How to read and absorb The Art of War and apply its teachings

The Art of War by Sun Tzu is marvelous. It is a look at the thinking process of a sage and a philosopher and a warrior. You will be exposed to a way of managing and handling conflicts that is different from anything else that you have ever experienced.

Consider the following statement from the book:

"To win without fighting is the best."

Also the following story captures beautifully the essence of the book. This story has been sourced from Thomas Cleary's translation of book:

According to an old story, a lord of ancient China once asked his physician, a member of a family of healers, which of them was the most skilled in the art.

The physician, whose reputation was such that his name became synonymous with medical science in China, replied:

"My eldest brother sees the spirit of sickness and removes it before it takes shape and so his name does not get out of the house.

"The elder brother cures sickness when it is still extremely minute and so his name does not get out of the neighborhood.

"As for me, I puncture veins, prescribe potions and massage skin, so from time to time my name gets out and is heard among the lords."

This is an illustration of the basic premise of The Art of War. Do what is required to win, but do it in such a way that victory is achieved without fuss or display and do it so skillfully that the enemy is defeated before he can grow strong and cause trouble for you.

The whole book carries the characteristic stamp of Taoism. Consider the following text from The Art of War:

"Plan for what is difficult when it is easy, do what is great when it is small. The most difficult things in the world must be done when they are still easy. The greatest things in the world must be done when they are still small. For this reason sages never do what is great, and this is why they can achieve that greatness."

The central message is that it is best to win without fighting.

War, quarrels, conflicts and disputes, whether large or small, whether between individuals, communities or nations are painful and messy. Conflicts are however inevitable in this world that we live in. In fact Alan Watts describes the order of Nature to be a mutual eating society. We all prey on each other to eat – whether we are humans, animals, insects or reptiles.

But these conflicts – in nature – are such that the harmony of the whole is preserved. Conflicts take place but they cause minimum possible damage. And this is exactly what is advocated by Sun Tzu.

Conflicts and disputes are inevitable in human society also. Thus we may need to fight at times. But such warfare is a necessary evil. We must not forget that it is evil, however necessary it may be.

Thus it is said:

"Weapons are inauspicious instruments, not the tools of the enlightened."

Anger and greed are the main causes of defeat according to The Art of War. Thus it follows that the best warrior or the best general is one who is calm, detached, reserved and unemotional. The best warrior is not one who is thirsting for vengeance or the ambitious young man seeking his fortune.

Thus is also follows that The Art of war advocates that we be the master of ourselves and our passions and emotions. We need to first work on ourselves before we can use and profit from the advice of the book. Meditation and philosophy are good means to attain that poise and command over self.

The language of the book is a bit vague an open ended and metaphorical. It is a bit difficult to see at first how we can apply the concepts to our own lives. The language is such that it is open to many different interpretations and different people can read the same passage and come to totally different understandings of it.

Basically to understand the book it is best is you first try to grasp and be clear about the essential message and philosophy. This is the message of Taoism as I have explained here. It would be best if you picked up Thomas Cleary's translation of The Art of War. The introductory chapter contains many comments that explain the philosophy of the book. After you have read the Introduction a couple of times you will be in a better position to read the actual text of Sun Tzu.

To be able to use the advice in our own lives I think it is necessary that we should read the text at least a couple of times. Go through it slowly. This book cannot be read like a novel. Read one, maybe two pages at a time and take your time over it. The language is open ended and vague and metaphorical. You will need to think how you can apply each concept or method to the specific conflicts that you are facing in your life.

In the end you must use the material metaphorically. You must make it a part of your life and your thinking. This will require time, effort and study on your part. The Art of War is available at Amazon. Please pick up a copy by clicking on the above link.

Another commentary on this book is Reminiscences of an Ancient Strategist The Mind of Sun Tzu by Dr. Foo Check Teck. This is a much larger book or a commentary on The Art of War in which the author attempts to get inside the head of Sun Tzu and reveal his thought process. It is an easier book to read and understand – compared to Cleary – because it contains many examples that explain the concepts.

I hope you enjoyed this article and that it will be useful to you.

Stay tuned for more in this continuing series.

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