Translation

Under heaven nothing is more yielding and weak than water.
Yet for attacking the hard and strong nothing can surpass,
Because of its nothing-ness and ease.
Of weakness and loss through death, victorious and powerful.
Under heaven there’s no one who does not know – no one can do.
Because of this, the holy person says,
Accepting the humiliation of the state means host of the state.
Accepting the state’s misfortune serves for all under heaven great.
Straight and honest words seem inside out.

land under heaven no one (nothing) weak (delicate) at (in) water (river; lakes, seas).

<conj.>and / but (not) attack hard (firm; strong; firmly; resolutely) strive (strong; powerful; better_unyielding)?, no one (nothing) of can (be able to) victory (success; surpass; be superior to).

? (use, take; because of; so as to; and) his (her; its; that; such) nothing (without; not) ? (use, take; because of; so as to; and) easy (amiable) of.

weak (feeble; young> lose through death) of victory (success; surpass; be superior to) strive (strong; powerful; better_unyielding), soft (supple; yielding) of victory (success; surpass; be superior to) firm (strong; indomitable, just).

land under heaven no one (nothing) no (not) know (realize; inform; knowledge) no one (nothing) can (be able to) go (travel, do, be current).

<grm>is <formal> this; that) ? (use, take; because of; so as to; and) sage (saint; holy) man (people; adult) say (cloud),

accept (endure) country of dirty (humiliation) <grm>is <formal> this; that) call (meaning) the country host (owner).

accept (endure) country ominous (inauspicious) <grm>is <formal> this; that) do (act; act as; serve as; be; mean; support) land under heaven king (monarch; great).

straight (situated in the middle; honest) speech (word; say; talk) like (seem; as if) turn over (in an opposite direction; inside out; return, on the contrary).

Original

天下莫柔弱于水。
而攻坚强者，
莫之能胜，
以其无以易之。
弱之胜强。
柔之胜刚。
天下莫不知莫能行。
是以圣人云，
受国之垢是谓社稷主。
受国不祥是为天下王。
正言若反。

Commentary, September 2011

Yep, straightforward words seem paradoxical. The chief biological hoodwink all life experiences is the perception that the weak overcomes the strong. Accepting the humiliation of the state is the only approach possible when I see the state as it actually is rather that how I would like it to be. Biological processes determine how people interact– sometimes getting along, sometimes battling.

I can certainly imagine a world of peace and bliss, equity and justice for all. Yet, this is simply not how Nature works. Such ideals are simply dreams that reflect innate needs and fears–what we want, not what is. That’s okay mind you; it’s just very helpful to know it is a dream. Believing a dream is real is fine for a movie, but for living daily life?

Only a person capable of seeing things as they are, and not as desired, would be a king worthy of dominion over the entire empire. Lords and princes (and even politicians) such as this are rare I suspect. Instead, I see the hard and strong standing their ground, contending self-righteously with their enemies. We hear much talk of bipartisanship on one hand, and see actions that are just the opposite on the other.

Only when opposing forces wear each other out, can the yielding and weak conclude matters. Loss is the foundation of compromise. People can’t compromise as long as their sense of compromise is more about what their opponent needs to give up. You would think this self evident, which goes to show the blind power of desire; indeed, desire is the fuel that powers the blind spot and its manifestations.

Of weakness and loss through death, victorious and powerful.

Under heaven there’s no one who does not know – no one can do.

In other words, entropy is always the victor in the end! Saying that under heaven there’s no one who does not know may be a bit of an overstatement. However, that no one can do is certainly dead right. Naturally, no one can do because life’s core drive is to resist entropy at every turn, right up to our final breath. While I can’t actually, through free-will, put this knowledge into practice, this knowledge does give me peace of mind when I feel yielding and weak. Heck, it may even help my action lead to impartiality.