According to Osho, when a hard-way seeker—trained in will, discipline, and “diamond” hardness—meets a Taoist master, the soft defeats the hard. Like water wearing down rock, the master’s yielding, feminine “watercourse way” quietly dissolves the seeker’s rigidity and ego. Initial resistance may seem strong, but ultimately surrender happens; the will’s last step is to let go, and the Taoist wins without fighting.
The tough, willful person eventually softens and gives in—the Taoist’s gentle way melts them like water eroding rock.