Tao Te Ching 76

Man at his birth is supple and weak; at his death, firm and strong.

So it is with all things. Trees and plants, in their early growth, are soft and brittle; at their death, dry and withered.

Thus it is that firmness and strength are the concomitants of death; softness and weakness, the concomitants of life.

Hence he who relies on the strength of his forces does not conquer; and a tree which is strong will fill the outstretched arms, and thereby invites the feller.

Therefore the place of what is firm and strong is below, and that of what is soft and weak is above.