The Five

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• The Five
• The first is Tao
• the second is heaven
• the third is earth
• the fourth is the general
• the fifth is method

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View, Practice, and Action We start, as always,
with the viewthe heaven principle of how we see
the world, what we believe about how it works,
what we take for granted. We then have the
practices or methods we employthe earth
principle of the ways, most often habitual but
also chosen, that we extend, express, or enact
our view through the practical realities of the
world. And these give rise to actionthe way we
as leaders interact with and engage our world to
bring about success in our campaign.
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Five Points of the View Interconnectednessthe
dynamic and interdependent web of causes and
effects that make up our world, whole and
ever-changing, giving rise to chaos and
change The inevitability of encountering
conflict whenever we engage the world Taking
whole as the overarching way of responding to
conflict Knowing as the essence of taking whole
and the source of how to be Victory, inclusive
and without aggression, as the mark of the
actions of a sage commander
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The Basic Practiceshih The rush of water, to
the point of tossing rocks about. This is
shih. Therefore, one skilled at battleHis shih
is steep. Shih is like drawing the crossbow.
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Node The rush of water, to the point of tossing
rocks about. This is shih. The strike of a hawk,
at the killing snap. This is the
node. Therefore, one skilled at battle His
shih is steep. His node is short. Shih is like
drawing the crossbow. The node is like pulling
the trigger.
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Practices Orthodoxthe expected Extraordinarysur
prise! Formingestablishing an effective
container, boundary Transformingreforming as
new situations arise Formlessnesshaving no fixed
form, spiritlike Deceptionnot confirming the
enemies expectations (or remaining wedded to
ones own earnest presentation of oneself),
emerging as something beguiling and unexpected,
concealment
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Action What arises when view and practice are
brought to bear on what presents itself to you in
the moment
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Chapter 9Moving the Army

• When it has rained upstream, the streams flow
  intensifies.
• Stop fording. Wait for it to calm.

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Chapter 6The Solid and the Empty

• To go one thousand li without fear, go through
  unpeopled ground.

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Chapter 4Form

• One skilled at battle takes a stand in the ground
  of no defeat.
• And so does not lose the enemys defeat.
• Therefore, the victorious military is first
  victorious and after that does battle.
• The defeated military first does battle and after
  that seeks victory.

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Chapter 5Shih

• One who uses shih sets people to battle as if
  rolling trees and rocks.
• As for the nature of trees and rocks
• When still, they are at rest.
• When agitated, they move.
• When square, they stop.
• When round, they go.
• Thus the shih of one skilled at setting people to
  battle is like rolling round rocks from a
  mountain one thousand jen high.
• This is shih.

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Chapter 8The Nine Transformations

• The plans of the wise necessarily include
  advantage and harm.
• They include advantage. Thus ones service can be
  trusted.
• They include harm. Thus adversity can be undone.
• Therefore
• Subdue the feudal lords with harm.
• Occupy the feudal lords with tasks.
• Hasten the feudal lords with advantage.

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Chapter 8The Nine Transformations

• And so for the general there are five dangers
• Resolved to die, one can be killed.
• Resolved to live, one can be captured.
• Quick to anger, one can be goaded.
• Pure and honest, one can be shamed.
• Loving the people, one can be aggravated.
• All five are the excesses of the general.
• A calamity in employing the military.

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Chapter 1
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Chapter 1Appraisals

• These are the victories of the military lineage.
• They cannot be transmitted in advance.

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Chapter 4Form

• Thus it is said, Victory can be known. It cannot
  be made.