Tao Te Ching Chapter 74

 

The people are not afraid of death;

Why threaten them with death?

Supposing that the people are afraid of death,

And we can seize and kill the unruly,

Who would dare to do so?

Often it happens that the executioner is killed.

And to take the place ofthe executioner

Is like handling the hatchet for the master carpenter.

He who handles the hatchet for the master carpenter

seldom escapes injury to his hands.