The Art Of War
Raw highlights
everything necessary to respond to conflict wisely, thoroughly, and victoriously is right before us at all times.
seeing the patterns they form
aggression and response in kind can lead only to destruction, we must learn to work with conflict in a more profound and effective way
rather than getting mired in conflict, we can create momentum and bring about the tipping point to achieve success.
It shows a way of working with conflict that is sane, kindly and effective
Though the Sun Tzu offers models of behavior, it does not suggest we copy them. Instead, it invites us to enter its teachings fully. When we do so, we find we come naturally to the same insights that are contained within its text
The Sun Tzu begins with the understanding that conflict is an integral part of human life
More basic than any particular practice, though, is the openness of mind to which it leads. This openness can be present in all our activities
Though when taken together his achievements may seem extraordinary, every one of his qualities is already present in each of us
The more he relaxes, the greater the power associated with him
He holds to no fixed position or identity. Thus his wisdom emerges in the moment, on the spot. The Sun Tzu repeatedly stresses that such wisdom is the root of skillful action
Skillful action emerges only from knowledge of all the details that go to make up the situation
Even previously successful models cannot simply be laid over the unique realities of our present situation
the view of “taking whole.” Taking whole means conquering the enemy in a way that keeps as much intact as possible—both our own resources and those of our opponent
True victory is victory over aggression, a victory that respects the enemy’s basic humanity and thus renders further conflict unnecessary
It is both powerful and attractive because it includes them in a way they recognize, which is accommodating, beyond petty concerns, and respecting of their own intelligence and perspective
preserve the possibilities—to keep the options open and include the welfare of the other
knowledge arises in the present moment. Any form could be helpful—but its application depends on insight into one’s present circumstances, into the nowness of the situation
it teaches by analogy and metaphor. We cannot simply pluck its insights and drop them into our already existing frameworks. We must develop new ways to use our minds.
Its simplicity encourages a reader to approach the book without undue reliance on concept, allowing its sounds, patterns and meaning to seep into the mind
Like certain other classics of China—the LaoTzu and I Ching come to mind—it is often pithy, epigrammatic and pregnant with implications, yet somewhat obscure on first or second reading
Our Web site, www.victoryoverwar.com, provides this opportunity
The military is a Tao of deception— Thus when able, manifest inability. When active, manifest inactivity. When near, manifest as far. When far, manifest as near. Thus when he seeks advantage, lure him. When he is in chaos, take him. When he is substantial, prepare against him.
When he is strong, avoid him. When he is wrathful, harass him. Attack where he is unprepared. Emerge where he does not expect it.
one who does not thoroughly know the harm from employing the military Cannot thoroughly know the advantage from employing the military
the wise general looks to the enemy for food.
the military values victory. It does not value prolonging
Taking a state whole is superior. Destroying it is inferior to this.
one hundred victories in one hundred battles is not the most skillful. Subduing the other’s military without battle is the most skillful
Superior and inferior desiring the same is victory
Knowing when one can and cannot do battle is victory
Knowing the other and knowing oneself, In one hundred battles no danger. Not knowing the other and knowing oneself, One victory for one loss. Not knowing the other and not knowing oneself, In every battle certain defeat
Being prepared and awaiting the unprepared is victory
Invincibility is defense. Vincibility is attack
Earth gives birth to length. Length gives birth to volume. Volume gives birth to counting. Counting gives birth to weighing. Weighing gives birth to victory.
the victorious military is first victorious and after that does battle. The defeated military first does battle and after that seeks victory.
Use the orthodox to engage. Use the extraordinary to attain victory.
Musical pitches do not exceed five, Yet all their variations cannot be heard. Colors do not exceed five, Yet all their variations cannot be seen. Tastes do not exceed five, Yet all their variations cannot be tasted
The extraordinary and the orthodox circle and give birth to each other, As a circle has no beginning
How one can make the enemy arrive of their own accord—offer them advantage.
One who takes position first at the battleground and awaits the enemy is at ease. One who takes position later at the battleground and hastens to do battle is at labor.
The Solid and Empty
Shih
Doing Battle
Appraisals
Form
Strategy of Attack
To attack and surely take it, attack where they do not defend. To defend and surely hold firm, defend where they will surely attack. Thus with one skilled at attack, the enemy does not know where to defend. With one skilled at defense, the enemy does not know where to attack.
To advance so that one cannot be resisted, charge against the empty. To retreat so that one cannot be stopped, go so far that one cannot be reached
The few are those who prepare against others. The many are those who make others prepare against them.
And so prick them and know the pattern of their movement and stillness. Form them and know the ground of death and life. Appraise them and know the plans for gain and loss. Probe them and know the places of surplus and insufficiency.
Do not repeat the means of victory, But respond to form from the inexhaustible
The Army Contending
make their road circuitous And lure them with advantage
Use order to await chaos. Use stillness to await clamor. This is ordering the heart-mind
Use the near to await the far. Use ease to await labor. Use fullness to await hunger. This is ordering strength.
The Nine Transformations
Moving the Army
Forms of the Earth
Know the other and know oneself, Then victory is not in danger
The Nine Grounds
Ride others’ inadequacies. Go by unexpected ways. Attack where he has not taken precautions.
Attack by Fire
One who uses water to aid an attack is strong. Water can be used to cut off. It cannot be used to seize.
Employing Spies
conquering without aggression. It teaches victory over war.
how the Sun Tzu views the world as whole. It begins with the minutest of details, noting their interconnectedness. Then it identifies the patterns they form and the opportunities for effective action these afford
PART TWO
Three Essays
Taking Whole
The Nature of Things
Each one is relevant, everything that is part of that world
Every one of them also affects all the others. Altering a single piece, the movement of the whole also shifts.
Because all things are interconnected, you must know each one, and how each one affects and effects every other. Only then can you plan effectively.
Everything is in touch with everything else, always in movement.
Relationships
This is not a question of definitions; it’s a matter of how to act effectively in the world.
If we take advantage of certain qualities of the environment, our power greatly increases.
we must appraise not just the object but how it will interact with other objects and situations—that is, we must know its relationships
in this world we are not a thing in and of ourselves; we have qualities like height or bravery only in contrast with other things. Thus what is called “tall” is dependent on what’s called “short.”
We are not “objects”; we’re in a process of trajectory through space and time, always reacting with others
Shih
Our world is cohesive. But we can mark off temporary and shifting patterns within it, each of which possesses momentary advantages of a certain kind
timing: the right moment to step in, to take the shot, to release the accumulated energy. In the Sun Tzu this moment is called the node. It refers to the bumpy boundary between segments of bamboo, the little collar that separates each section from the next. It is very small
Learning Shih
the simple and easy thing that changes the whole configuration
each of these—rocks, people, air—assumes its shape only temporarily, appearing for longer or shorter times. These forms constantly interact with one another. This is true not only of active agents like people but also of immobile elements such as cliff faces
The world, then, consists not of solid things but of flows of forces or movements of energy or shifting configurations of shih. These are Tao.
like a rock in a roaring stream: it holds firm a while—a few moments or maybe several centuries— then it is swept away
take that large view, if we become the stream as well as the rock, if we see the rock itself as energy, not fixation, then we open to a bigger mind, beyond petty concerns, beyond self-importance
apprehended effortlessly through immediate awareness of the situation
The Sage Commander
The Military
Force is neutral. It becomes mixed with aggression, however, when one takes a smaller view, insisting that others conform to one’s demands. Aggression brings devastation to all parties, including those who employ it
This need for protection is a fundamental aspect of dualistic existence. That is, friction or opposition will occur in any situation in which there is an “inner” and an “outer,” a separation into our side and the other side.
taking whole—moving beyond a habitual aggressive response toward conflict and discovering the possibility of victory
We are not speaking of contemplating any specific thing but simply creating openness for the consideration of whatever arises
Contemplation is an ordinary state of mind that all human beings experience. It consists most basically of openness and attention
Contemplation fosters a direct experience of things rather than relying on theory alone
Being
Contemplative mind is the unformed, creative source that is tapped in the performing and plastic arts and is present in what athletes call “the zone.” It is cultivated in any mind or body discipline that requires us to be fully present
For the Sun Tzu, the key to skillful action is in knowing those things that make up the environment and then arranging them so that their power becomes available
It is not necessary to change the nature of things in order to come to victory.
Because the sage commander has settled into being who he is, he is no longer constantly comparing himself to others
Since his mind is not distracted, he can catch the opportunities that arise from each circumstance
The sage commander is genuine because he appreciates himself as he is. This gives rise to gentleness, whereby he can allow things to be as they are rather than forcing them to be a certain way
Even negativity is not an obstacle, since he responds to the intelligence expressed within it
Working with Chaos
The sage commander, however, always takes the bigger view. While in the midst of confusion, he sees how chaos forms its own particular order
the sage commander rests in the chaos and allows it to resolve itself
Allowing a chaotic situation to develop demands courage, for it often means that in the short term things will get worse rather than better
Addressing a problem as it is presented often reinforces the fixation that initially gave rise to it. The sage commander focuses on the bigger perspective that holds the key to both the problem and the solution
The Sage Commander in the World
The sage commander holds no fixed position or identity. Thus he is free to be whatever he needs to be to achieve victory
Victory
the general who is not victorious over his anger brings destruction to his own troops as well as to the enemy. Aggression gives the enemy something against which to fight. This
The sage commander responds to aggression by creating space, which relaxes the situation and paradoxically brings it more under his control. It’s like controlling a bull by giving him a very large pasture.
The sage commander attains victory when the enemy can see no other alternative and chooses what he has offered. He is all-victorious when they see that option as best for them and have no idea that they were directed there
Taking whole allows him to preserve the possibilities—to keep every option open. Taking whole means conquering the enemy in a way that keeps as much intact as possible—both your own resources and those of the enemy. Such a victory leaves something available to build upon, for both you and your former foe. Destruction leaves nothing, and its aftermath diverts valuable energy from the larger victory.
Defeating that strategy unravels the enemy’s cohesion and dissolves their alliances
THE ALL-VICTORIOUS SAGE COMMANDER doesn’t attain victory by bringing the enemy over to his side. Instead he creates a larger view that includes both sides
Victory is ongoing, a way of being rather than a final goal
Joining the Tradition
The Warring States Context
The Emergence of a Text
Like nearly all Warring States texts, the Sun Tzu is a collection, an anthology created and maintained by members of its lineage. The Analects of Confucius is a good example of this practice. It could not have been written by Confucius, since most sections begin “The Master said.”
It is impossible to locate the modern sense of an “author” anywhere in this process.
The text is not concerned with argumentation but with establishing a point of view. This view manifests in every passage and from a variety of perspectives
Where Are We Now?
as practices and a view, as traditions of wisdom.
Buddhism, which sees us as activities without a center, with an inherent buddha nature in place of original sin
In the process philosophy of Alfred North Whitehead (1861–1947), events, not individuated things, are the fundamental components of reality
In place of the categories “being, permanence and uniformity,” there is only “becoming, change and newness.”
PART THREE
Commentary
Appraisals
shih,” the power inherent in a situation.
Through comparisons, we learn where relative advantage lies. We can thus act to bring about a favorable disposition or shih
Doing Battle
If victory cannot be quickly attained, it is destructive to attempt it.
This is prolongation, in which one mistakes the intensity of engagement for the path to victory. Although speed in battle can be misapplied, it is difficult for prolongation to bring advantage
The use of military force is always destructive, to oneself as well as to the other.
Living off the enemy brings one closer to victory.
This passage is an initial summary of the chapter. Victory means taking whole. Battle is costly. When prolonged, it is devastating to all. If battle is necessary, it must be quick.
Strategy of Attack
one hundred victories” places battle at the center, ignoring the fact that conflict may lead to further conflict
Victory comes from taking whole. It includes both self and other in a single vision.
Form
One must wait for the enemy’s vincibility to arise. Skill is knowing that moment.
Tao is the way things are, the way things go of their own accord, the natural momentum. Method is ordering human actions in ways that are in accord with Tao. The general assumes this power when he is tuned in to the larger perspective
If one can see the depth and subtlety of measurable things, then victory is not mysterious
Shih
Engage people with what they expect. It is what they are able to discern and confirms their projections. It settles them into predictable patterns of response, occupying their minds while you wait for the extraordinary moment—that which they cannot anticipate. The orthodox prepares the ground for the possibility of the extraordinary
Cowardice and bravery are two moments of a single cycle. Instead of manipulating one part of the cycle, shape the environment using counting, shih or form, and the quality you seek readily occurs.
If your offer is made from the perspective of victory, they choose it as if it were their own idea. This is skill.
The Solid and the Empty
Because you appear unexpectedly at a vital point, the enemy must rush to meet you
you cannot entirely control where the enemy will attack, but if you know in advance the location of their attack, your defense can be secure.
True knowledge of the enemy comes from active contact, which the general initiates and conducts. He provokes them to reveal themselves, assessing the full extent of their reactions and resources.
The Army Contending
He makes the adverse advantageous not by overcoming obstacles but by giving those difficulties to the enemy—making their road circuitous
rushing to seize advantage on another’s ground brings loss of every kind
overlook immediate advantage so as to further victory
The day, the seasons, the enemy’s ch’i—all are cycles. The general does not seek to overcome these nor regulate them but to know their nature
You order the heart-mind by remaining in the stillness and order that are already present at the center of all chaos and clamor.
The Nine Transformations
even virtues become vulnerabilities when taken to an extreme
Moving the Army
Some conditions take time to run their course before they are favorable to your movement
Because all its parts are connected, the environment around the enemy contains invaluable messages of their activity
Thus the importance of maintaining the orthodox, and of noting the enemy’s apparently trivial deviations from it.
Forms of the Earth
The earth—or the ground of any situation—offers certain conditions within which battle can take place. One must respect these conditions and follow the actions they dictate. They cannot be manipulated
full knowledge of battleground conditions, where advantage constantly transforms and shifts
he advances yet does not seek fame. He retreats yet does not avoid blame. He seeks only to preserve the people,
nothing can prevent him from proper action, he keeps to victory by taking whole.
Knowledge of self and other is vital to the general in every endeavor. Yet it is insufficient without knowledge of the ground, the environment within which battle occurs
The general is clear-minded and inexhaustible
The Nine Grounds
build our repertory of understanding, to begin to master all possibilities that may arise
Bravery arises from cowardice. Threatened with loss of life, they fight desperately to survive. Placed in the right shih, their natural response unleashes enormous power.
If you know the enemy’s purpose, you can find their vital point. Focus your energy there, and strike. Thus you can end the conflict with a single blow, even from a great distance. You need not destroy their goods or people. This is taking whole.
Attack by Fire
Fire consumes and devastates. It is a primordial element, immediately directing the enemy’s attention to the most critical factors. Thus its power to abruptly transform a situation is greater than other forms of direct attack.
Employ fire only when events support it and conditions are auspicious.
Employing Spies
Each day the army is in the field costs one thousand gold pieces. Yet real knowledge of the enemy can give you victory in a day. Such knowledge can only be obtained through spies
When the general knows taking whole, deception can be a part of genuineness
The more extreme your action, the more detailed your foreknowledge must be.
The general, then, must be able to maintain or cross boundaries without regard to how others see them
Added 2025-01-17.