Chapter Eleven of the Chuang Tze is entitled “Letting Be, and Exercising Moderation”. It is about not interfering. The following extremely short passage is a Jewel.
Ts'ui Chu (“Anxious Mountain Bird”) once asked Lao Tan, “If you don't control the world, how could you influence the People's Minds?"
Once again, we don’t know whether Ts’ui was a real person. He appears to have been a Disciple of Lao Tze.
"You should be careful,” Lao Tan replied, not to interfere with People's Minds. People's Minds can certainly be forced down or stirred up. When manipulated in this way their Minds would feel as though they were imprisoned and then executed, and then any softness could turn into firm resistance. In each case the outcome is fatal. Even after having been pierced, stabbed, carved and engraved, its heat can burn like the hottest Flame or freeze like solid Ice. In a Moment, it will pass beyond the limits of the Four Seas, rapidly shifting from compliance to arrogance. At rest, it is deep as the Ocean and profoundly still; in motion, it flies up to the highest Heavens. Like a wild horse, it races and gallops out of reach; it cannot be held in check. What rises up so arrogantly while refusing to stay in any one place for long? Only the human Mind does!"
Lao Tze’s response stands almost by itself, does it not? Mind Control is against the Tao.
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