English: peaceful here the stream between Oakhilland Nettlebridge (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Today, we will explore the fifth Taoist observation of the way of the Ancient. Please look below for the other articles in the series.
There is no greater illusion than fear,
no greater wrong than to prepare to defend yourself,
no greater misfortune than having an enemy.Whoever can see through all fear
will always be safe.
The Ancients were people of peace. Yet, they carried within themselves the formidable qualities of a warrior.
Weapons of war are instruments of fear,
and are abhorred by those who follow the Tao.
The leader who follows the natural way
does not abide them.
The Ancients abhorred weapons. They detested warfare. The great warriors, according to them, are the ones who have avoided conflict and have never had to use violence. As warriors, they have learned the art of subduing their adversary without humiliation.
The warrior king leans to his right,
from whence there comes his generals’ advice,
but the peaceful king looks to his left,
where sits his counsellor of peace.
When he looks to his left, it is a time of peace,
and when to the right, a time for sorrow.
To the Ancients, there was never a happy or an entitled reason to go to war. When they engaged in war, it was a reflection that they failed in their duties harmonize the conflict. The act of war is considered by them to be a sorrowful act for both sides.
The Ancients had the courage of individuals who had conquered themselves. They did not cling to life, nor were they driven by their own passions. They were unintimidated by death. As such, they were able to face impossible odds and the worst adversaries with grace and courage.
With natural justice, people must be ruled,
and if war be waged, strategy and tactics used.
To master one’s self,
one must act without cunning.The greater the number of laws and restrictions,
the poorer the people who inhabit the land.
The sharper the weapons of battle and war,
the greater the troubles besetting the land.
The greater the cunning with which people are ruled,
the stranger the things which occur in the land.
The harder the rules and regulations,
the greater the number of those who will steal.
The Ancients appreciated natural and uncontrived simplicity. They carried that attitude with them in all aspects of their lives. Those who followed the way of the Ancients, in the end, found a simpler, natural and harmonious existence. To be battle ready was not a normal or natural state of being for the Ancients. It told of great disharmony in the land and the growing fear of the populace.
To rejoice in victory is to delight in killing;
to delight in killing is to have no self-being.The conduct of war is that of a funeral;
when people are killed, it is a time of mourning.
This is why even victorious battle
should be observed without rejoicing.
As always, the Ancients led by example without much fanfare. Their pathways to reform were simple, natural and uncontrived. However, they were not pacifists. When left with no other option, they fought skillfully and dispassionately, but they did not rejoice in victory, for they saw victory parades as the gory exultation of ignorant butchers. Nor did they fear defeat: it did not carry the sting of humiliation to individuals who had very little ego to hurt.
Related articles
- Observations of Modern Day Ancients: So What Is An Ancient Anyways? (meenarose.com)
- Observations of Modern Day Ancients: A Harmony of Paradoxes(meenarose.com)
- Observations of Modern Day Ancients: Close Harmony With Nature (meenarose.com)
- Observations of Modern Day Ancients: Light Traveler (meenarose.com)
- Observations of Modern Day Ancients: Equanimity (meenarose.com)
