Gentleness is sure to be victorious even in battle, and firmly to maintain its ground. Heaven will save its possessor, by his (very) gentleness protecting him.
~ James Legge translation, from The Sacred Books of the East, 1891 ~
Mercy brings victory in battle and strength in defense.
It is the means by which heaven saves and guards.
~ Gia-fu Feng and Jane English translation, published by Vintage Books, 1989 ~
If one fights with compassion, then victory
With defense, then security
Heaven shall save them
And with compassion guard them
~ Derek Lin translation, from Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained, published by SkyLight Paths, 2006 ~
If you want to get ahead,
show people compassion.
When other people attack you,
defend yourself with compassion.
It's the most powerful force in the universe.
~ Ron Hogan rendition, from Beatrice.com, 2004 ~
To close out this verse, let's turn to
Red Pine. He quotes Wu Ch'eng as stating,
Compassion is the chief of the three treasures. The last section only mentions compassion because it includes the other two. All people love a compassionate person as they do their own parents. How could anyone oppose their parents? Hence he who attacks or defends with compassion meets no opposition.
To view the Index page for this series to see what you may have missed or would like to read again, go here.
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