Mair 7:2

[Marblehead]

Chien Wu went to see Mad Chieh Yu.  "What did Noonstart tell you?" asked Mad Chieh Yii.

"He told me;" said Chien Wu, "that the ruler is one who issues canons, patterns, rules, and regulations on his own authority.  What men would dare not obey them and be transformed by them?"

"That's deceptive virtue," said Mad Chieh Yii.  "Using it to govern all under heaven is like trying to channel a river through the ocean or making a flea carry a mountain on its back.  When the sage governs, does he govern externals?  No, all he does is set things upright before acting and then make sure they do what they can.  Birds fly high to escape harm from the hunter's dart.  Mice burrow deep beneath the mound of the local god to avoid the threat of being smoked out or dug up.  Don't you even know as much as these two tiny creatures?"

[Taoist Texts]

 trying to channel a river through the ocean 

 

[Marblehead]

I did time with three different Engineer units while in the Army.  Two were destruction Engineers (serious demolition) and one was construction (tank bridges and tank recovery). 

 

But yes, the above is referring to altering nature.

 

Edited May 22, 2017 by Marblehead

[Taoist Texts]

I thought maybe you skipped a word or two when typing it up, but no

"Wandering on the Way: Early Taoist Tales and Parables of Chuang Tzu

https://books.google.com/books?isbn=082482038X

Zhuangzi, ‎Victor H. Mair - 1998 - ‎Philosophy

"Using it to govern all under heaven is like trying to channel a river through the ocean or making a flea carry a mountain on its back. When the sage governs, ..."

 

" wade through the sea and dig through the He" /Legge/

 

the original says 涉海凿河 to ford the sea and to dig  up a new watercourse for a great  river

 

As to USACE their original slogan was  Motto(s)     Essayons (Let Us Try) , which is droll. 

 

 

[Taoist Texts]

14 hours ago, Marblehead said:

When the sage governs, does he govern externals?  No, all he does is set things upright before acting and then make sure they do what they can. 

Should be: 

 

夫圣人之治也，治外乎？正而后行，确乎能其事者而已矣。

When the sage governs, does he govern anything outside of himself? He just makes himself upright and keeps to it fast enabling his affairs and that's it.

 

Edited May 22, 2017 by Taoist Texts

[Marblehead]

4 hours ago, Taoist Texts said:

Should be: 

 

夫圣人之治也，治外乎？正而后行，确乎能其事者而已矣。

When the sage governs, does he govern anything outside of himself? He just makes himself upright and keeps to it fast enabling his affairs and that's it.

 

But the Sage ruler must insure that the Administrators are attending to their duties properly.  (S)he can't keep solely to themselves.