The Tao Te Ching
… 31. A Weapon is a Tool of Death
A weapon is a tool of death.
A tool of death is anti-Tao.
A man of the Way, leading,
will reject tools of death
if he has a choice.
There is a formal attitude
the left of which is life
the right of which is death.
To the left is peace & creation;
violence & destruction
occupy the right.
There is no beauty in death,
this the wise man understands.
If a man finds beauty in death
his self is compromised to its core.
He has lost the Way.
Should a wise man be compelled to violence
he will not rejoice. Victory is not
a time for joy. Victory is a funeral
wherein a multitude is mourned.
.
from The Tao Te Ching of Lao Tzu
An Adaptation by R. Bob