Explanation Of The Tao Te Ching Part Seventy Four 

“If men are not afraid to die, 
It is no avail to threaten them with death. 

If men live in constant fear of dying, 
And if breaking the law means that a man will be killed, 
Who will dare to break the law? 

There is always an official executioner. 
If you try to take his place, 
It is like trying to be a master carpenter and cutting wood. 
If you try to cut wood like a master carpenter, you will only hurt your hand.”

This about fear of death and government. Politicians can only push people so far until death is a better option and then the people lose their fear of them. It’s a fine line that governments have to stay inside or face revolution.

Individually, if we discover the illusion of life and find our root in the Tao, we lose our fear of death and thus no one has that kind of command over us.