Chapter 69 — The dark use玄用

彼遂不止。

The other side does not stop in the end.

陳用兵之道。老子疾時用兵，故託己設其義也。

This sets out the way of using troops. Laozi (老子) hated the use of troops in his time, and so put it in terms of himself to establish his meaning.

主，先也。不敢先舉兵。

The host is the one who goes first. He does not dare to raise troops first.

客者，和而不倡。用兵當承天而後動。

The guest joins in but does not step out first. In using troops one should move only after upholding heaven.

侵人境界，利人財寶，為進；閉門守城，為退。

To invade another's borders and covet another's goods is advancing; to shut the gates and guard the walls is retreating.

彼遂不止，為天下賊，雖行誅之，不行執也。

If the other side does not stop in the end and becomes the robber of all under heaven, he goes and cuts them down, but does not go and seize them.

行，謂行陳也，言以謙退哀慈，不敢為物先，用戰猶行無行，攘無臂，執無兵，扔無敵也，言無有與之抗也。

Xing (行) refers to drawing up the battle array. He is humble and withdraws, he pities, and he does not dare to go before things; so this says that he uses war, yet it is like marching without marching, baring the arm without an arm, holding a weapon without a weapon, and pulling in without an enemy. It says that there is no one to stand against him.

雖欲大怒，若無臂可攘也。

Though he would be greatly angry, it is as though he had no arm to bare.

雖欲仍引之，若無敵可仍也。

Though he would pull them in, it is as though there were no enemy to pull in.

言吾哀慈謙退，非欲以取强，無敵於天下也。不得已而卒至於無敵，斯乃吾之所以為大禍也。寶，三寶也，故曰，幾亡吾寶。

This says that my pitying and my humble withdrawing are not a wish to take up hardness and have no one under heaven stand against me. If, having no choice, I come at last to the point where no one stands against me, this is just what becomes a great disaster for me. The treasures are the three treasures. Therefore it says that I come near to losing my treasures.

雖欲執持之，若無兵刃可持用也。何者？傷彼之民罹罪於天，遭不道之君，愍忍喪之痛也。

Though he would hold a weapon, it is as though there were no blade to hold and use. Why? The people on the other side have incurred guilt before heaven and have met a ruler without the Dao, and so he pities the pain of their loss and bears it.

夫禍亂之害，莫大於欺輕敵家，侵取不休，輕戰貪財也。

Of the harm of calamity and disorder, nothing is greater than deceiving and making light of the enemy, invading and taking without rest, and making light of battle out of greed for goods.

幾，近也。寶，身也。欺輕敵者，近喪身也。

Near to (幾) is being close, and the treasure is the body. One who deceives and makes light of the enemy is close to losing his body.

抗，舉也；加，當也。哀者，必相惜而不趣利避害，故必勝。

Kang (抗) means to raise, and jia (加) means to face. One who grieves is sure to hold the others dear, and does not run after gain or shun harm, and so he is sure to win.

兩敵戰也。

It is two enemies in battle.

哀者慈仁，士卒不遠於死。

One who grieves is loving and benevolent, and so his soldiers do not keep far from death.