Tao te Ching: 36

In order to contract,
It is necessary first to expand.
In order to weaken,
It is necessary first to strengthen.
In order to destroy,
It is necessary first to promote.
In order to grasp,
It is necessary first to give.
This is called subtle light.
The weak and tender overcome the hard and the strong.
Fish should not be taken away from water.
And sharp weapons of the state should not be displayed
to the people.

This irritates the Confucianists because it goes against the rectification of names. Names should agree with the thing, in their philosophy. Not only that, doing one thing with the goal of getting another is deceitful. I say that it is possibly cunning, but there is nothing to be gained by it.


The beginning is a natural law, and it fits within the idea of the taiji. One action leads into another and both depend on each other. Very few would disagree with this, especially with the analogy of a muscle.

Do you get something from giving? Perhaps not in the physical sense, but some would make an argument that giving has intangible rewards such as good will or positive feelings. Good karma. Lao Tzu puts this principle with the other natural laws and gives it a name, the subtle light, which is the light of nature from chapter 27.

He also includes a caveat about not disturbing a harmonious environment. It makes sense to me, but I don't find it very satisfying. This could be because I am going through my own period of reaching and grasping. At the moment, samsara has me firmly in its grasp.