[Note: I italicize phrases I borrow from the chapter, and link to phrases I borrow from other chapters to help tie chapters together. While making it more tedious to read, the Tao Te Ching is best pondered in the context of the whole.

Anyone who has cooked fish knows how easy it is to overdo it and ruin the fish. Fish offer many metaphors for life. In fact, the optimal way to catch fish is the ideal way to approach life. For example,...

Fishing demands being aware each moment, feeling the line to sense any tugs and nibbles, yet waiting patiently for the fish that may never bite. The more we desire to catch a fish instead of being present with the process, the less we can hold firmly to stillness. Taking no action becomes impossible as we become increasingly bored and restless.

The trick for a fisherman is to apply the 'fishing model' to the rest of his life. The trick for us non fishermen is to apply the 'fishing model' to the rest of our life. One model fits all. Nothing I know fits one does less and less until one does nothing at all better than fishing (the old fashioned way), and to cooking fish as well.

'When the empire is ruled in accordance with the way', is a little misleading. The Chinese is actually: using way, manage everything. In other words, when we use the way to manage everything, i.e., our personal empire so to speak, our spirits do not harm ourselves or others. Spirits, potencies...? I think of these as instincts and emotions. Using the way to manage everything doesn't mean we abandon our humanity and the instincts and emotions that go with that animal nature. We just cook the fish more carefully!

It is really very easy to understand and very easy to put into practice, despite the likelihood that few may do so; we all tend to get a little distracted don't we? We prefer by-paths because they seem easy. That is why even the sage treats some things as difficult. Personally, I rather enjoy the challenge of it all. Something so obviously simple and yet...