Dao.

This is coolbert:

In the book "The Art of War", by Sun Tzu, numerous references are made to daoist precepts.

Dao has often been described as the religion of China.

This is somewhat erroneous.

It should be perhaps more correctly thought of as a philosophy. It is more of a way of categorizing and organizing the natural order as seen and perceived by humans. Examples of dao [pronounced "dow"] would be tall and short, hot and cold, open and closed, light and dark, old and young, male and female, etc.

Sun makes numerous mentions of daoist ideas and concepts in his book about war.

These are but a few.


Among the five constant factors governing war are:

Heaven, signifying night and day, cold and heat, times and seasons.

and,

Earth, comprised of distances, great and small, danger and security, open and narrow, life and death.


And regarding deception at war, Sun states:

"when able, seem unable, . . . when using [our forces], seem inactive, . . . when near, seem far, when far, seem near."


Under the chapter entitled "Energy":

"Simulated disorder postulates perfect discipline."

"simulated fear postulates courage."

"Simulated weakness postulates strength."



Under the chapter entitled, "Weak Points and Strong Points".

"For should the enemy strengthen his van [lead troops], he will weaken his rear; should he strengthen his rear, he will weaken his van; should he strengthen his left, he will weaken his right;"


On striking the enemy:

"the way to avoid what is strong is to strike at what is weak."


Under Maneuvering:

"The difficulty consists of turning the devious into the direct, and misfortune into gain."


Regarding a skilled tactician:

"strike at it's head, and you will be attacked by the tail; strike at it's tail, and you will be attacked by the head; strike at the middle and you will be attacked by the head and tail both.

[Sun here is describing the shuai-jan, a Chinese snake, how it responds to attack].


Daoist way of thought is the Chinese way of thought. Been practiced for thousands of years. Is as pertinent today as it was in the day of Sun [500 B.C.].

coolbert.