Tao Te Ching Chapter 55-14 Strong = Old

Today's Tao

If a thing is strong, it gets old. (Ch.55)


You can find the same sentence in Chapter 30.

Being strong is like athletes using steroids.

They get old prematurely. (Strong steroids 30-11)


Chuang Tzu says:

"Do you know that prayer mantis?

Waving its arms angrily, it confronts the wheel of a cart."

(Inner Chapter IV　内篇　人間世篇　第四, «Chuang Tzu 荘子»)


The wheel of the cart is time, your prayer wheel.

The mantis wants to be strong.

Strong enough to defeat the cart, which is a few thousand times bigger than itself.

If you want to be strong, please ask yourself whether you look like this mantis.

If you are strong, you get old. If you fight, the wheel of time will crush you.

Be like a baby and live forever.


«Related Articles»
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-No stings 55-2
-No attack 55-3
-No hitting 55-4
-Soft sinew 55-5
-Male organ 55-6
-Virility 55-7
-Su Dongpo / No husky voice 55-8
-Peak of harmony 55-9
-Know harmony? 55-10
-Constant enlightenment 55-11
-No increased life 55-12
-Takuan / Mind and Ki 55-13
-Strong = Old 55-14
-Anti-Tao 55-15
-No early end 55-16
-Tao by Matsumoto / Tao Te Ching / Chapter 55


Tao answers your question!



☞«Chuang Tzu» is a very important book. There is not doubt about it. But the problem is that there are so many comments by later hands mixed up with the original. Besides, the book is rather voluminous. Inevitably, one has to ask himself whether it is worth reading the entire book. A relatively safe bet is to read only «The Inner Chapter of Chuang Tzu». Nevertheless, researchers admit that even in the Inner Chapter there are plenty of notes and comments written by someone else.