Translation

Those who use weapons have a saying,
We dare not act as hosts but act as visitors.
We dare not advance an inch but withdraw a foot.
This is called going without going.
Grabbing without an arm.
Casting aside without opposing.
Taking charge without weapons.
Of misfortunes, none is greater than rashly opposing.
Rashly opposing nearly lost me treasure.
Therefore contending militantly, add sorrow to victory.

use (apply; <formal> hence) weapons (private; army) have (exist) speech (word; say; talk)

I (we) no (not) bold (dare; be certain) do (act; act as; serve as; be; mean; support) host (owner) <conj.>and / but (not) do (act; act as; serve as; be; mean; support) visitor (traveler; customer).

no (not) bold (dare; be certain) advance (enter; receive; eat; take) an inch (3 cm, very short; small) <conj.>and / but (not) back (retreat; cause to move back; remove) a foot (33 cm., (foot, ruler).

(shì_<grm> is <formal> this; that) say (call; name; meaning; sense) go (travel, do, be current) nothing (without; not) go (travel, do, be current).

reject (resist; seize; grab; push up one’s sleeves) nothing (without; not) arm (upper arm).

throw (toss; cast; throw away; cast aside) nothing (without; not) enemy (oppose, match, equal).

hold (manage; stick to, carry out; observe) nothing (without; not) weapons (private; army).

misfortunes (disaster; ruin) no one (nothing) big (large; great; major) at (in) light (gently, rashly) enemy (oppose, match, equal).

light (gently, rashly) enemy (oppose, match, equal) a small table (nearly, almost_how many; some) obsequies (funeral_lose) I (we) treasure.

reason (cause; on purpose; hence) resist (contend with, be a match for) weapons (private; army) each other (mutually assist) add (plus, increase, put in) sorrow)? victory (success; surpass; be superior to) already (indeed; really; how).

Original

用兵有言:
吾不敢为主而为客。
不敢进寸而退尺。
是谓
行无行。
攘无臂。
扔无敌。
执无兵。
祸莫大于轻敌。
轻敌几丧吾宝。
故抗兵相加
哀者胜矣。

Commentary, May 2011

A treasured lesson I learned from years of global hitch hiking was the benefit of daring not to play the host but play the guest, (i.e., not taking the initiative). Granted the wisdom of dare not act as host came gradually. Circumstances gave me no choice but to act as visitor. Although, I fought this at first for I was a 110% rash, impatient and action oriented American lad. Several times rashly opposing nearly lost me treasure (i.e., life, body parts). Fortunately these circumstances wore me down enough for wisdom to slowly seep in.

The act as host approach to life shows up in various ways, most noticeably as impulsive buying, eating, driving, working, etc. In every case there is an object ahead, either literally or in the mind’s eye, to be gained, conquered, solved, or just dealt with. In our pre-civilized wild state this innate drive to ‘just do it’ would be counter-balanced by the natural lack of opportunity to go hog wild (i.e., buy, eat, drive, work, etc., as much as we desired). When hungry we’d simply have to hunt or gather up something to eat. Such ruthless, wild simplicity fosters sanity in all living things. Willfully innovating while ignorant of this constant interferes with this natural balance. Given all this, it is not surprising how progress often leads to difficulty.

Another way of thinking of the going without going, grabbing without an arm, and such, is to imagine dealing with ‘things behind’, rather than ‘things ahead’. Our thinking mind allows us to jump forward out of this moment into the imagined one just ahead. Balance lies behind us, and so, turning back is how we arrive. The special nature of daring not to advance an inch is also addressed as: He who is fearless in being bold will meet with his death; He who is fearless in being timid will stay alive. Of the two, one leads to good, the other to harm.

To me, this parallels Buddha’s last words before he died, “all things created pass away; strive on”. Whatever is, eventually isn’t, and so without an arm corresponds to “all things pass away”. Nevertheless, “strive on”; keep on grabbing. Thinking allows us to approach life excessively goal oriented rather than process oriented. We look to the future objectives rather than watch the moment to moment where the actual “strive on” and grabbing take place. On balance, life is on the side of “striving” and grabbing at the most basic level—breathing, heart beating, with senses aware and grabbing the world around us. Daring not to advance an inch, but withdraw a foot pulls the mind back into the moment. This approach is also called: Returning to one’s roots is known as stillness, and Block the openings, shut the doors.

This is known as marching forward when there is no road, as D.C. Lau puts it, describes the essence of Hatha Yoga. In many postures, for example, you reach up as though you are touching the sky, even though touching the sky is impossible. You march forward when there is no road, you strive on even though all things pass away. This emphasizes the integrity of your approach to life, rather than on any particular accomplishment (which in the case of touching the sky is impossible from the outset). I suppose you could call this ‘thinking and acting outside the box’.

The Bhagavad Gita expresses this marching forward when there is no road approach to life a little more earthy:

2:47 Set thy heart upon thy work, but never on its reward. Work not for a reward: but never cease to do thy work.

5:12 This man of harmony surrenders the reward of his work and thus attains final peace: the man of disharmony, urged by desire, is attached to his reward and remains in bondage.

18:12 When work is done for a reward, the work brings pleasure, or pain, or both, in its time; but when a man does work in Eternity, then Eternity is his reward.