Tao Te Ching · 78 of 81 · tr. James Legge
Chapter 78
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. 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. 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.' Words that are strictly true seem to be paradoxical.
Themes
◇Paradox As Teachingethics
Using apparent contradiction, reversal, or riddle to destabilise ordinary understanding and induce insight.
[auto] The text explicitly concludes that true words seem paradoxical and illustrates the reversal of soft overcoming hard.
All passages →◇Wu Weipraxis
Effortless action aligned with the spontaneous flow of the Dao; non-coercive, non-striving conduct that yields results without forcing — the sage acts without acting.
[auto] The passage describes water's effortless efficacy and the sage's non-resistance to reproach as the model of action without forcing.
All passages →Related passages · 1 parallel
◆renaissance_hermeticism|The Heroic Enthusiasts, Part I (Gli Eroici Furori)|Fifth Dialoguek
“That is a maxim of the Epicureans which, being well understood, would not be considered so unworthy as the ignorant hold it to be, seeing that it does not detract from what I have called virtue, nor does it impair the perfection of firmness…”
Both passages discuss the strength found in softness or the absence of feeling. The Tao Te Ching emphasizes the power of water's softness, while the Epicurean dialogue discusses the perfection of firmness through not feeling pain or inconvenience.