孫子曰： 兵者，國之大事，死生之地，存亡之道，不可不察也。
故經之以五，校之以計，而索其情：一曰道，二曰天，三曰地，四曰 將，五曰法。道者，令民于上同意者也，可與之死，可與之生，民不 詭也。天者，陰陽、寒暑、時制也。地者，高下、遠近、險易、廣狹 、死生也。將者，智、信、仁、勇、嚴也。法者，曲制、官道、主用 也。凡此五者，將莫不聞，知之者勝，不知之者不勝。故校之以計， 而索其情。曰：主孰有道？將孰有能？天地孰得？法令孰行？兵眾孰 強？士卒孰練？賞罰孰明？吾以此知勝負矣。
將聽吾計，用之必勝，留之﹔將不聽吾計，用之必敗，去之。
計利以聽，乃為之勢，以佐其外。勢者，因利而制權也。
兵者，詭道也。故能而示之不能，用而示之不用，近而示之遠，遠而 示之近。利而誘之，亂而取之，實而備之，強而避之，怒而撓之，卑 而驕之，佚而勞之，親而離之，攻其不備，出其不意。此兵家之勝， 不可先傳也。
夫未戰而廟算勝者，得算多也﹔未戰而廟算不勝者，得算少也。多算 勝，少算不勝，而況無算乎！吾以此觀之，勝負見矣。
SunTzu's Art fo War is presented in 13 chapters. Chapter 1 is his most important chapter. In this chapter, he has exhausted his entire life writing it. If one can master this chapter, his life is already complete.
According to some history, he named this chapter only as 計篇 - The Plan. He didn't try to name it as 始計篇 - The Initial Plan. I suspect he meant there is only one plan and this plan must come first before any battle.
I understand where he comes from. He meant in life one can only have one plan. Every one of us exists for a reason. Each and every one of us are born different with different interest and ability. Some of us are fast talkers, some of us are thinkers and others are doers than analysts. But, we all must have a plan and only ONE PLAN, no more and no less. Unless and otherwise we have a plan, there is no way we can do battle and win. With no plan in mind and sway like a willow will only meet one's doom. He meant passion. Unless one has passion and that determination, regardless of odds against him/her, he/she will drive aimlessly and go nowhere.
SunTzu discovered the sadness of a lack of a plan. Without a plan, there can have no future. He titled it appropriately, i.e., The Plan, with no apologies. If this Plan will make him meet his maker, he has no regrets. He deemed himself worthy of a try. It is better than he die trying than never try and die regrettable.
The moment a person is born, he already must have that plan. He will think. He will play. He will try to have more plans. But to no avail, a person can only have one plan, the sooner he realises it, the faster will he succeed. For some, that realisation of one plan might come too late. This essay serves that warning.
孫子曰： 兵者，國之大事，死生之地，存亡之道，不可不察也。
Some translation suggested:
The art of war is of vital importance to the State. It is a matter of life and death, a road either to safety or to ruin. Hence it is a subject of inquiry which can on no account be neglected.
Moran: Warfare is a major affair of the state, the locus of life and death, the path between existence and destruction, and one cannot fail to make oneself fully aware of these facts.
兵者 means the warrior for war. Just these words, SunTzu expressed his sadness, his disgust and helplessness of war. His inability to change the need for war. In fact, he showed so much pain in writing that two chinese words that these two words must come first and forth-most.
We are all born of unequal command of resources, some are rich and some are poor. The poor will try to improve their state, while the rich will defend their spoils, what more a rich country who maintains a powerful army. But, earth has only limited resources. There are no unlimited resources. If any one wants more, it must be through conquests. Nobody will give up their resources without a fight. These fights are deadly and it is only through death that the outcome of the battle is settled. SunTzu truly meant all of us are warriors (guys and gals - gals fight for that one man that can give them absolute long term pleasure). We cannot escape our fate. We have to accept our place as warriors. We have no choice but to conduct war.
國之大事 means therefore a country's main affair must be to conduct war. SunTzu expressed his sadness by saying that he was driving into battle not by choice but a need. He has to do battle. Every one has to battle, whether it is for resources, for gals, for power, for influence, for real gain, for fame or for fun. In simple places like pubs and drinking holes, people die daily through unnecessary stares and fights. These battles are for real and necessarily only through death will the outcome of the battle be then settled. Therefore, it is never a trivial matter, but, one that consumes one's life.
死生之地，存亡之道，不可不察也。 means since war must result in one's life or death, its existence and methods must be well-analysed. Many of us took light of these statements. We always assume we are now civilised and beyond these barbarism. How wrong! Just go to any pubs or drinking joints, you would have life-and-death battles at work. Just go to the stock exchanges, where pin-stripes pit their wits for that control of stock prices and later how many jump from their posh apartments to their deaths. Of course, we are not talking about these deaths as murders but only accidental and circumstantial deaths, but are you now so sure?
Whether I drive a knife through your heart or I influence you to use your own knife to kill yourself is in fact the same thing. I am robbing your resources from you.
There can never be a task that is not deadly in this world. Remember this!
No comments:
Post a Comment