Introduction

Most people treat this verse as a political strategy: lead without dominating, act humbly so people follow you, and win without fighting. That’s tactics. Weaving the Way is not about tactics.

Verse 68 picks up right where Verse 67 left off. The Three Treasures don’t just stabilize internal Integrity; they generate the capacity to move within the field of relationship.

Each line of this verse builds out what that looks like. Non-combative. Non-reactive. Attuned to where we disengage. Power doesn’t descend from above, or manipulate from below. It is a supportive receptivity that “becomes underneath.” These are technical descriptions of what Weaving the Way looks like.

A truly Fertile Heaven is not one of leaders and followers. It is life unfolding according to its own kosmic, natural order. 

Translation

Therefore,
The best knights,
  do not fight.

The best fear,
  does not react. 

The best sign of enmity,
  is non-engagement.

The best use of people,
  is becoming underneath them.

This is called:
  “Integrity of Non-Contention”

This is called:
  “Using People.”

This is called:
  “Fertile Heaven, Ancient’s Polaris”

Commentary

Therefore,

This verse continues with a relational “therefore,” signaling a continuation from the Three Treasures of verse 67. 

The best knights,
  do not fight.

‘Knight’ is a partial translation. The original term 士 (shì) referred to a military-literate class of retainers and advisors that were closer in function to samurai than to medieval European knights. They were families whose power emerged from martial competence and who served as the structural interface between war, governance, and ritual.

The direct statement that someone with military prowess doesn’t fight creates interesting tensions in our consciousness. Far from the machismo we typically associate with knights, this text tells us that the best use is the least amount of force required. They just don’t fight; they don’t struggle to impose their will on others.

Having trained in martial arts for over 30 years, I’ve recognized this development in me: the more capable I am of force, the less inclined I am to use it. The more fluent I become in the interpersonal strategies that can get me what I want, the more I respect others’ capacity to choose. The most formidable people I’ve met—whether warriors, teachers, or leaders—are consistently quiet, respectful, and unshakably peaceful.