Chapter 6 — Fullness and Emptiness

Sunzi said: In general, he who occupies the battleground first and awaits the enemy is at ease; he who arrives later and hastens into battle is weary. Therefore, one skilled in battle compels others and is not compelled by them.

What can make the enemy come of his own accord is profit; what can prevent the enemy from coming is harm. Therefore, if the enemy is rested, one can weary him; if well fed, one can starve him; if settled, one can move him. Emerge where he must hasten; hasten where he does not expect you.

To march a thousand miles without weariness, travel through ground where there is no enemy. To attack and be certain of taking the objective, attack what the enemy does not defend. To defend and be certain of holding firm, defend what the enemy does not attack. Therefore, against one skilled in attack, the enemy does not know where to defend; against one skilled in defense, the enemy does not know where to attack. Subtle, subtle! He reaches the point of having no form. Divine, divine! He reaches the point of making no sound. Thus he can become the arbiter of the enemy’s fate.

He advances irresistibly by striking the enemy’s emptiness; he retreats beyond pursuit by moving too swiftly to be overtaken. Thus, when I desire battle, though the enemy has high ramparts and deep moats, he cannot avoid fighting me, because I attack what he must rescue. When I do not desire battle, though I merely draw a line upon the ground and defend it, the enemy cannot fight me, because I divert him from his intended course.

Therefore, if I reveal the enemy’s disposition while remaining formless myself, I can concentrate while he must divide. I concentrate into one; he divides into ten. Thus I use ten to attack his one, so that I am many and the enemy is few. If I can use many to strike few, those with whom I do battle will be severely constrained. The place where I shall fight must remain unknown. If it is unknown, the enemy must prepare in many places; if he prepares in many places, those with whom I fight will be few. Thus, if he prepares the front, his rear will be weak; if he prepares the rear, his front will be weak; if he prepares the left, his right will be weak; if he prepares the right, his left will be weak. If he prepares everywhere, he will be weak everywhere. He who is few prepares against others; he who is many makes others prepare against him.

Therefore, if one knows the place and the day of battle, one can march a thousand miles and join battle. If one knows neither the place nor the day of battle, the left cannot rescue the right, the right cannot rescue the left, the front cannot rescue the rear, and the rear cannot rescue the front—how much less when the distant are tens of miles away and even the near are several miles apart? By my reckoning, though the troops of Yue are many, what help can that be toward victory? Thus it is said: Victory can be seized. Though the enemy is numerous, he can be made unable to fight.

Therefore, calculate against the enemy to learn the success or failure of his plans; provoke him to learn the principles of his movement and stillness; reveal his disposition to learn the ground of death and life; probe him to learn where he has abundance and where insufficiency. Thus, the ultimate disposition of troops is to reach formlessness. When you are formless, the deepest spy cannot discern you, nor can the wise devise plans against you. In accordance with the enemy’s disposition, one places victory before the multitude, but the multitude cannot understand it. Everyone knows the disposition by which I gained victory, but no one knows the disposition by which I controlled victory. Therefore, a victorious strategy is not repeated but responds to changing dispositions without end.

The disposition of troops resembles water. In its course, water avoids the high and hastens to the low; in gaining victory, an army avoids the substantial and strikes the empty. Water shapes its course according to the ground; an army shapes its victory according to the enemy. Therefore, an army has no fixed strategic configuration and no constant form. One who can transform himself in accordance with the enemy and thereby gain victory is called divine. Thus, among the five phases none is always victorious; among the four seasons none forever holds its place. The days are long and short; the moon wanes and waxes.

Sunzi said: In general, the one who occupies the battlefield first and waits for the enemy is rested; the one who arrives later and rushes into battle is weary. Therefore, one skilled in warfare makes the enemy come to him and is not made to go to the enemy.

What makes the enemy come of his own accord is the prospect of profit; what keeps the enemy from coming is the prospect of harm. Therefore, if the enemy is rested, you can wear him down; if he is well fed, you can starve him; if he is settled, you can make him move. Emerge where he must hurry to defend; hurry to where he does not expect you.

An army can march a thousand miles without weariness when it travels through ground where there is no enemy. An attack is certain to succeed when it strikes where the enemy does not defend. A defense is certain to hold when it guards what the enemy does not attack. Therefore, against one skilled in attack, the enemy does not know where to defend; against one skilled in defense, the enemy does not know where to attack. Subtle, so subtle that he reaches the formless; mysterious, so mysterious that he makes no sound. Thus, he can become the arbiter of the enemy’s fate.

An advance that cannot be resisted strikes the enemy’s empty places. A retreat that cannot be pursued moves so swiftly that it cannot be overtaken. Therefore, if I want battle, even though the enemy has high ramparts and deep ditches, he will have no choice but to fight me because I attack a place he must rescue. If I do not want battle, even if I defend only a line drawn on the ground, the enemy will be unable to fight me because I divert him from the direction he wants to take.

Therefore, expose the enemy’s disposition while remaining formless yourself, and your forces will be concentrated while the enemy’s are divided. If we are concentrated into one force while the enemy is divided into ten, then we use ten against one. Thus, we are many and the enemy is few. If we can use many to strike few, then those we actually fight will be limited. The enemy must not know the ground on which we intend to fight. If he does not know it, he must prepare in many places. If he prepares in many places, those we actually fight in any one place will be few. If he prepares the front, his rear will be weak; if he prepares the rear, his front will be weak; if he prepares the left, his right will be weak; if he prepares the right, his left will be weak. If he prepares everywhere, he will be weak everywhere. The side with few troops is the one that prepares against others; the side with many is the one that makes others prepare against it.

Therefore, if you know the place and day of battle, you can march a thousand miles and assemble to fight. If you know neither the place nor the day of battle, the left cannot rescue the right, the right cannot rescue the left, the front cannot rescue the rear, and the rear cannot rescue the front. How much more is this true when distant units are tens of miles apart and even nearby units are several miles apart? By my assessment, even though the troops of Yue are numerous, how can that help them determine victory or defeat? Thus it is said: Victory can be taken into one’s own hands. Even if the enemy is numerous, he can be prevented from fighting effectively.

Therefore, calculate the enemy’s plans and learn their strengths and weaknesses. Provoke him and learn the principles governing his movement and stillness. Expose his disposition and learn the ground of death and life. Probe him and learn where he has more than enough and where he has too little. Therefore, the ultimate disposition of an army is to reach formlessness. When it is formless, even deeply placed spies cannot observe it, and wise advisers cannot devise plans against it. In response to the enemy’s disposition, lay victory before the multitude, but the multitude cannot understand it. Everyone knows the disposition by which I won, but no one knows the disposition by which I controlled the victory. Therefore, a victorious method is not repeated but adapts its disposition in endlessly varying ways.

The disposition of an army resembles water. Water’s movement avoids high ground and rushes downward; an army’s victory avoids solidity and strikes emptiness. Water determines its course according to the ground; an army determines victory according to the enemy. Therefore, an army has no fixed strategic force and no constant disposition. One who can change and transform according to the enemy and thereby win is called divine. Of the Five Phases, none is constantly dominant. Of the four seasons, none remains in place. The days are short and long; the moon wanes and waxes.