Today, someone named "Aoidh" on Wikipedia wants to delete my Wikipedia page ("Thomas Huynh") after nine years on the Wikipedia website (October 2013). 

For unknown reasons, he or she questioned a number of things, such as me not being a translator or a scholar:

This shouldn't make me sad but it does. I don't know why anyone would be so malicious. If you're familiar with Wikipedia, can you help? Any assistance you can provide, I would appreciate it so much.

Sincerely,
​Thomas

P.S. He or she ("Aoidh") responded:

There are many versions of Sun Tzu's Art of War and not because of different translations. These versions are re-interpretations of The Art of War to specific fields such as business, politics, and sports. There is even one version on dating!

Today, however, I would like to introduce to you Liam Shannon, the author of Sun Tzu Soccer. Read our interview with him here.

During my hiatus the last two years, I have missed writing to you about the death of my mentor, Dr. Thomas Cleary, an unparalleled scholar of the Asian classics. He was 72 years old. His achievements are well known. The New York Times wrote a nice obituary dedicated to him.

I first heard of Dr. Cleary in 1988 when he published his translation of Sun Tzu's Art of War (published by Shambhala Publications). It was indeed my first exposure of Sun Tzu in English. My experience reading the book was transformative.

His translation, in addition to showing me the Taoist side of Sun Tzu, showed me the humaneness of Sun Tzu, which brought the venerable classic all together for me. It was the last missing piece of the puzzle for me. Unlike the many previous translations and interpretations which emphasized battles, Thomas Cleary was the first modern scholar who revolutionized how we now view Sun Tzu -- who he really was: an idealist that dealt with a system that dealt out great suffering.

And because Sun Tzu isn't still widely understood, that same insufferable system exists to this very day, Chinese or otherwise. That is to say, China isn't less militaristic or direct than any other nation, just that it must go back to its ideals recorded by Sun Tzu. (I would argue America practices and devotes more time to The Art of War than China.) The Art of War isn't how war was conducted in China historically (although warlords like Cao Cao had tried to implement the principles). Instead, The Art of War is how war should be conducted, a manual and reminder for the military leader.

​Something as serious as warfare could only be subverted by great wisdom that would last two and a half millennia. As Dr. Cleary wrote, the ring that is slipped around the monkey king's head (Journey to the West) to remind him to exude great compassion and serve the greater good is the same ring Sun Tzu slips on every reader wanting to find great success through his Art of War book. Those who understand will joyfully yell out "Eureka!" and those who don't will wonder what all the fuss is about.

I can't write a better obituary than the New York Times, but what I can share with you is my personal story of Thomas Cleary.

For those who don't know who Thomas Cleary was, he can be described as the J. D. Salinger of the translator world. He avoided the limelight, didn't want attention or recognition, didn't want to be associated with any organization, school, or association. He simply wanted to be left alone to do his work, which ended up to be over 80 books.

Trying to reach him, I first contacted his publisher Shambhala Publications. But the editor told me even he couldn't get a response from Thomas Cleary. It had been months since he last heard from him. It seemed I was out of luck.

But through a confidential source, I was given his home phone number. I dialed the number. He picked up. I inquired whether it was Thomas Cleary on the other end. He said yes. Then I went through my shpeel about how much I admired his works. I likely went on longer than he had the patience for. Finally I had the courage to ask for an interview with him for Sonshi.com. He flatly said, "No." He added he was "too busy with a current project and need to get back to it."

I mentally panicked. Oh no! Here was my only chance and I blew it. It was like the whole world was crashing down on me. Then I started to stutter, which I rarely do. The more I talked to save myself, I worse I sounded. I was pathetic. I was in free fall.

Silence on the other end of the line.

"[Sigh] Ok, tell me about the interview," Dr. Cleary said.

Looking back on this, Thomas Cleary felt sorry for me. I was a just a poor guy on the other end of the telephone asking for a break. He empathized. He had compassion. He understood Sun Tzu's wisdom.

Despite Dr. Cleary's many years as a famous writer, Sonshi's interview was the very first interview he ever accepted.

There were matters he never shared in public until that interview. Like how he shoveled raw asbestos when he was young, which contributed to his health problems later on. He was able to mitigate some of it through meditative practices.

Dr. Cleary and I worked on several other projects later on, including the Preface for Sonshi's Art of War book, published exactly 20 years after his own Art of War in 1988. It is an incredible honor I will never forget for as long as I live.

On one of our projects, I read a sentence he translated and had a question about one of the words. He immediately looked at the source. After a few minutes, he then said, "You're right -- it should be this." It was a small correction but I felt like I was on equal footing with a master, albeit just for that moment! And he was gracious and wise enough to make the correction so easily and without any care whatsoever.

Today, I feel I have an obligation to continue Thomas Cleary's work to promote Sun Tzu's humanity that is accepted much more now than back in 1988. More work needs to be done to apply those principles in the real world.

The way I look at issues is that if a problem is possible, then its solution is possible. If conflict is possible, then its resolution is possible. And if a world war is possible, then world peace is possible. If stumbling and stuttering are possible, then empathy and compassion are possible. This dualistic view is absolutely Sun Tzu's view. It's the way of the universe. Look for the right moment, the right opportunity and we'll wonder why we worried at all. Sun Tzu understood, Thomas Cleary understood, and we can understand, too. ☯

Biology indicates that the purpose of an organism is to pass on its genes. In short, survival is the goal.

But does this apply to humans?

The obvious answer seems to be yes. We are organisms after all.

​However, we are organisms whose strength is our mind -- our thinking ability. Athletes in sports might brag they are the fastest or the strongest, but they all pale in comparison to any cat's sprint or mule's kick. They aren't very impressive against these common animals.

So where we truly excel at as human beings is in our capacity to think. No other animal seems to come close.

As such, thinking allows us to see different options. Thinking allows us to plan and choose our destiny. Thinking allows us to make wise decisions despite our fight-or-flight instincts.

Therefore, thinking even allows us to decide on an option that runs counter to our survival. But this decision is no doubt rare. Not everyone is wise enough to think beyond ourselves. I presume some of us will do whatever it takes to survive, no matter how shameful or immoral. History is replete with examples.

My thinking on this is simple: Why would anyone -- once they realize what they are truly doing -- want to choose life over a worthwhile choice? What is the worth of a life filled with decisions one is ashamed of? What is the point of living a life if it means doing what any savage animal would do? We would cease to be human.

For example, the general fear in directly confronting Russia after it invaded Ukraine is that Russia would use their nuclear weapons, thus destroying everyone else in the process. But if society would rather allow such evil to exist so it could preserve itself, what, in fact, is it preserving? A system that allows for such a evil to exist. Then why is it worth preserving? So it is a no-brainer that we must act against Russia's aggression directly and immediately, NATO boots on the ground and stopping the carnage quickly.

Ultimately, however, the problem with choosing survival over a higher standard of conduct is that it is short-lived. When individuals scramble to survive on their own at the cost of others, they are nevertheless weak as individuals. They are doomed from that point on.

In contrast, fairness, decency, and teamwork are the glue that unites groups, communities, and civilizations, making them strong. Unlike selfish individuals, they are formidable and they last. 

Ironically and paradoxically, the more we are willing to die, the better the chances we can survive. The old expression, "Fortune favors the bold" holds true. I would argue that the more we are willing to stick up for others, even at our expense, the more fulfilling our lives are. Now we are living for more than ourselves. We are living a life we are proud of. We live without fear, for even death doesn't scare us. The only thing that should scare us the most is to die without redemption, our penultimate and last acts falling well short of where we want to be.

Because if we always choose a higher standard of conduct, regardless of whether we live or we die afterwards, we are always happy with our decisions. And, in turn, we are always happy with our life, even toward death.

The basis of economics is people making decisions for their own self-interests. Makes sense. We all get it. Until we realize that living life is much more than economics and people don't act that way at all, especially for leaders. It's not even close.

Let me explain.

Take an example of a father. He usually gets up early. He gets ready for work. He thinks about his boss. He thinks about his coworkers. He thinks about the clients. In addition, he thinks about his family; he thinks about his spouse and children. He even thinks about his dogs and cats. What's more meaningful to him than his family? Nothing else.

Same goes for the mother, if not more so.

In short, we think about others all the time. Our self-interests seem like an afterthought. If there is any self-interest at all, it's to achieve heartsease or peace of mind knowing others will be fine.

Economics is important for a higher standard of living. It's how resources can be efficiently allocated. But the way people make decisions is ultimately based on how they can obtain the most benefit for others in their everyday lives. They are vastly more important.

In Chapter 10 of The Art of War, Sun Tzu sums up the main objective of a leader: 

So not unlike any modern-day leader, Sun Tzu's decisions were every bit selfless. After all, it doesn't take much to take care of yourself. But it takes the skills and wisdom of a Sun Tzu to take care of people -- holding back our emotions, extending and risking ourselves for the safety and comfort of others.

A friend is someone who over time and situations remains your friend. A friend is someone who somehow thinks about you at the same time as you think about them. A friend fixes your faults and strengthens your strengths. A friend is time and life itself, a connection of memories between the past, present, and future.