Line by Line - Verse 69, Lines 1-2

A master of the art of war has said, 'I do not dare to be the host (to commence the war); I prefer to be the guest (to act on the defensive).
~ James Legge translation, from The Sacred Books of the East, 1891 ~

There is a saying among soldiers:
I dare not make the first move but would rather play the guest;
~ Gia-fu Feng and Jane English translation, published by Vintage Books, 1989 ~

In using the military, there is a saying:
I dare not be the host, but prefer to be the guest
~ Derek Lin translation, from Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained, published by SkyLight Paths, 2006 ~

There's an old military saying:
"I'd rather face an attack
than have to make one.
~ Ron Hogan rendition, from Beatrice.com, 2004 ~

When I choose to be the aggressor, it means that I will make the first move. By making the first move, I leave myself exposed to a counterattack. I set in motion a state of war.

By choosing not to be an aggressor, I often can avoid conflict. If someone else initiates it, I can choose not to engage them or, if I feel I must, I can utilize a counterattack.

To view the Index page for this series to see what you may have missed or would like to read again, go here.