Follow us on Facebook to receive important updates Follow us on Twitter to receive important updates Follow us on sina.com's microblogging site to receive important updates Follow us on Douban to receive important updates
Chinese Text Project
Simplified Chinese version
Show translation:[None] [English]
Show statistics Edit searchSearch details:
Scope: Dao De Jing Request type: Paragraph
Condition 1: Contains text "君子居則貴左用兵則貴右" Matched:1.
Total 1 paragraphs. Page 1 of 1.

道德经 - Dao De Jing

[Warring States (475 BC - 221 BC)] English translation: James Legge [?]
Books referencing 《道德经》 Library Resources
Source
Related resources
[Also known as: 《老子》, "Tao Te Ching", "Laozi"]

31 道德经:
夫佳兵者,不祥之器,物或恶之,故有道者不处。君子居则贵左,用兵则贵右。兵者不祥之器,非君子之器,不得已而用之,恬淡为上。胜而不美,而美之者,是乐杀人。夫乐杀人者,则不可以得志于天下矣。吉事尚左,凶事尚右。偏将军居左,上将军居右,言以丧礼处之。杀人之衆,以哀悲泣之,战胜以丧礼处之。
Dao De Jing:
(Stilling war)
Now arms, however beautiful, are instruments of evil omen, hateful, it may be said, to all creatures. Therefore they who have the Dao 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.

Total 1 paragraphs. Page 1 of 1.