Tao Te Ching Chapter 76 – 戝强 (道德经 第76章)
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Tao Te Ching — Chapter 76: Beware of Strength
道德经 第七十六章 · 戝强 · Lao Tzu · Bilingual Edition with Classical Commentaries
Original Text — 原文
English Translation — James Legge
Man at his birth is supple and weak; at his death, firm and strong. So it is with all things. Trees and plants, in their early growth, are soft and brittle; at their death, dry and withered.
Thus it is that firmness and strength are the concomitants of death; softness and weakness, the concomitants of life. As shown in Chapter 8, water — the softest of all things — benefits all and dwells in the lowest places, yet nothing overcomes it.
Hence he who relies on the strength of his forces does not conquer; and a tree which is strong will fill the out-stretched arms, and thereby invites the feller. Therefore the place of what is firm and strong is below, and that of what is soft and weak is above.
✦ Key Insight
Chapter 76 makes the paradox of softness and strength concrete through the observation of life and death. The living body is supple; the dead body is rigid. The living plant is soft and yielding; the dead plant is dry and brittle. From this Lao Tzu draws a universal law: hardness and strength belong to death; softness and weakness belong to life. The strong army does not win; the strong tree invites the axe. In the order of things, the strong are placed below and the soft above — this is the natural hierarchy of the Dao.
Classical Commentaries — 古典注释
王弼注 Wang Bi's Commentary
Wang Bi observes that humans are supple in life and rigid in death; plants are soft in life and brittle in death. The hard and strong are companions of death; the soft and weak are companions of life. The strong are below, the soft and weak above.
河上公注 Heshang Gong's Commentary
Heshang Gong observes that in life, humans are soft; in death, rigid. The hard are companions of death; the soft are companions of life. Strong armies are defeated; strong trees are felled. Heaven’s way strengthens the weak and suppresses the strong.
About the Author
Paul Peng
Paul Peng is a Zhengyi Taoist priest from Longhu Mountain, Jiangxi — the ancestral home of the Celestial Masters' tradition. Ordained at 25 after a dream from the Celestial Master, he has practiced for 25 years under Master Zeng Guangliang. He is the curator of this store, which is officially authorized by Tianshi Fu. All items are consecrated at the temple by the resident priest team.
Read his full story →
