Weapons are tools of violence;
all decent men detest them.
Weapons are tools of fear;
virtuous men will avoid them
except in the most dire of situations.
And even then,
they are to be used only with the utmost restraint.
Peace is the highest value.
If peace is destroyed, how can man be content?
Man's enemies are not demons,
they are human beings like ourselves.
Virtuous men do not wish harm on others,
nor rejoice in victory by violent means.
How can one rejoice in victory and delight
at the slaughter of our brothers and sisters?
Wise men enter a battle gravely,
with sorrow and with great compassion,
as if they were attending a funeral.