Chapter 3, Verses 1 and 2 - Sun Tzu

Sun Tzu said: In the practical art of war, the best thing of all is to take the enemy's country whole and intact; to shatter and destroy it is not so good. So, too, it is better to recapture an army entire than to destroy it, to capture a regiment, a detachment or a company entire than to destroy them. Hence to fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting.
~ from The Art of War, Giles translation ~

Go here to read the introductory post to the verses of The Art of War.