When the world follows the Dao and faces no urgent troubles, it remains tranquil. Emergency courier‑horses are no longer needed. Hence the saying: “War‑horses are retired to fertilize the fields.”
When the world abandons the Dao, assaults and attacks never cease. Armies confront each other for years on end. Lice breed in armor and helmets, swallows and sparrows nest in military tents, and soldiers cannot return home. Hence the saying: “War‑horses are bred in the suburbs.”
Note
This passage uses contrasting scenes to deliver a clear political lesson: following the Dao brings peace and productive use of horses; abandoning the Dao triggers endless war and national suffering.
Late Warring‑States Legalist philosopher. This passage is excerpted from Illustrating Laozi (Yu Lao), his commentary on the Dao De Jing. He illustrates Daoist anti‑war proverbs with vivid wartime imagery.
Two Classic Daoist Political Maxims
“Retire war‑horses to fertilize fields” symbolizes peaceful, well‑governed times; “War‑horses bred in the suburbs” symbolizes endless warfare in chaotic eras.
Wartime Imagery
Lice‑infested armor and sparrows nesting in military tents are traditional Chinese symbols of prolonged, brutal warfare and national disorder.
Dao‑Legalist Peace Ideal
Good governance means minimal warfare; bad rule brings endless conflict, linking Daoist non‑aggression to Legalist stable statecraft.
天下有道無急患則曰靜，遽傳不用，故曰：「卻走馬以糞。」天下無道，攻擊不休，相守數年不已，甲冑生蟣蝨，鷰雀處帷幄，而兵不歸，故曰：「戎馬生於郊。」
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