50

"In the cycle of life and death, One third are the companions of life, One third are the companions of death, And one third again are people who, because of their preoccupation with staying alive, Move toward the execution ground with each and every step. Now why do they do this? Simply because of their preoccupation with staying alive. I have heard it said that those who are good at holding on to life Do not steer clear of rhinos and tigers when traveling in the hills, And do not hide behind armor and shields when entering the fray. For the rhino finds nowhere to gore, The tiger nothing to sink its claws into, And the soldier nothing into which he can lodge his blade. How can this be so? Because there is not a whiff of the execution ground about them."