*COMPANIONS OF LIFE*

When a man is born, he is tender
And weak
At death, he is hard and stiff.

When the things and the plants are alive, they
Are soft and supple.
When they are dead, they are
Brittle and dry.

Therefore, hardness and stiffness are
The companions of death.
And softness and gentleness are
The companions of life.

Therefore, when an army is headstrong,
It will lose in battle.
When a tree is hard, it will be cut down.

The big and strong belong underneath.
The gentle and weak belong at the TOP.