始 計 篇 第 一
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 事 ， 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 與 上 同 意 ， 可 與 之 死 ， 可 與 之 生 ， 而 不 畏 危 也 。 天 者， 陰 陽 ， 寒 暑 ， 時 制 也 。 地 者 ， 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 者 不 勝 。
道 者 ， 令 民 與 上 同 意 ， 可 與 之 死 ， 可 與 之 生 ， 而 不 畏 危 也 。 天 者， 陰 陽 ， 寒 暑 ， 時 制 也 。 地 者 ， 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 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 無 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 於 無 算 乎 ？ 吾 以 此 觀 之 ， 勝負 見 矣 。
It is impossible to discuss SunTzu's Art of War in earnest if one has never been to war. I have been trained as a soldier before and I have used weapons up to the missile level. I have gone on to even missile live firing. I have pressed that bloody button to launch that "bird". But, this is still not war. I have never even kill a chicken in my life, let alone another fellow human being. The feeling must be totally different.
History has that: "SunTzu is not winner but loser of the period he belonged. SunTzu was bitterly defeated and lost both his legs and spent the rest of his life hiding to reproduce his tactics as a book."
If that part of history is correct, then there is no absoluteness in victory. Even for a mastermind like SunTzu, he still can't win all the way. This implies that there is no such thing as absolute strategy for winning. But, that doesn't mean we should not study the best method and minimize our possible losses.
But, I have done immense years of business. So it is therefore appropriate that I try to understand SunTzu's Art of War in business terms. It is only through the earnest study of strategies that we are great in our execution. Hope after the study, we are stronger and more able to build our own strategies. Nothing is absolute, nothing is infallible. We just need to be constantly changing and acclimatising to our environment.
故經之以五事，校之以計，而索其情，一曰道，二曰天，三曰地，四曰將，五曰法。
It is impossible to discuss SunTzu's Art of War in earnest if one has never been to war. I have been trained as a soldier before and I have used weapons up to the missile level. I have gone on to even missile live firing. I have pressed that bloody button to launch that "bird". But, this is still not war. I have never even kill a chicken in my life, let alone another fellow human being. The feeling must be totally different.
History has that: "SunTzu is not winner but loser of the period he belonged. SunTzu was bitterly defeated and lost both his legs and spent the rest of his life hiding to reproduce his tactics as a book."
If that part of history is correct, then there is no absoluteness in victory. Even for a mastermind like SunTzu, he still can't win all the way. This implies that there is no such thing as absolute strategy for winning. But, that doesn't mean we should not study the best method and minimize our possible losses.
But, I have done immense years of business. So it is therefore appropriate that I try to understand SunTzu's Art of War in business terms. It is only through the earnest study of strategies that we are great in our execution. Hope after the study, we are stronger and more able to build our own strategies. Nothing is absolute, nothing is infallible. We just need to be constantly changing and acclimatising to our environment.
故經之以五事，校之以計，而索其情，一曰道，二曰天，三曰地，四曰將，五曰法。
Some translation suggested:
The art of war, then, is governed by five constant factors, to be
taken into account in one's deliberations, when seeking to determine the
conditions obtaining in the field.
These are: (1) The Moral Law; (2) Heaven; (3) Earth; (4) The Commander; (5) Method and discipline.
The first half of the sentence is reasonably self-explanatory, We must seek the basic constant factors that will influence our battle outcome. Only if we can understand and deduce these factors, we cannot hope to understand the reasons behind our success nor failure. If we cannot even evaluate, then how we ever understand or predict our outcome.
These factors mentioned by SunTzu cannot be different for business. 3000 years ago, our ancestors did battle. 3000 years later, we are still in battle. The food we eat; the land we live; the water we drink; the elements we control; the elements we can't control; the people we fight with; the people we collaborate with remain unchanged.
Understand these factors, we will lord over all things.
The first half of the sentence is reasonably self-explanatory, We must seek the basic constant factors that will influence our battle outcome. Only if we can understand and deduce these factors, we cannot hope to understand the reasons behind our success nor failure. If we cannot even evaluate, then how we ever understand or predict our outcome.
These factors mentioned by SunTzu cannot be different for business. 3000 years ago, our ancestors did battle. 3000 years later, we are still in battle. The food we eat; the land we live; the water we drink; the elements we control; the elements we can't control; the people we fight with; the people we collaborate with remain unchanged.
Understand these factors, we will lord over all things.
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