Chapter 76: Soft and Pliant (第76章：戒盈)

人之生也柔弱，其死也堅強。
萬物草木之生也柔脆，其死也枯槁。
故堅強者死之徒，柔弱者生之徒。
是以兵強則不勝，木強則烘。
強大處下，柔弱處上。
☸

Translation

A man is born soft and weak; when he dies, he is hard and stiff.
Plants are born tender and brittle; when they die, they are withered and dry.

Therefore, the hard and stiff are companions of death.
The soft and weak are companions of life.

When an army is too strong, it will not win.
When a tree is too strong, it will be broken by the wind.

The great and strong belong below.
The soft and weak belong above.

✦ ◆ ✦

📜 Liuren Perspective

This chapter is a core technical principle for Internal Alchemy and Fa-body development. "Softness" (柔弱) is the hallmark of a living spiritual connection. A practitioner whose Qi is fluid and whose mind is flexible is a "companion of life."

"Stiffness" (堅強) in magical practice refers to rigid thinking, dogmatic attachment to forms, and the "hardening" of the ego. This stiffness blocks the flow of the Dao and leads to spiritual "death" or failure. In Liuren Fajiao, our power comes from our ability to yield and adapt, not from rigid force.

The teaching "The soft and weak belong above" (柔弱處上) is reflected in the placement of the Spirit over the Matter. While the "strong" physical body must stay grounded, the "soft" spirit should be allowed to rise and connect with the higher heavens. By maintaining internal softness, the practitioner becomes unbreakable.

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