Tao Te Ching Chapter 76-7 Strong army, no win

Today's Tao

Hence, if your army is strong, you will never win. (Ch.76)


If your army is "strong", is it easier to accept other people's acts against your will?

Don't you want to use your "strong army" to control the people against you?

That's why Lao Tzu says:

"you will never win".


Zen Buddhists use two key concepts to understand it.

1. 即心是仏。[soku shin ze butsu] The very mechanism is Buddha (=Tao).

2. 一切法一心。[issai ho isshin] All the manifestations are one mechanism.

Therefore, treat the so-called reality, which is a manifestation of Tao, as if it is the real Tao (while knowing that the manifestation and Tao are not exactly the same).

半箇衆生半箇法性。・・・。法性不是衆生。

(法性 Hossho, «Shobogenzo»)


It is not your ego who controls the situation.

Don't be strong.

Your true victory is to keep Tao's mechanism working.


«Related Articles»
-Soft life 76-1
-Hard end 76-2
-Fragile life 76-3
-Dry end 76-4
-Mujoseppo = non-living preach / Hard and Strong 76-5
-Soft and weak men 76-6
-Strong army, no win 76-7
-Karoshi / Snapped branch 76-8
-Hossho stays low 76-9
-Hoben gate / Soft and Weak 76-10
-Tao by Matsumoto / Tao Te Ching / Chapter 76


Tao answers your question!



☞«Tao Te Ching» Key word comparison (7) / -Dark Depth 玄 [gen]- Let's see how they translate 玄之又玄衆妙之門 in Chapter 1. / "Calling it 'fathomless' is still not to fathom it. …the door to a cluster of puzzles." On the left, «Tao Te Ching on The Art of Harmony: The New Illustrated Edition of the Chinese Philosophical Masterpiece (The Art of Wisdom)» translated by Chad Hansen. / "dark-enigma deep within dark-enigma, gateway of all mystery." On the right, «Tao Te Ching» translated by David Hinton.

Tao Te Ching Chapter 38-6 Politeness

Today's Tao

The highest politeness is doing it and, if the other does not respond to it, rolling up your sleeves and pulling him. (Ch.38)


A: "Thank you very much, sir"

B: "..."

A: "I said, 'Thank you, sir'."

B: "..."

A: "I politely said, 'Thank you, sir'. You've gotta say something."

B: "Uh, uh."

A: "Sir, I am being polite and you say just 'Uh, uh'. You have to learn to be polite, too, sir."


When one is polite against his will, his acts are not spontaneous at all.

The forced politeness is very far from Tao's natural way.

A baby doesn't know politeness.


«Related Articles»
-The highest attainment 38-1
-The lowest attainment 38-2
-No trace of act 38-3
-Mercy 38-4
-The highest righteousness 38-5
-Politeness 38-6
-Lost Tao 38-7
-Lost attainment 38-8
-Lost mercy 38-9
-Lost righteousness 38-10
-Disorder 38-11
-Foreknowledge 38-12
-Thick and Thin 38-13
-Tao's Flower 38-14
-Leave it 38-15
-Tao by Matsumoto / Tao Te Ching / Chapter 38


Tao answers your question!



Previous video / Ch.38 text / Next video


-«Sansho Dayuu / Sansho the Bailiff» is a folk tale. It is about the practice of slave trade of infants in Japan. Mori Ogai wrote a novel out of it. Kenji Mizoguchi a film. Both of them are considered to be masterpieces.

Tao Te Ching Chapter 7-4 Last = First

Today's Tao

That's why the sage puts his body last, but it comes first. (Ch.7)


"Where there is a will, there is a way."

Are you sure of that?

Lao Tzu might say, "Where there is a will, there is resistance".

Resistance blocks the natural flow of the fundamental energy Tao.

Last is first. First is last.

This is the Reverse Thinking, and it is how Dark Depth Female works.

If you want to do something, do something else for others.

Strangely, you will get what you want probably sooner than you have expected.


«Related Articles»
-Heaven and earth 7-1
-Heaven creates no earth 7-2
-Live long 7-3
-Last = First 7-4
-Out of your body 7-5
-Self 7-6
-Tao by Matsumoto / Tao Te Ching / Chapter 7


Lao Tzu answers your question!


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