Chapter 31 tell wi sey waipn and war instrument nuh good. Dem bring sorrow and nuh fit fi who waan live r明tful. Wen battle mus come, wi mek wi handle am wid sorrow and respect, nuh wid joy. Even in victory, wi mus remember sey life been lost.
Key Concepts
兵
不祥
恬淡
丧礼
Cite This Chapter
Laozi, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 31, "Batta Noh Mek Fi Good", laotzu.ai: https://www.laotzu.ai/jam/chapters/31/
Classical Chinese, translation, and AI reflection are shown separately; cite this chapter URL for references.
Waipn invoke bad mind, yah suoh. All a di creature dem hate it, and di one weh know di Way avoid it. A r明tful human value di left side when im at peace, but when war break out, im value di right. Waipn nuh good ting—noh fit fi di r明tful human pan dem han. Is only when nuh choz left yahsuo mek wi mek use am. Wi mek wi stay calm and cool 'bout it. Even if wi win, wi nuh boast 'bout it, kaaz dem weh boast 'bout victory, dem get joy fram muu children inna war. And a who dem? Dem weh get pleasure fram killin, dem cyan neva get di respect of all people weh a live pan di ert. Wha good ting cyan come to who so? When good ting inna life, wi honour di left side. When bad ting come, wi honour di right. Di lower general stan pon di left, but di chief general stan pon di right—this mek sense like a funeral. When people get kilt inna war, wi mek wi mourn and weep fi dem. And when wi win di fight, wi mek wi treat am like a funeral.
Diip Reflekshan
Wah dis chaptа bout?
Chapter 31 tell wi sey waipn and war instrument nuh good. Dem bring sorrow and nuh fit fi who waan live r明tful. Wen battle mus come, wi mek wi handle am wid sorrow and respect, nuh wid joy. Even in victory, wi mus remember sey life been lost.
How it relate to me?
Mi see sey violence nuh neva di answer, even though sometimes it feel like di only choz. Inna mi own life, mi mek wi choose peace firt, and wen conflict mus come, mek wi face am wid humility nather dan arrogance.
Wah mi fi do todeh?
Today, if argument rait mi up, mi waak away first and cool down. Mi mus try fi handle di situation wid calm head, nuh wid anger. If mi mus speak, mek it be wid intention fi resolve, nuh fi win.
Now arms, however beautiful, are instruments of evil omen, hateful, it may be said, to all creatures. Therefore they who have the Tao do not like to employ them. The superior man ordinarily considers the left hand the most honourable place, but in time of war the right hand.
AI Modern
Waipn invoke bad mind, yah suoh. All a di creature dem hate it, and di one weh know di Way avoid it. A r明tful human value di left side when im at peace, but when war break out, im value di right. Waipn nuh good ting—noh fit fi di r明tful human pan dem han. Is only when nuh choz left yahsuo mek wi mek use am. Wi mek wi stay calm and cool 'bout it. Even if wi win, wi nuh boast 'bout it, kaaz dem weh boast 'bout victory, dem get joy fram muu children inna war. And a who dem? Dem weh get pleasure fram killin, dem cyan neva get di respect of all people weh a live pan di ert. Wha good ting cyan come to who so? When good ting inna life, wi honour di left side. When bad ting come, wi honour di right. Di lower general stan pon di left, but di chief general stan pon di right—this mek sense like a funeral. When people get kilt inna war, wi mek wi mourn and weep fi dem. And when wi win di fight, wi mek wi treat am like a funeral.
Mi Reflection
Wah dis chapter mek yuh feel? Wah you ago do wid it?
