The Gentle and Yielding is the Disciple of Life

I recently recalled that I had seen this in April 2005. I thought it was time to repost this for a new audience. I originally saw this at http://barque.blogspot.com/2005/04/why-this-site.html .
Hope you find it inspiring.

"A man is born gentle and weak.
At his death he is hard and stiff.
Green plants are tender and filled with sap.
At their death they are withered and dry.
Therefore the stiff and unbending is the disciple of death.
The gentle and yielding is the disciple of life.
Thus an army without flexibility never wins a battle.
A tree that is unbending is easily broken.
The hard and strong will fall.
The soft and weak will overcome."
-- Lao Tsu, Tao Te Ching