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6 If we can hold on to the three treasures, we can achieve extraordinary results. When we fight with compassion in our hearts, we can achieve victory, because love gives us strength. Because we follow the Tao, events will seem to conspire in rendering assistance at just the right time, as if we are safeguarded by divine powers. All manner of resources and allies will rally to our cause, in unexpected ways that no one could foresee. Such is the power of the Tao. (back to text)

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1 As Sun Tzu remarks, the greatest warrior is the one who wins without fighting. In the battlefields of life, are we great generals or warriors? Do we get aggressive with people? Do we get angry easily? If so, then we cannot claim greatness.

Lao Tzu suggests that the better way is for us to approach the battle with calmness and composure. This increases our effectiveness in action and allows us to achieve victory with a minimum of fighting, or no fighting at all. (back to text)

2 To lower oneself is to be humble. Because skillful managers are not arrogant in assuming that they are more capable than everyone else, they are able to delegate authority and empower others to utilize their talents fully. (back to text)

3 Non-contention applies not only to military leadership but also to social interactions. It is a powerful way to manage our personal relationships with other people. If we follow this virtue at the workplace, we will be at peace with coworkers. We will not get angry with them or engage them in petty squabbles. This virtue leads not only to harmony but also to success. (back to text)

4 “Heaven” means nature, which is always non-contentious. In a thunderstorm we can sense tremendous power, but no hatred, anger, or arrogance. When the ancient sages noted this, they made non-contention their ultimate principle.(back to text)

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1 In this saying, the host is the aggressor, who, by advancing too eagerly into battle, is likely to become overextended and unbalanced. The guest is the cautious defender who retreats to allow the aggressor to stumble and thus defeat himself.

In the host-guest dynamic, the ancient Chinese see the host as the active party, who urges visitors to sit, drink, and eat. The guest is the passive one, who reacts to the actions initiated by the host. (back to text)

2 Lao Tzu compares life strategy to military strategy. In life, as in war, we should advance purposefully with a plan (march in formation), take definite actions (move our arms), come to grips with the problem (grapple with the enemy), and bring effective tools to bear (utilize weapons). In this comparison, underestimating one’s enemy is equivalent to underestimating one’s challenges in life. This often causes us to charge forth recklessly and get blindsided; we become the eager host and forget to be the cautious guest. (back to text)

3 Many people believe that overwhelming aggression wins respect. This belief forms the basis of the “shock and awe” military strategy. History shows that it simply does not work. Aggression succeeds only in planting the seeds of subsequent retaliation. It is wisdom and restraint that win respect and admiration, not force.

Judo and aikido are based on the concepts described in this chapter. A master of these arts may appear to be yielding and retreating, and yet is devastatingly effective in combat. Tao sages apply the same approach to life. Acting from compassion, they realize that it is more important to be kind than to be right. When you find yourself in an argument, why not yield and let the other party win? What do you really have to “lose”? (back to text)

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1 Although Lao Tzu’s teachings are simple and based on universal truths, we may fail to understand and practice them. This is because many of us are looking for something that is flashy and conspicuous; something that costs money and therefore must be valuable; and something that works magically without requiring disciplined effort. The Tao is none of these things, so