From the Tao Te Ching

[Droopy]

The best warrior is never aggressive.
The best fighter is never angry.
The best tactician does not engage the enemy.
The best utilizer of people's talents places himself below them.
This is called the virtue of non-contention.
It is called the ability to engage people's talents.
It is called the ultimate in merging with Heaven. (chapter 68)

Translator's interpretation:

The purpose of being a warrior, fighter, or tactician is to survive longer than one's enemy. The aim of all political arts is the preservation of life. Even power is simply a means to this end, without which nothing would matter. The way to survive is not to seek war or provoke others, but to be peaceful and humble. In this way, one avoids engaging in a struggle that will eventually lead to death. A skillful warrior or politician who tries to rule over others with power and glory only invites the envy of others, whose hatred provides a motivation for the development of a greater power. The cycle of domination and killing is endless, unless we develop the wisdom to not begin it.

[Crazy Guggenheim]

1. Yeah but when do you kick ass??

:popcorn: :hide:

[Droopy]

2. I guess when you are attacked

Only in self defense.

But I might be wrong about that according to Taoist philosophy. I haven't read a whole lot of it yet. But I can't imagine that Lao Tzu would have advocated letting yourself be destroyed.

[Crazy Guggenheim]

3. That's the answer to my question. I think many people confuse

the two.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

4. You let your aggressor kick his own backside

If you've done akido or the like, you know that the secret is to channel the agressive energy of your attacker and use it against him, while you remain calm.

[Crazy Guggenheim]

5. I've done it.

[sam sarrha]

6. Tao Te Ching was an attempt to moderate 100's yrs of ART of WAR

china had been thrown into chaos by SunTzu's Art of War, Confucious and Lao Tzu were trying to reinstate Logic and reason back into colective thinking... Tao te Ching was written in 350 bca

[Droopy]

7. That passage seems very relevant

to what is going on in today's world, though.

[Briarius]

8. from my sig

Ch 31
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 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.
Weapons of war are instruments of fear,
and are not favoured by the wise,
who use them only when there is no choice,
for peace and stillness are dear to their hearts,
and victory causes them no rejoicing.
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.

[Droopy]

9. That's even more poignant than the quote I chose

I've just started reading the Tao Te Ching, but it looks as if many people would benefit from those ancient verses.