Laozi's Dao De Jing 76-78 (老子道德經 76-78)

Author: Laozi (老子); translated by James Legge

Every one in the world knows that the soft overcomes the hard, and the weak the strong, but no one is able to carry it out in practice.

第七十六章

人之生也柔弱，其死也堅強。草木之生也柔脆，其死也枯槁。故堅強者死 之徒，柔弱者生之徒。是以兵強則滅，木強則折。強大處下，柔弱處上。

Chapter 76

1. 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.

2. Thus it is that firmness and strength are the concomitants of death; softness and weakness, the concomitants of life.

3. 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.)

4. Therefore the place of what is firm and strong is below, and that of what is soft and weak is above.

第七十七章

天之道，其猶張弓歟？高者抑之，下者舉之﹔有餘者損之，不足者補之。 天之道，損有餘而補不足。人之道，則不然，損不足以奉有餘。孰能有餘 以奉天下，唯有道者。是以聖人為而不恃，功成而不處，其不欲見賢。

Chapter 77

1. May not the Way (or Tao) of Heaven be compared to the (method of) bending a bow? The (part of the bow) which was high is brought low, and what was low is raised up. (So Heaven) diminishes where there is superabundance, and supplements where there is deficiency.

2. It is the Way of Heaven to diminish superabundance, and to supplement deficiency. It is not so with the way of man. He takes away from those who have not enough to add to his own superabundance.

3. Who can take his own superabundance and therewith serve all under heaven? Only he who is in possession of the Tao!

4. Therefore the (ruling) sage acts without claiming the results as his; he achieves his merit and does not rest (arrogantly) in it:—he does not wish to display his superiority.

第七十八章

天下莫柔弱于水，而攻堅強者，莫之能勝，以其無以易之。弱之勝強，柔 之勝剛，天下莫不知，莫能行。是以聖人云：「受國之垢，是謂社稷主﹔ 受國不祥，是為天下王。」正言若反。

Chapter 78

1. There is nothing in the world more soft and weak than water, and yet for attacking things that are firm and strong there is nothing that can take precedence of it;—for there is nothing (so effectual) for which it can be changed.

2. Every one in the world knows that the soft overcomes the hard, and the weak the strong, but no one is able to carry it out in practice.

3. Therefore a sage has said,
'He who accepts his state's reproach,
Is hailed therefore its altars' lord;
To him who bears men's direful woes
They all the name of King accord.'

4. Words that are strictly true seem to be paradoxical.