← Back to quotes

Against Strength

"Man in his life is supple and tender, in his death he is rigid and strong. It is the same with everything. Grass and trees are, in their life, weak and tender, and, in their death, withered and tough. Therefore the rigid and the strong are the attendants of death; and the tender and weak the attendants of life. Hence the warrior, when strong, does not conquer. When a tree is strong, it becomes a mere support: the strong and big must stay below, while the tender and weak stay above."

Author

Lao Tzu

All Translations

English

"Man in his life is supple and tender, in his death he is rigid and strong. It is the same with everything. Grass and trees are, in their life, weak and tender, and, in their death, withered and tough. Therefore the rigid and the strong are the attendants of death; and the tender and weak the attendants of life. Hence the warrior, when strong, does not conquer. When a tree is strong, it becomes a mere support: the strong and big must stay below, while the tender and weak stay above."

Loading…
Loading the web debug toolbar…
Attempt #