10 Terrain - The Art of War - Lao Tzu

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Chapter ten, Terrain, Sun Sou said, we may distinguish six
kinds of terrain to wit. One accessible ground, two entangling ground,
three temporizing ground, four narrow passes, five precipitous heights. Six

(00:21):
positions at a great distance from the enemy. Ground which
can be freely traversed by both sides is called accessible.
With regard to ground of this nature, be before the
enemy in occupying the raised and sunny spots, and carefully
guard your lines of supplies. Then you will be able

(00:41):
to fight with advantage. Ground which can be abandoned but
is hard to reoccupy is called entangling. From a position
of this sort, if the enemy is unprepared, you may
sally forth and defeat him. But if the enemy is
prepared for your coming and you fail to defeat him,
then return being impossible. Disaster will ensue. When the position

(01:06):
is such that neither side will gain by making the
first move, it is called temporizing ground. In a position
of this sort, even though the enemy should offer us
an attractive bait, it will be advisable not to stir forth,
but rather to retreat, thus enticing the enemy in his turn. Then,

(01:26):
when part of his army is come out we may
deliver our attack with advantage. With regard to narrow passes,
if you can occupy them first, let them be strongly garrisoned,
and await the advent of the enemy. Should the army
forestall you in occupying a pass, do not go after
him if the pass is fully garrisoned, but only if

(01:49):
it is weakly garrisoned. With regard to precipitous heights, if
you are beforehand with your adversary, you should occupy the
raised and sunny spots and their wait for him to
come up. If the enemy has occupied them before you,
do not follow him, but retreat and try to entice

(02:09):
him away. If you are situated at a great distance
from the enemy, and the strength of the two armies
is equal, it is not easy to provoke a battle,
and fighting will be to your disadvantage. These six are
the principles connected with earth. The general who has attained
a responsible post must be careful to study them. Now

(02:32):
an army is exposed to six several calamities, not arising
from natural causes, but from faults for which the general
is responsible. These are one flight, two in subordination, three collapse,
four ruin, five disorganization, six route, other conditions being equal.

(02:57):
If one force is hurled against another ten times its size,
the results will be the flight of the farmer. When
the common soldiers are too strong in their officers too weak,
the result is in subordination. When the officers are too
strong and the common soldiers too weak, the result is collapse.

(03:18):
When the higher officers are angry and insubordinate, and on
meeting the enemy, give battle on their own account from
a feeling of resentment, before the commander in chief can
tell whether or not he is in a position to fight.
The result is ruin. When the general is weak and
without authority, when his orders are not clear and distinct.

(03:40):
When there are no fixed duties assigned to officers and men,
and the ranks are formed in a slovenly haphazard manner,
the result is utter disorganization. When a general, unable to
estimate the enemy strength, allows an inferior force to engage
a larger one or her, rolls a weak detachment against

(04:01):
a powerful one, and neglects to place picked soldiers in
the front rank, the result must be route. There are
six ways of courting defeat, which must be carefully noted
by the general who has attained a responsible post. The
natural formation of the country is the soldier's best ally,
But a power of estimating the adversary, of controlling the

(04:24):
force of victory, and of shrewdly calculating difficulties, dangers, and
distances constitutes the test of a great general. He who
knows these things, and in fighting puts his knowledge into practice,
will win his battles. He who knows them not nor
practices them, will surely be defeated. If fighting is sure

(04:48):
to result in victory, then you must fight, even though
the ruler forbid it. If fighting will not result in victory,
then you must not fight, even at the ruler's bidding.
The general who advances without coveting fame and retreats without
fearing disgrace, whose only thought is to protect his country
and do good service for his sovereign, is the jewel

(05:11):
of the kingdom. Regard your soldiers as your children, and
they will follow you into the deepest valleys. Look upon
them as your own beloved sons, and they will stand
by you, even unto death. If, however, you are indulgent
but unable to make your authority felt kind hearted, but

(05:33):
unable to enforce your commands, and incapable moreover, of quelling disorder,
then your soldiers must be likened to spoilt children. They
are useless for any practical purpose. If we know that
our own men are in a condition to attack, but
are unaware that the enemy is not open to attack,

(05:53):
we have gone only half way towards victory. If we
know that the enemy is open to attack, but are
unaware that our own men are not in condition to attack,
we have gone only half way towards victory. If we
know that the enemy is open to attack, and also
know that our men are in a condition to attack,

(06:15):
but are unaware that the nature of the ground makes
fighting impracticable, we have still gone only half way towards victory. Hence,
the experienced soldier, once in motion, is never bewildered. Once
he has broken camp, he is never at a loss.
Hence the saying, if you know the enemy and know yourself,

(06:39):
your victory will not stand in doubt. If you know
heaven and no earth, you may make your victory complete.
End of Chapter ten