76 - Rigid behavior will kill you

When alive, the body is supple, yielding.
In death, the body becomes hard, unyielding.

Living plants are flexible,
In death, they become dry and brittle.

Therefore, stubborn people are disciples of death, but
Flexible people are disciples of life.

In the same way,
Inflexible soldiers cannot win (a victory).
And the hardest trees are readiest for an axe to chop them down
Tough guys sink to the bottom, while
Flexible people rise to the top.
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The Tao is formless.

The Tao exists since the beginning.

The Tao have no beginning and ending.

The meaning is very complex and difficult to understand. The meaning is too wide, so it is very difficult to be explained by the word clearly.

The simplest meaning of The Tao is "The Way" or can be said too as "The Law", "The Rule" and others.

The Tao is "Something" which exists behind all of process in the universe.

Why does the earth encircle the sun?
Why does the earth have gravity force?
Why do Oxygen and Hydrogen can make chemical combination become water?
Why does the water become gas on 100C and freeze on 0C?

Everything can happen because there is a "Law", because there is a "Rule", because there is a "Way".

Everything can happen because of "The Tao".

The fish swims in the water but they don't realize 'the water'.

The bird flights riding the wind but they don't realize 'the wind'.

The man exists inside The Tao but they don't realize 'The Tao'.


II. Tao as a Philosophy (Taoism).

As a Philosophy, Taoism is very famous, the book Dao De Jing ( ) have been translating into many languages.

Lao Zi ( ), one of Taoist Grand Prophet, created this book.

Dao De Jing ( ) is not only used by Taoist, but there are many peoples which take some advantages being learned it whatever their faith or religion.

Most of westerner that learns Taoism is learn it from this side.


III. Tao as a Religion (Taoism).

As a religion, may be Taoism is the oldest one, the history began from Huang Di / Yellow Emperor about 5000 years ago, be popularized and grows by Lao Zi ( ) and be formed as a religion by Zhang Dao Ling.

As a religion, Taoism spreads all over the world brings by Chinese overseas.

Taoism and Chinese culture are like two faces of one coin or can be said that Taoism is Chinese spirit.


IV. Tao as a Spiritualism Way (Taoism).

This is the nucleus of Taoism. As a spiritual way, Taoism is very different with others because Taoism combines spiritual and worldliness, combine science and theology.

Learning Taoism means training mental and physical body. It is match with the symbol of The Tao which is called Thay Cik and the concept of Yin Yang which emphasize harmonious and balances.

"There is no star if there is no sky".

Being learned Taoism we will be guided to reveal the secret of life in totality with many methods and practices. Because Taoism is a method to do the life and not a theory of life.

"Tao can shown the way but can't represent to walk on it".

https://english.siutao.com/introduction/the_meaning_of_tao.php