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Daily Reflection 5.21.21
May. 21st, 2021 11:48 am More on The Nine Situations:
He then tells us,
How can we understand this?
First, open ground. What I take Sun Tzu to be saying here is identical to the occult maxim "Only resist what you want to strengthen." On open ground, the advantage can go to either side, and forcing an engagement will only freeze us in one location and keep us from being able to occupy a stronger position.
We can think of many equivalents in daily life. A rather common and stupid one is engaging in arguments on social media or the comments sections of blogs. A personal example: Yesterday morning I noticed two friends of mine discussing the Cabala on a Facebook group. One claimed they don't work with the Cabala because of racist statements by Jewish Cabalists against gentiles; the other claimed they don't like hte Cabala because it's just "Neoplatonic pantheism." This irritated me, so I waded in and posted a lengthy essay defending the following points:
A. The Tree of Life, Four Worlds, and notarikon are components of the Cabala which are derived from Neoplatonism, not Judaism, and so non-Jews can make use of them without either being beholden to the racism of certain Jewish Cabalists or committing so-called "cultural appropriation";
B. Cabala is not necessary, but it is very useful for anyone interested in the Western Magical Tradition, because
C. The Tree of Life, Four Worlds and so on are ways of presenting the basic concepts of Neoplatonism in a way that is much, much simpler than (say) slogging through Proclus, which is important because
D. The Western magical tradition simply is Neoplatonism-- oh, and by the way, Platonism isn't the same as pantheism.
These were good points. I was correct, and I made them well. But when I woke up yesterday, do you think my goal was to write an essay on Cabala that would be read by 6 people on Facebook or to write this blog? We both know the answer to that. Don't engage the enemy when it isn't necessary.
Okay, let's talk intersecting highways.
Sun Tzu was writing at a time when the Chinese empire was divided into a number of smaller, warring states; "intersecting highways" are territories which give access to a number of these states. Here we "join hands with our allies." Grounds of intersecting highways, then can be any situation in which we can gather with like-minded friends or colleagues to advance our mutual ends, especially our spiritual development. Churches and Druid groves, rotary clubs, Masonic lodges, AA meetings and karate dojos can all be intersecting highways; at all of these we can find support on the spiritual journey.
Jesus said that "wherever two or more are gathered in my name, there I am." Participants in spiritual communities find that the power produced by the group is greater than the sum of the individuals involved.
Of course, that also means that when a group goes toxic, it can exert an outsized destructive influence,
And then there's serious ground. This is when we're deep in the enemy territory-- and here we engage in plunder.
How do we do this in life, in the struggle within?
That requires some thinking.
First, what is the enemy? Everything that distracts us from our goal, the total conquest of our faculties and our future.
What is plunder? Anything taken from the enemy which nourishes our army.
Where can we find serious ground, then?
In all those places, times, and conditions that are usually under the control of the enemy-- but which are also not desperate situations.
Let's have an example. I'm sitting at a computer, and the baby is sleeping. I have a strong desire to play a video game right now, but I'm not going to. What will I do instead. Well, I was thinking of practicing tai chi. But should I? I mentioned the other day that I have a professional exam coming up that I have to pass if I want to ever support myself and my family. I love tai chi and I can't stand studying textbooks, but at this moment, tai chi is the enemy, just as much as video games. Time to hit the books!
Ground on which each side has liberty of movement is open ground.
Ground which forms the key to three contiguous states, so that he who occupies it first has most of the Empire at his command, is ground of intersecting highways.
When an army has penetrated into the heart of a hostile country, leaving a number of fortified cities in its rear, it is serious ground.
Ground which forms the key to three contiguous states, so that he who occupies it first has most of the Empire at his command, is ground of intersecting highways.
When an army has penetrated into the heart of a hostile country, leaving a number of fortified cities in its rear, it is serious ground.
He then tells us,
On open ground, do not try to block the enemy's way.
On ground of intersecting highways, join hands with your allies.
On serious ground, gather in plunder.
On ground of intersecting highways, join hands with your allies.
On serious ground, gather in plunder.
How can we understand this?
First, open ground. What I take Sun Tzu to be saying here is identical to the occult maxim "Only resist what you want to strengthen." On open ground, the advantage can go to either side, and forcing an engagement will only freeze us in one location and keep us from being able to occupy a stronger position.
We can think of many equivalents in daily life. A rather common and stupid one is engaging in arguments on social media or the comments sections of blogs. A personal example: Yesterday morning I noticed two friends of mine discussing the Cabala on a Facebook group. One claimed they don't work with the Cabala because of racist statements by Jewish Cabalists against gentiles; the other claimed they don't like hte Cabala because it's just "Neoplatonic pantheism." This irritated me, so I waded in and posted a lengthy essay defending the following points:
A. The Tree of Life, Four Worlds, and notarikon are components of the Cabala which are derived from Neoplatonism, not Judaism, and so non-Jews can make use of them without either being beholden to the racism of certain Jewish Cabalists or committing so-called "cultural appropriation";
B. Cabala is not necessary, but it is very useful for anyone interested in the Western Magical Tradition, because
C. The Tree of Life, Four Worlds and so on are ways of presenting the basic concepts of Neoplatonism in a way that is much, much simpler than (say) slogging through Proclus, which is important because
D. The Western magical tradition simply is Neoplatonism-- oh, and by the way, Platonism isn't the same as pantheism.
These were good points. I was correct, and I made them well. But when I woke up yesterday, do you think my goal was to write an essay on Cabala that would be read by 6 people on Facebook or to write this blog? We both know the answer to that. Don't engage the enemy when it isn't necessary.
Okay, let's talk intersecting highways.
Sun Tzu was writing at a time when the Chinese empire was divided into a number of smaller, warring states; "intersecting highways" are territories which give access to a number of these states. Here we "join hands with our allies." Grounds of intersecting highways, then can be any situation in which we can gather with like-minded friends or colleagues to advance our mutual ends, especially our spiritual development. Churches and Druid groves, rotary clubs, Masonic lodges, AA meetings and karate dojos can all be intersecting highways; at all of these we can find support on the spiritual journey.
Jesus said that "wherever two or more are gathered in my name, there I am." Participants in spiritual communities find that the power produced by the group is greater than the sum of the individuals involved.
Of course, that also means that when a group goes toxic, it can exert an outsized destructive influence,
And then there's serious ground. This is when we're deep in the enemy territory-- and here we engage in plunder.
How do we do this in life, in the struggle within?
That requires some thinking.
First, what is the enemy? Everything that distracts us from our goal, the total conquest of our faculties and our future.
What is plunder? Anything taken from the enemy which nourishes our army.
Where can we find serious ground, then?
In all those places, times, and conditions that are usually under the control of the enemy-- but which are also not desperate situations.
Let's have an example. I'm sitting at a computer, and the baby is sleeping. I have a strong desire to play a video game right now, but I'm not going to. What will I do instead. Well, I was thinking of practicing tai chi. But should I? I mentioned the other day that I have a professional exam coming up that I have to pass if I want to ever support myself and my family. I love tai chi and I can't stand studying textbooks, but at this moment, tai chi is the enemy, just as much as video games. Time to hit the books!
