Daily Advice 1.07.21
Jan. 7th, 2021 07:12 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
readoldthingsLet's shift gears a bit.
Some time back, I began working on an occult version of Sun Tzu's Art of War. What I'd like to do now is basically that, except I want to explore the book from a broader perspective, not just from within the small subculture of people who practice magic.
The translation I'm using is by Lionel Giles and can be found on Google Books here. I like this one in part because it's straightfoward and readable, but mainly because of the author's hilarious footnotes, which include constant bitchy swipes at a previous English translator, a Captain Calthrop. After a brief introduction, Sun Tzu tells us that:
For the next few days, I want to go through these one by one, starting with the first. Sun Tzu writes:
Now, readers with any background in Chinese philosophy will already have guessed that the word being translated by Giles as "Moral Law" is, in fact, 道-- that is, Tao. At the time of the translation, Taoism and Chinese philosophy generally were, I think, far less known in the west than they are today.
Sun Tzu tells us that having the Tao "causes the people to be in complete accord with their ruler."
Now, for most of us, in most cases, when we set out to achieve something, we do so by ourselves. Sometimes we have a group or a team. Most of us won't be governing any kingdoms any time soon. But the advice that Sun Tzu gives applies even when we are acting alone.
Whenever we set out to achieve something, we need to know exactly what it is. We need to know that we really do want to achieve it, and that it is in alignment with our higher values-- whether we're Taoists or not.
That might sound obvious, but consider how often people publicly do things that are entirely contrary to their stated goals. Do you want to be a writer? Okay, great. Why are you spending your time reading books about writing, or hanging out with other writers, or drinking at-- God help us-- "writers bars"? Do any of those things accomplish your supposed goal, the writing of books for the enjoyment of readers?
Or consider the freakshow of our national politics. What goal were the protesters who stormed the Capitol building yesterday trying to achieve? Do you know? Whatever it was, was storming the Capitol going to achieve it? For that matter, what could storming the Capitol possibly achieve? In dumb TV shows (lookin' at you, Game of Thrones Season 6), if you kill the other guy's king, you automatically become the king. In real life, the king's followers get mad and fight you. Or ban you from social media.
So that's today's advice. Whenever you set out to achieve something, make sure it's what you really want; make sure it's in alignment with your values; and make sure that what you're doing can actually help you to achieve it. And if you do happen to have a team, this is where you make sure you're all on the same page-- whether your team consists of incarnate people, spirits of one sort or another, or a mixture of both!
Tomorrow: Heaven and Earth.
Some time back, I began working on an occult version of Sun Tzu's Art of War. What I'd like to do now is basically that, except I want to explore the book from a broader perspective, not just from within the small subculture of people who practice magic.
The translation I'm using is by Lionel Giles and can be found on Google Books here. I like this one in part because it's straightfoward and readable, but mainly because of the author's hilarious footnotes, which include constant bitchy swipes at a previous English translator, a Captain Calthrop. After a brief introduction, Sun Tzu tells us that:
The art of war, then, is governed by five constant factors, to be taken into account in one's deliberations, when seeking to determine the conditions obtaining in the field.
These are: 1. The Moral Law; 2. Heaven; 3. Earth; 4. The Commander; 5. Method and Discipline.
These are: 1. The Moral Law; 2. Heaven; 3. Earth; 4. The Commander; 5. Method and Discipline.
For the next few days, I want to go through these one by one, starting with the first. Sun Tzu writes:
The Moral Law causes the people to be in complete accord with their ruler, so that they will follow him regardless of their lives, undismayed by any danger.
Now, readers with any background in Chinese philosophy will already have guessed that the word being translated by Giles as "Moral Law" is, in fact, 道-- that is, Tao. At the time of the translation, Taoism and Chinese philosophy generally were, I think, far less known in the west than they are today.
Sun Tzu tells us that having the Tao "causes the people to be in complete accord with their ruler."
Now, for most of us, in most cases, when we set out to achieve something, we do so by ourselves. Sometimes we have a group or a team. Most of us won't be governing any kingdoms any time soon. But the advice that Sun Tzu gives applies even when we are acting alone.
Whenever we set out to achieve something, we need to know exactly what it is. We need to know that we really do want to achieve it, and that it is in alignment with our higher values-- whether we're Taoists or not.
That might sound obvious, but consider how often people publicly do things that are entirely contrary to their stated goals. Do you want to be a writer? Okay, great. Why are you spending your time reading books about writing, or hanging out with other writers, or drinking at-- God help us-- "writers bars"? Do any of those things accomplish your supposed goal, the writing of books for the enjoyment of readers?
Or consider the freakshow of our national politics. What goal were the protesters who stormed the Capitol building yesterday trying to achieve? Do you know? Whatever it was, was storming the Capitol going to achieve it? For that matter, what could storming the Capitol possibly achieve? In dumb TV shows (lookin' at you, Game of Thrones Season 6), if you kill the other guy's king, you automatically become the king. In real life, the king's followers get mad and fight you. Or ban you from social media.
So that's today's advice. Whenever you set out to achieve something, make sure it's what you really want; make sure it's in alignment with your values; and make sure that what you're doing can actually help you to achieve it. And if you do happen to have a team, this is where you make sure you're all on the same page-- whether your team consists of incarnate people, spirits of one sort or another, or a mixture of both!
Tomorrow: Heaven and Earth.
