He who knows how to guide a ruler in the path of Tao
Does not try to override the world with force of arms.
It is in the nature of a military weapon to turn
against its wielder.
Wherever armies are stationed, thorny bushes grow.
After a great war, bad years invariably follow.
What you want is to protect efficiently your own
state, but not to aim at self-aggrandisement.
After you have attained your purpose,
You must not parade your success,
You must not boast of your ability,
You must not feel proud,
You must rather regret that you had not been able to
prevent the war.
You must never think of conquering others by force.
For to be over-developed is to hasten decay,
And this against Tao,
And what is against Tao will soon cease to be.
When we have a clear idea of what we wish to happen, but doubt that it
will happen, then violence is our solution.
Violence is always the absence of trust, and the fear that the Tao will
not deliver what we hope for. If we did
not doubt, we would not use violence – for even the most rampant warmonger does
not love death and destruction for its own sake. Not at peace with the natural unfolding of
circumstances, the warmonger must attempt to gain peace through violence…but
the Tao will not be beaten! After the
war, the original plan will be resumed and if that plan was always against the
warmonger’s wishes then, for the sake of the plan, the warmonger’s own weapons
muct backfire against him.
Wherever armies are stationed, thorny bushes grow.
After a great war, bad years invariably follow.
Bad for the vanquished, but bad too for the victor. War is an unnatural disturbance – the result
of one party at least refusing to accept the natural. War ensues when the natural is opposed and
we take matters into our own hands and according to our own agenda. It is inconceivable that the harvests will be
bountiful and the milk and honey flowing after such a vulgar interruption. For when war is chosen, and armies are
stationed, then what can ensue but the thorny bushes that bristle like the
sabres. And after the bloodshed, and the
strong, young men killed, and the women bereft and listless, how can the thorny
bushes be cleared and the grain fields planted?
Only with remorse shall we re-examine our actions and return to the Way.
After you have attained your purpose,
You must not parade your success,
You must not boast of your ability,
You must not feel proud,
You must rather regret that you had not been able to
prevent the war.
Only those who wage war unjustly need to feel proud about victory; for
deep down they are the ones who need to convince themselves. For those who sought only to defend
themselves, and were successful, there is nothing else but to pick up life
where it had been left off. And perhaps
more could have been done? And perhaps the other side’s aggression was merely
apparent? Did we not goad them into it?
For to be over-developed is to hasten decay,
And this against Tao,
And what is against Tao will soon cease to be.
The signs of decay had already set in.
It was the natural decay that the warmonger sought to avoid by declaring
war. The decay was the situation not
accepted with tranquillity. But the Tao
will not be cheated, and whatever decay was due will be delivered whether the
war is won or lost.
No comments:
Post a Comment