Chapter 30 — Thrift in arms儉武

以道佐人主，尚不可以兵强於天下，況人主躬於道者乎。

Even one who helps a ruler with the Dao still cannot force all under heaven with arms. How much more so when the ruler himself walks in the Dao.

謂人主能以道自輔佐也。

It means that a ruler can help himself with the Dao.

以道自佐之主，不以兵革，順天任德，敵人自服。

A ruler who helps himself with the Dao does not use troops and weapons, but follows heaven and entrusts himself to virtue, so that his enemies submit of themselves.

為始者務欲立功生事，而有道者務欲還反無為，故云，其事好還也。

One who starts things works at setting up merit and stirring up affairs, while one who holds the Dao works at turning back to no acting. This is why it says that such deeds come back easily.

其舉事好還自責，不怨於人也。

He stirs up affairs, yet he likes to turn back and blame himself, and does not resent others.

言師凶害之物也。無有所濟，必有所傷，賊害人民，殘荒田畝，故曰荊棘生焉。

It means that an army is an ill and harmful thing. It brings nothing through and is sure to harm something, injuring the people and leaving the fields to lie waste. This is why it says that thorns and brambles grow.

農事廢，田不修。

Farming is abandoned and the fields are left untended.

天應之以惡氣，即害五穀，盡傷人也。

Heaven answers with ill vapors, which then harm the five grains and injure all the people.

果猶濟也。言善用師者，趣以濟難而已矣，不以兵力取强於天下也。

Guo (果) says the same as to bring through. It means that one who uses arms well goes only so far as to bring his troubles through, and does not force all under heaven with military strength.

善用兵者，當果敢而已，不美之。

One who uses arms well ought only to make a resolute end of it, and does not count it a fine thing.

不以果敢取強大之名也。

He does not seek, by his resolve, to win a name for being forceful and great.

吾不以師道為尚，不得已而用，何矜驕之有也。

I do not exalt the way of arms, and I use it only because I must. What preening and pride could there be?

當果敢謙卑，勿自矜大也。

He ought to be resolute and yet lower himself in modesty, and should not boast of himself and grow great.

當果敢推讓，勿自伐取其美也。

He ought to be resolute and yet push things away and yield them, and should not put himself forward to claim the beauty of it.

驕，欺也。果敢勿以驕欺人。

Jiao (驕) is deceiving. He is resolute, yet he does not deceive others out of arrogance.

言用兵雖趣功果濟難，然時故不得已，當復用者，但當以除暴亂，不遂用果以為强也。

It means that although using arms is a matter of going on to accomplish merit and bring troubles through, when the time is such that one must use them again, one stops at doing away with violence and disorder, and in the end does not make bringing things through into force.

當果敢至誠，不當逼迫不得已也。

He ought to be resolute and yet utterly true, and should not drive others until they have no choice.

果敢勿以為強兵、堅甲以欺凌人也。

He is resolute, yet he does not deceive and trample others with forceful troops and hard armor.

壯，武力暴興，喻以兵强於天下者也。飄風不終朝，驟雨不終日，故暴興必不道早已也。

Zhuang (壯) is military strength rising in violence, a figure for one who forces all under heaven with arms. A whirlwind does not last out the morning, and a downpour does not last out the day. This is why what rises in violence is surely not the Dao, and ends early.

草木壯極則枯落，人壯極則衰老也。言強者不可以久。

When grasses and trees grow strong to the full, they wither and fall; when a man grows strong to the full, he declines and grows old. It means that what is forceful cannot last long.

枯老者，坐不行道也。

Withering and growing old comes of sitting idle and not walking in the Dao.

不行道者早死。

One who does not walk in the Dao dies early.