English
31
"FINE weapons of war augur evil. Even things seem to hate them. Therefore, a man of Tao does not set his heart upon them. In ordinary life, a gentleman regards the left side as the place of honour: In war, the right side is the place of honour. As weapons are instruments of evil, They are not properly a gentleman's instruments; Only on necessity will he resort to them. For peace and quiet are dearest to his heart, And to him even a victory is no cause for rejoicing. To rejoice over a victory is to rejoice over the slaughter of men! Hence a man who rejoices over the slaughter of men cannot expect to thrive in the world of men. On happy occasions the left side is preferred: On sad occasions the right side. In the army, the Lieutenant Commander stands on the left, While the Commander-in-Chief stands on the right. This means that war is treated on a par with a funeral service. Because many people have been killed, it is only right that survivors should mourn for them. Hence, even a victory is a funeral."
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Author
Lao TzuBook
Tao Te Ching
Version: 5