Tao Te Ching, Ch 76

The Door of all Wonders: 

The Commentary on the Tao Te Ching

by Nirguna, Chor-kok Lam 

Chapter 76

A man is supple and soft when alive, 

but hard and stiff when dead.

Grass and trees are pliant and fragile when alive,

but dried and shrivelled when dead.

Thus the hard and strong are the comrades of death;

the supple and soft are the comrades of life.

Therefore, an arrogant army will not win.

A tree that is strong will be cut down.

The hard and strong takes the lower position.

The gentle and weak takes the higher position.

Review

    Throughout the whole Tao Te Ching in many Chapters, Lao Tzu always tells us to be mild and gentle rather than to be strong and hard because:

“The soft and weak will overcome the hard and strong.”

(Chapter 36)

    The Truth, Tao, is always opposite to what most people think to be. Most people think that to be strong and also harsh to people is good for showing their superiority over other people. Then they can excel and even harm anyone whenever they like because they are strong while the other people are weak. Our world becomes corrupted because those who are strong like to oppress those who are weak. They do not respect the value of righteousness and compassion. They only value the strong power to do whatever they like, however, Lao Tzu tells us to have good use of our weakness and gentleness. We must be strong inward us but we must be gentle and mild outward us. To be gentle and mild to people is much beneficial for us as the whole. Here Lao Tzu uses two parables to explain how “the soft and weak will overcome the hard and strong”:

“A man is supple and soft when alive, 

but hard and stiff when dead.”

    For Lao Tzu, to be mild and gentle is the living force purely within us like a new born baby full of pure living energy. All the babies are supple and soft but they are full of life. It is why they are very lovely. However, the old dying men are filthy, stiff and full of death, just opposite to the babies. The babies are at the start of life while the old men are at the end of life approaching to death for decaying. All people like to be close to the babies and dislike to be close to the dying men. We all like pure energy and dislike impurities. In the Gospel of Thomas, Prophet Jesus also tells us the similar idea:

“Jesus said, “The man old in days will not hesitate to ask an infant seven days old about the place of life, and he will live. For many who are first will become last, and they will become one and the same.” (verse 4)

    What is the secret of a new born baby going to tell an old man? The secret is told here by Lao Tzu. The Truth, Tao, is the One, in the Tao Te Ching, and also what Jesus said. The baby, to be soft and supple, is the nearest to the Origin of all beings, the Truth, while the stiff dying man is the farthest away from the living origin. Then Lao Tzu explains with another parable:

“Grass and trees are pliant and fragile when alive,

but dried and shrivelled when dead.”

    Here Lao Tzu tells us to observe the growing of grass and trees, how they are different from the sprout to withering stage. To be soft and mild is the youthful stage of life while to be stiff and hard is the old dying stage, thus Lao Tzu continues:

“Thus the hard and strong are the comrades of death;

the supple and soft are the comrades of life.”

    We should make good use of gentle power to enhance peace and harmony among people, instead of using strong and hard power to oppress and harm people. To be strong and arrogant to people is not a good sign in spirituality. A spiritually powerful people can be mild and gentle to let people be friendly together. It is the soft power. In the Quran, Allah tells us:

    “God wishes to lighten your burdens, for man has been created weak.” (Quran 4:28)

    We human should know our weakness instead of being proud and arrogant. What we cannot do and know is far more than what we can do and know. It is why Lao Tzu always tells us to be humble in order to save us from calamities of life. To be humble and meek is more spiritually mature than to be proud and sharp for outward acquisition. Here Lao Tzu warns us:

“Therefore, an arrogant army will not win.

A tree that is strong will be cut down.”

    In the Quran, Allah tells us what kind of people Allah does not like:

“And do not plead on behalf of those who are dishonest to themselves.

Surely God does not love one who is treacherous and sinful.” (4:107)

“….God does not love the evil-doers.” (5:64)

“…Do not transgress; God does not love the transgressors.” (5:87)

“O Children of Adam, dress yourself properly whenever you are at worship;

and eat and drink but exceed not the bounds:

God does not love those who exceed the bounds.” (7:31)

“God surely knows what they conceal and what they reveal.

He does not love the arrogant.” (16:23)

“Do not exult in your riches, for God does not love the exultant.” (28:76)

“Do not avert your face from people out of haughtiness and do not walk with pride on the earth: for, behold, God does not love arrogant and boastful people.” (31:18)

“….Certainly, God does not guide one who is a transgressor and a liar.” (40:28)

    Those who are hard and strong will easily tend to commit mistakes and sins as mentioned in the Quran and also in the Tao Te Ching. Both are telling us the same Truth we should be alert. Those who act against the Truth will perish like an arrogant army being defeated in a war, like a strong tree being cut down for different purposes. Then Lao Tzu ends with the following conclusion:

“The hard and strong takes the lower position.

The gentle and weak takes the higher position.”

    Here the lower position means spiritually lower near death and perishing. The higher position means spiritually higher near living and immortal. The Truth is eternal. If we can make use of the soft and gentle power within us, we are experiencing the Truth. In this way, spiritually we are at the advanced level for the immortality of our soul rather than staying at the level of the perishable body full of emotions and passions, being hard and strong without knowing the soft and gentle power within us. Prophet Muhammad also teaches the same Truth to His followers. He says:

“The example of a believer is that of a fresh tender plant. From wherever the wind comes, it bends it. But when the wind becomes quiet, it becomes straight again. Similarly, a believer is afflicted with calamities, but he remains patient until Allah removes his difficulties. Otherwise, an impious wicked person is like a pine tree which keeps hard and straight till Allah breaks it down when He wishes.”

(Narrated by Abu’huraira from Bukhari, Vol VII, no5644)