Tao Te Ching, by Lau-Tzu (verses 31 - 40)

Written by: Lau-Tzu
Published on: February 1, 2012
Category: Tao Te Ching

Translated by J. H. McDonald (1996)

31

Weapons are the bearers of bad news;
all people should detest them.

The wise man values the left side,
and in time of war he values the right.
Weapons are meant for destruction,
and thus are avoided by the wise.
Only as a last resort
will a wise person use a deadly weapon.