30

"Those who use way-making (dao) to minister to the ruler Do not seek to make him the strongest in the world by force of arms. Such a business would likely come back to haunt them. Wherever armies bivouac Brambles and thistles will grow. [In the wake of great armies Lean years are sure to follow.] Able commanders look only to achieve the right results Without seeing victory as a source of empowerment. They get their results without arrogance, They get their results without becoming self-important, They get their results without bragging about them, They get these results and accommodate them only as a last resort. This is called getting the right results without forcing them, And creates a situation that is likely to endure. For something to be old while in its prime Is called a departure from the way of things. And whatever departs from the way of things will come to an untimely end."