Daodejing Chapter 36: subtle enlightenment

To shrink something,
Stretch it first.
To weaken something,
Strengthen it first.
To destroy something,
Raise it up first.
To take something,
Give it away first.
This is called
Subtle enlightenment.
Soft and weak overcome
Hard and strong.
Never remove a fish
From deep water
Never show the
Sharp weapons of a state.

「將欲歙之，必固張之；將欲弱之，必固強之；將欲廢之，必固舉之；將欲奪之，必固與之；是謂微明。柔勝剛，弱勝強。魚不可脫於淵，國之利器，不可以示人！」

Laozi saw the universe as being in a dynamic state, with opposite forces in constant tension with each other in a process that is called reversion by many scholars. Whenever one of the two forces reaches its natural peak or extreme, it inevitably morphs into its opposite state — like a flower that withers as soon as it reaches full bloom or a tyrannical ruler who sows the seeds of his own downfall through the brutal exploitation of his people.

A smart leader not only understands the principle and process of reversion, but also figures out how to harness them in order to find the most effective way of dealing with a situation they are facing. If for example, you are battling with an aggressive competitor, it is probably better to step back and conserve your resources rather than confront it directly so that you are ready to move when it vacates a sport or burns itself out. Achieving mastery of this theory and practice is not very easy of course. No wonder Laozi describes it as “subtle enlightenment!”

Some commentators argue that the final two lines of this chapter are out of place, while others see evidence of possible political meddling from Laozi in them. However, a third interpretation that Laozi is simply cautioning rulers of small states to keep a low profile seems more likely given the overall context of the passage.

Note
I took this image at Longhu (Dragon Tiger) Mountain, a famous Daoist site about ten miles south of Yingtan in Jiangxi Province. A great place to visit!