Tao Te Ching

Chapter 32
[Original text]

A good soldier [1] is an ominous weapon, something or evil, so those who have the way should not go [2].

The left is more valuable when a gentleman lives [3], and the right is more expensive when he uses soldiers.A soldier is an ominous weapon, not a gentleman's weapon, use it as a last resort, and calmness is the best.Victory is not beauty, but beauty is the joy of killing people.Those who kill people in Fule cannot achieve their ambitions in the world.

Good things go to the left, bad things go to the right.The partial general is on the left, the top general is on the right, and it is said that it will be treated as a funeral.Those who kill people weep with mourning; victories are punished with funeral ceremonies.

【Note】

[1] Bing: weapon, weapon.Also refers to force.

[2] place: close to, accept.

[3] Value the left: the ancients regarded the left as yang and the right as yin, yang governs life and yin governs killing.Standing on the left, on the right, on the left, and on the right are the etiquette of the ancients.

【Analysis】

Weapons are not auspicious tools, even ghosts and gods will hate them, so people with "Tao" will not approach or even use them.

A gentleman usually regards the left as the most important thing, while those who use soldiers value the right. That is to say, those who have "Tao" advocate "life", while those who use soldiers advocate "killing".Weapons are inauspicious tools, not tools used by gentlemen. If you need to use them, you must use them as a last resort;When a gentleman uses weapons, even if he wins, he will not praise victory; if he is a person who praises victory, he is a person who likes to kill.It is impossible for those who like to kill people to realize their desire to rule.

For auspicious things, the left is the top, while for the unlucky things, the right is the top.The general is on the left, and the general is on the right, which shows that marching and fighting are carried out with funeral ceremonies.When too many people have been killed, weep mournfully in honor of the dead; when a battle is won, mourn like a funeral.

Weapons are lethal weapons, and war brings disasters. Therefore, people who practice the "Tao" should be calm and quiet. Even if they take up weapons for self-defense, it is a last resort.And once troops are sent to fight, everything is sad, so the result of the war should be treated in the form of a funeral.

【Explanation by Famous Artists】

Mr. He Shang:
Good, decoration also.Xiang, good also.Soldiers, frightened spirits, turbid and harmonious qi, are not good weapons, and should not be modified.The movement of soldiers will cause harm, so there is nothing that is not evil in all things.A man of righteousness does not live in his own country.

Expensive and weak.You are strong and strong, the way of war is contrary to the way of a gentleman, and what is noble is different.The soldiers and revolutionaries are not good weapons, and they are not valuable weapons for gentlemen.It is said that in the event of decline, rebellion and chaos, if you want to add to the people, you will use it to defend yourself.Don't be greedy for land, not good for people and wealth.Even if you win, you don't think it's good.The conqueror is the one who kills for joy.Those who are happy to kill for the sake of being a ruler must not make their ambitions for the world. To be a ruler must control human life and punish them recklessly.

On the left, the birth position is also.Vagina kills.The general is humble and occupies the Yang position, because he does not specialize in killing.The general is respectful and occupies the yin position, and he is dedicated to killing.The general is on the right, the funeral is on the right, and the dead are in Guiyin.Hurt oneself and lose morality, you can't use morality to transform people, but harm innocent people.When the ancients were victorious, the generals took the position of the head of the mourning ceremony, and wept in plain clothes. Mingjun respected virtue and despised soldiers, and punished him as a last resort, which was inauspicious and unhappy.Knowing that the future generations will use their troops endlessly, I am saddened.

(End of this chapter)