It is important
for a general to be calm and remote, upright and disciplined, and be able to mystify
his men's eyes and ears, keeping them ignorant. ?
He changes his methods
and plans, keeping them from knowing.
He changes his campsites
and takes circuitous routes, keeping them from anticipating. ?
The day the general leads
his troops into battle, it is like climbing up high and throwing away the ladder.
?
He leads his troops deep
into enemy ground, and releases the trigger.
He burns his boats and
destroys the cooking pots. ?
He commands his troops
like herding sheep;
being herded to and fro
without them knowing where they are going. ?
Assembling the masses
of the army, and throwing them into danger are the responsibility of the general.
?
Adaptations to the nine
grounds, the advantages in defensive and offensive maneuvers, and the patterns
of human emotions must be examined. ?
Generally, the Way of
invading is:
When troops are deep
in enemy ground, they are united;
when troops are not deep
in enemy ground, they are scattered. ?
Where you leave your
country, and lead the troops across the border into enemy ground, this is called
isolated ground.
Where there are four
sides open, this is called intersecting ground.
Where you penetrated
deep in enemy ground, this is called critical ground.
Where you penetrated
little in enemy ground, this is called marginal ground.
Where the back is impassable
and the front is narrow, this is called surrounded ground.
Where there is nowhere
to go, this is called deadly ground. ?
Therefore, on dispersive
ground, I have my troops united. ?
On marginal ground, I
consolidate my troops. ?
On contentious ground,
I hurry my back. ?
On open ground, I pay
attention to our defenses. ?
On intersecting ground,
I strengthen our alliances. ?
On critical ground, I
maintain continuous supply of provisions. ?
On difficult ground,
I press on quickly. ?
On surrounded ground,
I block off openings. ?
On deadly ground, I show
the troops our resolve to fight to the death. ?
Therefore, the nature
of the army is:
To defend when surrounded,
to fight hard when there are no other alternatives, and to obey commands promptly
when in danger. ?
Therefore, one who does
not know the intentions of the rulers of the neighboring states cannot secure
alliances. ?
One who does not know
the mountains and forests, gorges and defiles, swamps and wetlands cannot advance
the army.
One who does not use
local guides cannot take advantage of the ground. ?
One who does not know
any one of these matters cannot command the army of a ruler. ?
When the army of a ruler
attacks a great nation, the nation's masses cannot assemble.
When its power overwhelms
the nation, alliances cannot be formed. ?
Therefore, one does not
contend for alliances with other nations.
One does not foster the
power of other nations.
If one pursues his aims,
overwhelming the enemy, then, he can take the enemy's cities and overthrow kingdoms.
?
Give out rewards transcending
law, give out commands transcending policy. ?
Command the masses like
commanding one person. ?
Give your troops tasks,
but do not reveal them your plans. ?
Get them to face danger,
but do not reveal the advantages.
Throw them into danger
and they will survive;
put them on deadly ground
and they will live.
Only if the troops are
in situations of danger will they turn defeat into victory. ?
The concern of warfare
is that operations are in accord with the enemy's intentions. ?
If one then concentrates
his strength on the enemy, killing his general a thousand li away, this is called
achieving objectives through wit and skill. ?
Therefore, on the day
war is declared, close off all borders, destroy all passports, and do not allow
their envoys to pass. ?
Go through your plans
in the temple and bring about the execution of those plans. ?
If the enemy presents
an opportunity, take advantage of it. ?
Attack what he values
most. ?
Do not advance on any
fixed day or time;
calculate and adapt to
the enemy to determine the matter of doing battle. ?
Therefore, be like a
maiden;
once the enemy opens
the door, be like a scurrying hare.
The enemy will be unable
to prevail. ?
