sun tzu said:

The military is a great matter of the state.
It is the ground of death and life,
The Tao of survival or extinction.
One cannot but examine it.


And so base it in the five.
Compare by means of the appraisals.
Thus seek out its nature.



the first is Tao, the second is heavon, the third is
earth, the fourth is the general, the fifth is method.


Tao is what causes the people to have the same
purpose as their superior.
Thus they can die with him, live with him and not deceive him.


Heaven is yin and yang, cold and hot, the order of the seasons.
Going with it, going against it--this is military victory.


Earth is high and low,broad and narrow, far and near, steep and level, death and life.


The general is knowledge, trustworthiness,courage and strictness.


Method is ordering divisions, the Tao of ranking and principal supply.


As for all these five--

No general has not heard of them.
knowing them, one is victorious.
Not knowing them, one is not victorious.


And so compare by means of the appraisals.
Thus seek its nature.
Ask--
Which ruler has Tao?
Which general has ability?
Which attains heaven and earth?
Which implements method and orders?
Whose military and multitudes are strong?
Whose officers and soldiers are trained?
Whose rewards and punishments are clear?
By rhese I know victory and defeat!


The general heeds my appraisals. Employ him and
he is certainly victorious. Retain him.
The general does not heed my appraisals. Employ
him and he is certainly defeated. Remove him.


Having appraised the advantges, heed them.
Then make them into shih to aid with the external.
Shih is governing the balance according to the
advantages.


The military is a Tao of deception--
Thus when able, manifest inability.
When active, manifest inactivity.
When near, manifest as far.
When far, manifest as near.
Thus when he seeks advantage, lure him.
When he is strong, avoid him.
When he is wrathful, harass him.
Attack where he is unprepared.
Emerge where he does not expect it.


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


Noww, in the rod-counting at court before battle, one
is victorious who gets many counting rods.
In the rod-counting at court before battle, one is
not victorious who gets few counting rods.
Many counting rods is victorious over few counting rods,
How much more so over no counting rods.
y these means I observe them.
Victory and defeat are apparent.