WHEN a man is living, he is soft and supple.
When he is dead, he becomes hard and rigid.
When a plant is living, it is soft and tender.
When it is dead, it becomes withered and dry.
Hence, the hard and rigid belongs to the company
of the dead:
The soft and supple belongs to the company of
the living.
Therefore, a mighty army tends to fall by its own
weight,
Just as dry wood is ready for the axe.
The mighty and great will be laid low;
The humble and weak will be exalted.
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