Quick Answer
ⴰⵙⵔⵉⵔ ⵓⵎⵙⵙⴰⵍ ⴰⵣⴰⵍⵍⵓ ⴷ ⴰⴱⵓⵍⵍⵓ, ⵎⴰⵙ ⵉⵙⵓⵙⴰⵏ ⵓⵎⵙⵙⴰⵍ ⵏ ⵓⵖⵓⵙⵓ ⴷ ⵓⵣⵔⵓⴳ ⴰⵣⴰⵍⵍⵓⵏ. ⴰⵎⵎⵓⵟ ⴱⴰ ⵉⵙⵓⵙⴰⵏ ⵓⵎⵙⵙⴰⵍ ⵏ ⵓⵎⵎⵓⵟ. ⴰⵙⵔⵉⵔ ⵓⵎⵎⵓⵟ ⵉⵎⵙⵙⴰⵏ ⵓⵎⵙⵙⴰⵍ ⵏ ⵓⵎⵎⵓⵟ, ⵎⴰⵙ ⵉⵙⵓⵙⴰⵏ ⵓⵎⵙⵙⴰⵍ.
Key Concepts
Cite This Chapter
Laozi, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 76, "ⴰⵣⵓⵍ ⵏ ⵓⵎⵙⵙⴰⵍ ⵏ ⵓⴱⵓⵍⵍⵓ", laotzu.ai: https://www.laotzu.ai/ber-Tfng/chapters/76/
Classical Chinese, translation, and AI reflection are shown separately; cite this chapter URL for references.
Original
人之生也柔弱,其死也坚强。万物草木之生也柔脆,其死也枯槁。
故坚强者死之徒,柔弱者生之徒。
是以兵强则灭,木强则折。强大处下,柔弱处上。
ⵜⴰⴼⵙⵙⵓⵜ
ⴰⵎⵙⵙⴰⵍ ⵏ ⵓⵇⵇⵉⵎ ⵉⵙⵓⵙⴰⵏ ⴰⵣⴰⵍⵍⵓ, ⵉⵎⵙⵙⴰⵍ ⵏ ⵓⵎⵎⵓⵟ ⵉⵙⵓⵙⴰⵏ ⴰⵎⵎⵓⵟ. ⴰⵙⵎⵓⴼⵉ ⴷ ⵓⵖⵉⵣⵓ ⵏ ⵓⵎⵙⵙⴰⵍ ⵉⵙⵓⵙⴰⵏ ⴰⵣⴰⵍⵍⵓ ⴷ ⴰⴱⵓⵍⵍⵓ, ⵉⵎⵙⵙⴰⵍ ⵏ ⵓⵎⵎⵓⵟ ⵉⵙⵓⵙⴰⵏ ⴰⵎⵎⵓⵟ. ⵉⵎⵙⵙⴰⵍ ⵏ ⵓⵣⵔⵓⴳ ⴷ ⵓⵖⵉⵣⵓ ⵏ ⵓⵎⵙⵙⴰⵍ ⵉⵙⵓⵙⴰⵏ ⴰⵣⴰⵍⵍⵓ ⴷ ⴰⴱⵓⵍⵍⵓ, ⵉⵎⵙⵙⴰⵍ ⵏ ⵓⵎⵎⵓⵟ ⵉⵙⵓⵙⴰⵏ ⴰⵎⵎⵓⵟ. ⵉⵎⵇⵇⵉ ⴰⵎⵎⵓⵟ ⵉⵡⴰ ⵙⵓⵙⵎⵓⵔ ⵏ ⵓⵎⵎⵓⵟ, ⴰⵣⴰⵍⵍⵓ ⴷ ⴰⴱⵓⵍⵍⵓ ⴰⵙⵓⵙⵎⵓⵔ ⵏ ⵓⵎⵙⵙⴰⵍ. ⵉⵎⵙⵙⴰⵍ ⵏ ⵓⵖⵓⵙⵓ ⵉⵎⵙⵙⴰⵏ ⵓⴱⵓⵍⵍⵓ, ⴰⵣⴰⵍⵍⵓ ⴷ ⴰⴱⵓⵍⵍⵓ ⵉⵎⵙⵙⴰⵏ ⵓⴳⵓⵔⴰ. ⴰⵎⵙⵙⴰⵍ ⵏ ⵓⵎⵎⵓⵟ ⴱⴰ ⵙⵉⵙⵉⵎⵓⵔ ⴰⵣⴰⵍⵍⵓ, ⵉⵎⵙⵙⴰⵍ ⵏ ⵓⵖⵉⵣⵓ ⴱⴰ ⵙⵉⵙⵉⵎⵓⵔ ⴰⵎⵎⵓⵟ. ⴰⵎⵎⵓⵟ ⵉⵎⵙⵙⴰⵏ ⴰⵣⴰⵍⵍⵓ, ⴰⵣⴰⵍⵍⵓ ⴷ ⴰⴱⵓⵍⵍⵓ ⴱⴰ ⵉⵙⵓⵙⴰⵏ ⴰⴳⵓⵔⴰ.
ⴰⵎⵢⵓⵙⵙⵏ ⴰⴳⴳⴰⵔⴰⵏ
ⴰⵏⵏⴰ ⵓⵎⵓⵔⵓⵙ ⵏⵓⵙ?
ⴰⵙⵔⵉⵔ ⵓⵎⵙⵙⴰⵍ ⴰⵣⴰⵍⵍⵓ ⴷ ⴰⴱⵓⵍⵍⵓ, ⵎⴰⵙ ⵉⵙⵓⵙⴰⵏ ⵓⵎⵙⵙⴰⵍ ⵏ ⵓⵖⵓⵙⵓ ⴷ ⵓⵣⵔⵓⴳ ⴰⵣⴰⵍⵍⵓⵏ. ⴰⵎⵎⵓⵟ ⴱⴰ ⵉⵙⵓⵙⴰⵏ ⵓⵎⵙⵙⴰⵍ ⵏ ⵓⵎⵎⵓⵟ. ⴰⵙⵔⵉⵔ ⵓⵎⵎⵓⵟ ⵉⵎⵙⵙⴰⵏ ⵓⵎⵙⵙⴰⵍ ⵏ ⵓⵎⵎⵓⵟ, ⵎⴰⵙ ⵉⵙⵓⵙⴰⵏ ⵓⵎⵙⵙⴰⵍ.
ⵎⴰⵎⴽ ⵉⵜⵜⴽⴽⴰ ⵖⴼ ⵓⴷⵔⵉⵎ ⵉⵏⵓ?
ⴰⵙⵔⵉⵔ ⵓⵎⵎⵓⵟ ⵉⵙⵓⵙⴰⵏ ⵓⵎⵙⵙⴰⵍ ⵏ ⵓⵣⵔⵓⴳ ⴷ ⵓⵖⵉⵣⵓ. ⴰⵣⴰⵍⵍⵓ ⴷ ⴰⴱⵓⵍⵍⵓ ⵉⵙⵓⵙⴰⵏ ⵓⵎⵙⵙⴰⵍ ⵏ ⵓⵣⵔⵓⴳ ⴷ ⵓⵖⵉⵣⵓ. ⴰⵎⵎⵓⵟ ⵉⵙⵓⵙⴰⵏ ⵓⵎⵙⵙⴰⵍ ⵏ ⵓⵎⵎⵓⵟ. ⴰⵙⵔⵉⵔ ⵓⵎⵙⵙⴰⵍ ⴰⵣⴰⵍⵍⵓ ⵉⵙⵓⵙⴰⵏ ⵓⵎⵙⵙⴰⵍ.
ⵎⴰ ⴷ ⴰⵔⴰ ⵅⴷⵎⵖ ⴰⵙⵙ ⴰⴷ?
ⴰⵙⵓⵙⵎⵓⵔ ⵏ ⵓⵣⴰⵍⵍⵓ ⴷ ⵓⴱⵓⵍⵍⵓ ⴷ ⵓⵎⵙⵙⴰⵍ ⵏ ⵓⵣⵔⵓⴳ ⴷ ⵓⵖⵉⵣⵓ. ⵉⵙⵓⵙⵎⵓⵔ ⴰⵣⴰⵍⵍⵓ ⴷ ⵓⴱⵓⵍⵍⵓ ⴷ ⵓⵎⵙⵙⴰⵍ ⵏ ⵓⵣⵔⵓⴳ. ⵉⵙⵓⵙⵎⵓⵔ ⴰⵎⵎⵓⵟ ⴷ ⵓⵎⵙⵙⴰⵍ ⵏ ⵓⵎⵎⵓⵟ.
📜 ⵙⵓⵍ ⵉⵙⵙⵉⴼⵓⵔⵏ (Wang Bi · Legge · AI Modern)
Wang Bi (226–249 CE)
人之生也柔弱,其死也坚强。万物草木之生也柔脆,其死也枯槁。故坚强者死之徒,柔弱者生之徒。是以兵强则不胜,木强则兵。强大处下,柔弱处上。
James Legge (1891)
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. Thus it is that firmness and strength are the concomitants of death; softness and weakness, the concomitants of life.
AI Modern
ⴰⵎⵙⵙⴰⵍ ⵏ ⵓⵇⵇⵉⵎ ⵉⵙⵓⵙⴰⵏ ⴰⵣⴰⵍⵍⵓ, ⵉⵎⵙⵙⴰⵍ ⵏ ⵓⵎⵎⵓⵟ ⵉⵙⵓⵙⴰⵏ ⴰⵎⵎⵓⵟ. ⴰⵙⵎⵓⴼⵉ ⴷ ⵓⵖⵉⵣⵓ ⵏ ⵓⵎⵙⵙⴰⵍ ⵉⵙⵓⵙⴰⵏ ⴰⵣⴰⵍⵍⵓ ⴷ ⴰⴱⵓⵍⵍⵓ, ⵉⵎⵙⵙⴰⵍ ⵏ ⵓⵎⵎⵓⵟ ⵉⵙⵓⵙⴰⵏ ⴰⵎⵎⵓⵟ. ⵉⵎⵙⵙⴰⵍ ⵏ ⵓⵣⵔⵓⴳ ⴷ ⵓⵖⵉⵣⵓ ⵏ ⵓⵎⵙⵙⴰⵍ ⵉⵙⵓⵙⴰⵏ ⴰⵣⴰⵍⵍⵓ ⴷ ⴰⴱⵓⵍⵍⵓ, ⵉⵎⵙⵙⴰⵍ ⵏ ⵓⵎⵎⵓⵟ ⵉⵙⵓⵙⴰⵏ ⴰⵎⵎⵓⵟ. ⵉⵎⵇⵇⵉ ⴰⵎⵎⵓⵟ ⵉⵡⴰ ⵙⵓⵙⵎⵓⵔ ⵏ ⵓⵎⵎⵓⵟ, ⴰⵣⴰⵍⵍⵓ ⴷ ⴰⴱⵓⵍⵍⵓ ⴰⵙⵓⵙⵎⵓⵔ ⵏ ⵓⵎⵙⵙⴰⵍ. ⵉⵎⵙⵙⴰⵍ ⵏ ⵓⵖⵓⵙⵓ ⵉⵎⵙⵙⴰⵏ ⵓⴱⵓⵍⵍⵓ, ⴰⵣⴰⵍⵍⵓ ⴷ ⴰⴱⵓⵍⵍⵓ ⵉⵎⵙⵙⴰⵏ ⵓⴳⵓⵔⴰ. ⴰⵎⵙⵙⴰⵍ ⵏ ⵓⵎⵎⵓⵟ ⴱⴰ ⵙⵉⵙⵉⵎⵓⵔ ⴰⵣⴰⵍⵍⵓ, ⵉⵎⵙⵙⴰⵍ ⵏ ⵓⵖⵉⵣⵓ ⴱⴰ ⵙⵉⵙⵉⵎⵓⵔ ⴰⵎⵎⵓⵟ. ⴰⵎⵎⵓⵟ ⵉⵎⵙⵙⴰⵏ ⴰⵣⴰⵍⵍⵓ, ⴰⵣⴰⵍⵍⵓ ⴷ ⴰⴱⵓⵍⵍⵓ ⴱⴰ ⵉⵙⵓⵙⴰⵏ ⴰⴳⵓⵔⴰ.
ⴰⵎⵢⵓⵙⵙⵏ ⵉⵏⵓ
What does this chapter inspire in you? How will you apply it?
"This chapter made me think..."
"I plan to..."
📥 Export All
Save Reflection
Ask Laotzu About This Chapter Full chat →
What does "ⴰⵣⵓⵍ ⵏ ⵓⵎⵙⵙⴰⵍ ⵏ ⵓⴱⵓⵍⵍⵓ" mean?
How can this chapter help me in my life right now?
How to apply this chapter's wisdom at work?
← Previous
ⵎⵉ ⴽⴽⵓⵏⵜ ⵉⴼⴰⵙⵙⵏ
Next →