is tempting to respond in anger when someone |
| a bomb has exploded in it. But if I lose my temper, | | | | lashes out at us, especially someone close to us. This |
| where will it lead me? She will only resist my efforts to | | | | is how we use power to inflict harm, and put others |
| change her, and develop a resentment against me, | | | | down. But if I lower myself to the damaging energy of |
| which will make her reluctant to cooperate with me. | | | | retaliation and verbal abuse, I will let my demons lose. I |
| Why not accept that this how she chooses to live, just | | | | might say things that I will regret later on. Let's become |
| like a lot of other youngster do? Whether I like it or not | | | | impervious to nasty words and malicious actions. If we |
| won't make a difference, and if I force her to be | | | | are not affected by them, they will have no power |
| different, I might break her spirit, and she will rebel | | | | over us. The demons will lose their power to inflict |
| against me, instead of being my ally. | | | | harm. The balance is restored, and positive, |
| Governing a big country is like cooking a small fish. If | | | | constructive negotiation can be initiated. |
| you interfere too much with it, you'll spoil it. Leadership | | | | The common Virtue is people cooperating with each |
| is friendship. The True Person is a good leader, who | | | | other, trusting each other, whether it be within the |
| doesn't spend much time telling others what to do. He | | | | family or within a big company. We can't let our guard |
| trusts his team members, and can leave them to work | | | | down, and need to remain vigilant at all times, as our |
| unsupervised for long periods of time, without having to | | | | demons are always ready to take over. Mine are |
| check on them. He doesn't need to push and punish | | | | anger, jealousy and frustration. Even though I don't |
| them. He is just there for guidance, encouragement | | | | wish to abuse my partner verbally, it can easily happen |
| and advice if needed. He uses praise liberally instead | | | | in the heat of an argument, if I don't think beforehand. |
| of criticism. A good leader is not controlling. He allows | | | | "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. |
| the fish to cook on its own, without poking at it all the | | | | |