That which shrinks must first expand.
All things such as grass and trees are soft and supple in life. At their death they are withered and dry.
As it acts in the world, the Tao is like the bending of a bow. The top is bent downward; the bottom is bent up. It adjusts excess and deficiency so that there is perfect balance.
The high must make the low its base.
Yielding is the way of the Tao.
That so few understand me is why I am treasured.