| Ah Heng's Daoism Page |
| Chapter Thirty One Military generals well-equipped with advanced weapons, are ill-omens to the country. As military constitutions become increasingly reified, the man of Dao will not linger long. The Gentleman will treasure the Leftist Orientation, The Militant will treasure the Rightist Orientation. The military constitutions are the ill-omen, it is not the apparatus used by the Gentleman, it is only used when there is no other choice, Diplomacy is the better way. To win a war is not to be glorified, to glorify one in war efforts, is to spread the gospel that killing is an 'enjoyment'. A person who merely loves to kill, with such a will he will never attain the world. The less dangerous path is the Leftist Orientation, the potential threat is the Rightist Orientation. Allow the ignorant Militant to stand on the Left, allow the enlightened General to stand on the Right. Then the enlightened General knows how to manage his troops: when the soldiers are killing, one should weep at the carnage, if the war is won, one should treat it as though it is a funeral. |
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| (Heng: It seems that not many translators know how to translate this Chapter. It is about using the right person for the right job. The ignorant Militant should NOT be installed in high ranking positions, but to hold less important posts that are more 'gentlemanly' under correct directives. The enlightened General who takes the Rightist Orientation (use of force), must understand that war should be used if diplomacy has failed and left with no other choices (see Sun Tsu's Art of War). War is always a great tragedy nevertheless of any justifications. Hence every war and its victory should be treated like a funeral.) |
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