31
Now arms, however beautiful,
are instruments of evil omen,
hateful, it may be said, to all creatures. Therefore they who have
the Tao do not like
to employ them.
The superior man ordinarily considers the left hand the
most
honourable place, but in time of war the right hand. Those sharp
weapons are instruments of evil omen, and not
the instruments of the
superior man;--he uses them only on the compulsion of necessity.
Calm
and repose are
what he prizes; victory (by force of arms) is to him
undesirable. To consider this desirable would be to delight in the
slaughter
of men; and he who delights in the slaughter of men cannot
get his will in the kingdom.
On occasions of festivity to be on the left hand is the prized
position; on occasions of mourning, the right
hand. The second in
command of the army has his place on the left; the general commanding
in
chief has his on the right;--his place, that is, is assigned to him
as in the rites of mourning. He who has killed multitudes
of men
should weep for them with the bitterest grief; and the victor in
battle has his place (rightly) according to
those rites.
