Tao Te Ching, Ch 69

The Door of all Wonders:

 The Commentary on the Tao Te Ching

by Nirguna, Chor-kok Lam 

Chapter 69

In using military force, there is a saying,

“I dare not be the host but be the guest.

I dare not advance an inch but retreat a foot.”

This is called marching in formation without formation,

raising arms without arms, holding weapons without weapons,

grappling enemies without enemies.

There is no greater disaster than to under-estimate the enemy.

Under-estimating the enemy almost makes me lose my treasures.

So, when the two evenly matched armies meet,

the side that is sorrow-stricken that wins.

Review

 

The Tao Te Ching tells us the use of military force which is not only applied in actual warfare but also our daily life confronting unfriendly situations with a lot of enemies around us. Ideally people should be kind and friendly to each other as it is the virtue the Truth tells us to do so. However, people in our world mostly have turned away from the Truth. We should be realistic to deal with unpleasant situations in accordance with the Truth. Some people naturally are friendly to us, while some people may not. Conflicts and disharmonies among people are easily seen in our life in different situations. Here Lao Tzu tells us the principle of using military force to fight against the enemies:

 

In using military force, there is a saying,

“I dare not be the host but be the guest.

I dare not advance an inch but retreat a foot.”

 

Here Lao Tzu tells us not to take an active role to confront the enemies by retaliated actions. We should not bring disharmony and hatred to anyone first in whatever situation; hence Lao Tzu says we should be the guest rather than the host in warfare. We should not take the initiative to act against people. We should never be unrighteous to people. Unless we have been harmed by unrighteous act, then we should act to protect ourselves by righteousness and wisdom.

 

          In the Quran, Allah also teaches Prophet Muhammad the same principle dealing with evil people who always said abusive words to him:

 

“Bear patiently with what they say and ignore them politely.” (Quran 73:10)

 

We should first give way to people to enhance harmonious relation rather than being arrogant and aggressive to take away anything from anyone. If both parties can give way to each other, there will not be any antagonism among them. Therefore, the principle of following the Truth is to “retreat a foot” and “dare not advance an inch”.

 

We should retreat a foot, so that we can escape from dangerous situation rather than approaching further to endanger our life. We should ensure our safety first in any confrontation with people. The best way is to nullify the warfare rather than to aggravate the confrontation. To make your enemies fail to become your enemies is the best way. To make the antagonism become impossible among people is the best way of using force, therefore, Lao Tzu says:

 

“This is called marching in formation without formation,

raising arms without arms, holding weapons without weapons,

grappling enemies without enemies.”

 

During warfare, the formation of army is the strategy for victory. The two opposing parties have their formations of army to fight against each other. The best is to make warfare impossible in the way that we can defeat the enemies by making them fail to fight. This is the wisdom in warfare not merely by physical strength. The mental power is more important to outwit the enemies. This mental power is the intelligence in using military force. Intelligence is the key point for our success to retain the situation. However, only intelligence is not enough. We must be very careful and alert all the time. People who abide in the Truth are very alert and careful as Lao Tzu has described much:

 

“They are careful as if fording a river in winter.

They are alert as if in fear of the attack from four neighbours.

They are solemn like a guest.”

(Chapter 15)

 

They will never be heedless to their situations. To be heedless makes people blind to the reality, what is happening, therefore, Lao Tzu tells us not to under-estimate our enemies even they seem weaker than us because we may be blind to the facts we do not know, thus Lao Tzu says:

 

“There is no greater disaster than to under-estimate the enemy.

Under-estimating the enemy almost makes me lose my treasures.”

 

There are three treasures of Lao Tzu mentioned in Chapter 67, i.e. “compassion”, “frugality” and “not daring to be ahead in the world” (humility). Our enemies can refer to anyone or anything that can harm us. We should try to identify the enemies and overcome them. The enemies may take away our treasures before they are going to fight against us, therefore, we should safeguard our treasures, i.e., our virtues, all the time even though we seem very strong and victorious before the confrontation. If we lose our treasures, our compassion, frugality and humility, there will be a great disaster for us because we will act without the Truth. Without the Truth, we will be destroyed in due course. We are surely the loser because only the Truth can prevail. If we feel very delightful to harm people even though they are our enemies, we are not having the Truth. We become violent to people and may act over the limits we do not know when to stop the force, thus Lao Tzu has told us:

 

““The violent will not come to a good end.

I shall take this as the principal of all teachings.”

(Chapter 42)

 

To fight against people is only permissible when there is no other better way to end up persecutions. With the Truth, Lao Tzu tells us we should feel sad to fight against our enemies even though we are going to win the battle. In this way, we will not lose our treasures of compassion, frugality and humility. We will try to end up the war as soon as possible rather than to prolong the war to cause more causality and hatred because we feel sad to harm anyone and anything. We just act in accordance with the Truth; therefore, Lao Tzu tells us with the ending verse:

 

“So, when the two evenly matched armies meet,

the side that is sorrow-stricken that wins.”