The Art of War
Sun Tzu
1,277 passages indexed from The Art of War (Sun Tzu) — Page 25 of 26
License: Public Domain
The Art of War, passage 474
Lou Ching alone opposed them, saying: ‘When two countries go to war, they are naturally inclined to make an ostentatious display of their strength. Yet our spies have seen nothing but old age and infirmity. This is surely some _ruse_ on the part of the enemy, and it would be unwise for us to attack.’ The Emperor, however, disregarding this advice, fell into the trap and found himself surrounded at Po-teng.”]
The Art of War, passage 534
20. But if neither time nor place be known, then the left wing will be impotent to succour the right, the right equally impotent to succour the left, the van unable to relieve the rear, or the rear to support the van. How much more so if the furthest portions of the army are anything under a hundred _li_ apart, and even the nearest are separated by several _li_!
The Art of War, passage 195
The bibliographical sections of certain historical works also deserve mention:—
The Art of War, passage 48
[After further successful fighting,] "in the ninth year [506 B.C.], King Ho Lu addressed Wu Tzŭ-hsu and Sun Wu, saying: "Formerly, you declared that it was not yet possible for us to enter Ying. Is the time ripe now?" The two men replied: "Ch’u’s general Tzŭ-ch’ang, [4] is grasping and covetous, and the princes of T’ang and Ts’ai both have a grudge against him.
The Art of War, passage 831
[The same commentator says: "Net-like country, venturing into which you become entangled."]
The Art of War, passage 622
[Implied, though not actually in the Chinese.]
The Art of War, passage 824
44. If in training soldiers commands are habitually enforced, the army will be well-disciplined; if not, its discipline will be bad.
The Art of War, passage 605
17. Let your rapidity be that of the wind,
The Art of War, passage 413
to see sun and moon is no sign of sharp sight; to hear the noise of thunder is no sign of a quick ear.
The Art of War, passage 745
14. When, in consequence of heavy rains up-country, a river which you wish to ford is swollen and flecked with foam, you must wait until it subsides.
The Art of War, passage 531
[The highest generalship, in Col. Henderson’s words, is "to compel the enemy to disperse his army, and then to concentrate superior force against each fraction in turn."]
The Art of War, passage 360
if slightly inferior in numbers, we can avoid the enemy;
The Art of War, passage 977
[In order that the enemy may never know exactly where you are. It has struck me, however, that the true reading might be "link your army together."]
The Art of War, passage 1116
[Mei Yao-ch’en understands the whole sentence to mean: Take the strictest precautions to ensure secrecy in your deliberations.]
The Art of War, passage 515
and hence we can hold the enemy’s fate in our hands.
The Art of War, passage 487
22. When he utilises combined energy, his fighting men become as it were like unto rolling logs or stones. For it is the nature of a log or stone to remain motionless on level ground, and to move when on a slope; if four-cornered, to come to a standstill, but if round-shaped, to go rolling down.
The Art of War, passage 281
If his forces are united, separate them.
The Art of War, passage 892
And now that he has done the same for my son, he too will fall fighting I know not where.’" Li Ch’uan mentions the Viscount of Ch’u, who invaded the small state of Hsiao during the winter. The Duke of Shen said to him: "Many of the soldiers are suffering severely from the cold." So he made a round of the whole army, comforting and encouraging the men; and straightway they felt as if they were clothed in garments lined with floss silk.]
The Art of War, passage 1159
9. (4) If it is possible to make an assault with fire from without, do not wait for it to break out within, but deliver your attack at a favourable moment.
The Art of War, passage 1121
He who intends therefore, to occupy a position of importance to the enemy, must begin by making an artful appointment, so to speak, with his antagonist, and cajole him into going there as well." Mei Yao-ch’en explains that this "artful appointment" is to be made through the medium of the enemy’s own spies, who will carry back just the amount of information that we choose to give them.
The Art of War, passage 1184
[This is repeated from XI. § 17. Here I feel convinced that it is an interpolation, for it is evident that § 20 ought to follow immediately on § 18.]
The Art of War, passage 329
2. Hence to fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy’s resistance without fighting.
The Art of War, passage 433
[Literally, "a victorious army is like an _i_ (20 oz.) weighed against a _shu_ (1/24 oz.); a routed army is a _shu_ weighed against an _i_." The point is simply the enormous advantage which a disciplined force, flushed with victory, has over one demoralized by defeat. Legge, in his note on Mencius, I. 2. ix. 2, makes the _i_ to be 24 Chinese ounces, and corrects Chu Hsi’s statement that it equaled 20 oz. only. But Li Ch’uan of the T’ang dynasty here gives the same figure as Chu Hsi.]
The Art of War, passage 506
You can ensure the safety of your defence if you only hold positions that cannot be attacked.
The Art of War, passage 1239
Thus they managed to return with the fullest possible information about the enemy’s dispositions, and received warm commendation from the Emperor, who in consequence of their report was able to inflict a severe defeat on his adversary."]
The Art of War, passage 429
[It is not easy to distinguish the four terms very clearly in the Chinese. The first seems to be surveying and measurement of the ground, which enable us to form an estimate of the enemy’s strength, and to make calculations based on the data thus obtained; we are thus led to a general weighing-up, or comparison of the enemy’s chances with our own; if the latter turn the scale, then victory ensues.
The Art of War, passage 448
[Chang Yu says: "Steadily develop indirect tactics, either by pounding the enemy’s flanks or falling on his rear." A brilliant example of "indirect tactics" which decided the fortunes of a campaign was Lord Roberts’ night march round the Peiwar Kotal in the second Afghan war. [1]
The Art of War, passage 214
24. I do not know what this work, unless it be the last chapter of another work. Why that chapter should be singled out, however, is not clear.
The Art of War, passage 692
[Meng Shih’s note contains an excellent example of the idiomatic use of: "cause them to forget _pien_ (the reasons for acting otherwise than on their first impulse), and hasten in our direction."]
The Art of War, passage 230
46. This appears to be still extant. See Wylie’s "Notes," p. 91 (new edition).
The Art of War, passage 623
the spoken word does not carry far enough: hence the institution of gongs and drums. Nor can ordinary objects be seen clearly enough: hence the institution of banners and flags.
The Art of War, passage 304
7. It is only one who is thoroughly acquainted with the evils of war that can thoroughly understand the profitable way of carrying it on.
The Art of War, passage 512
[An aphorism which puts the whole art of war in a nutshell.]
The Art of War, passage 1266
[Sun Tzŭ means the Shang dynasty, founded in 1766 B.C. Its name was changed to Yin by P’an Keng in 1401.
The Art of War, passage 2
Assistant in the Department of Oriental Printed Books and MSS. in the British Museum
The Art of War, passage 307
[Once war is declared, he will not waste precious time in waiting for reinforcements, nor will he return his army back for fresh supplies, but crosses the enemy’s frontier without delay. This may seem an audacious policy to recommend, but with all great strategists, from Julius Caesar to Napoleon Bonaparte, the value of time—that is, being a little ahead of your opponent—has counted for more than either numerical superiority or the nicest calculations with regard to commissariat.]
The Art of War, passage 352
This is the method of attacking by stratagem.
The Art of War, passage 57
An interesting document which has survived from the close of the Han period is the short preface written by the Great Ts’ao Ts’ao, or Wei Wu Ti, for his edition of Sun Tzŭ. I shall give it in full:—
The Art of War, passage 766
[Chang Yu’s explanation is doubtless right: "When birds that are flying along in a straight line suddenly shoot upwards, it means that soldiers are in ambush at the spot beneath."]
The Art of War, passage 440
Chia Lin: "In presence of the enemy, your troops should be arrayed in normal fashion, but in order to secure victory abnormal manœuvers must be employed." Mei Yao-ch’en: "_Ch’i_ is active, _cheng_ is passive; passivity means waiting for an opportunity, activity brings the victory itself." Ho Shih: "We must cause the enemy to regard our straightforward attack as one that is secretly designed, and vice versa; thus _cheng_ may also be _ch’i_, and _ch’i_ may also be _cheng_." He instances the famous exploit of Han Hsin, who when marching ostensibly against Lin-chin (now Chao-i in Shensi), suddenly threw a large force across the Yellow River in wooden tubs, utterly disconcerting his opponent.
The Art of War, passage 691
hold out specious allurements, and make them rush to any given point.
The Art of War, passage 664
2. When in difficult country, do not encamp. In country where high roads intersect, join hands with your allies. Do not linger in dangerously isolated positions.
The Art of War, passage 837
[The general meaning of the last phrase is doubtlessly, as Tu Yu says, "not to allow the enemy to cut your communications." In view of Napoleon’s dictum, "the secret of war lies in the communications," [1] we could wish that Sun Tzŭ had done more than skirt the edge of this important subject here and in I. § 10, VII. § 11. Col. Henderson says: "The line of supply may be said to be as vital to the existence of an army as the heart to the life of a human being.
The Art of War, passage 1117
65. If the enemy leaves a door open, you must rush in.
The Art of War, passage 1096
[These words of Sun Tzŭ were once quoted by Han Hsin in explanation of the tactics he employed in one of his most brilliant battles, already alluded to on p. 28. In 204 B.C., he was sent against the army of Chao, and halted ten miles from the mouth of the Ching-hsing pass, where the enemy had mustered in full force. Here, at midnight, he detached a body of 2000 light cavalry, every man of which was furnished with a red flag.
The Art of War, passage 209
18. He hardly deserves to be bracketed with assassins.
The Art of War, passage 285
26. Now the general who wins a battle makes many calculations in his temple ere the battle is fought.
The Art of War, passage 1055
[The commentators take this as referring to forage and plunder, not, as one might expect, to an unbroken communication with a home base.]
The Art of War, passage 470
concealing courage under a show of timidity presupposes a fund of latent energy;
The Art of War, passage 956
[Opinions differ as to what Sun Tzŭ had in mind. Ts’ao Kung thinks it is "some strategical advantage on which the enemy is depending." Tu Mu says: "The three things which an enemy is anxious to do, and on the accomplishment of which his success depends, are: (1) to capture our favourable positions; (2) to ravage our cultivated land; (3) to guard his own communications." Our object then must be to thwart his plans in these three directions and thus render him helpless. [Cf. III. § 3.] By boldly seizing the initiative in this way, you at once throw the other side on the defensive.]