59. Restraint

Manage a great nation as you would cook a delicate fish.

To govern men in accord with nature

It is best to be restrained;

Restraint makes agreement easy to attain,

And easy agreement builds harmonious relationships;

With sufficient harmony no resistance will arise;

When no resistance arises, then you possess the heart of the nation,

And when you possess the nation’s heart, your influence will long endure:

Deeply rooted and firmly established.

This is the method of far sight and long life.