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Post by Pathfinder on Feb 16, 2022 18:34:46 GMT
Good commanders in ancient times did not excel only in bravery, ferocity, strategy, and tactics. They used both culture and arms, exercised both leniency
and ferocity. Humane and loving, they pardoned minor errors, forgot old injuries, listened carefully to criticism and put it to use. They were generous in
rewarding merit, without boasting of themselves. Therefore the officers and soldiers united in harmony, enabling them to achieve success.
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Post by Pathfinder on Feb 16, 2022 18:43:40 GMT
Brave and fierce men of old who were excellent commanders may have been successful in war and founded states, but without wisdom it is impossible to preserve culture, keep secure, and hand on the legacy to posterity. Therefore a warrior leader considers wisdom first; courage is next to that.
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Post by Pathfinder on Feb 16, 2022 18:46:35 GMT
A man of old said, “Victory in war is a matter of cohesion, not numbers.” This means that winning in warfare is a matter of officers and soldiers obeying the means that winning in warfare is a matter of officers and soldiers obeying the commander, so orders are not disregarded, all join forces together as one, and they fight selflessly.
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Post by Pathfinder on Feb 16, 2022 18:52:47 GMT
The way for a commander to deploy an army in combat should include four things: justice, technique, courage, and knowledge. First, justice should be considered the substance. When you start a war, you have to examine whether it is just or unjust. If your military order is organized and your army is strong, you are sure to beat your opponent, but if the adversary is not one that ought to be attacked, then it is unjust to start a war. War should not be instigated. This means making justice the substance.
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Post by Pathfinder on Feb 16, 2022 19:01:13 GMT
Military action ought to be undertaken on the basis of humanity and justice. This means employing cultured warriors. If you make war unsupported by cultured warriors, you can’t avoid making men into bandits.
Ordinarily, making war is contrary to the benevolent heart of the universe that gives birth to beings. Sages use arms only when unavoidable. This is implementation of the principle of nature. The warfare of sages is an exercise in justice; humaneness is therein. The sense of man using weaponry is expressed in justice; humaneness is therein. The sense of man using weaponry
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Post by Pathfinder on Feb 16, 2022 19:05:24 GMT
He defines seven kinds of just warfare, while condemning predatory warfare in pursuit of reputation or profit. In this connection he criticizes popular tendency to admire the power of violence without question of ethical a probity or purpose.
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Post by Pathfinder on Feb 16, 2022 19:12:52 GMT
As for generals, they receive their orders at the national shrine, entrusted with a share of authority in the field, in sole charge of the threat of arms, leading the hearts of the armies, uniting the strength of the warriors. Thereby they overcome the unruly and punish the unjust. When their rage takes form, order prevails over a thousand miles; when their threat is exercised, all people submit. Therefore the generals are the claws and fangs of a nation.
The ministers assisted the ruler above, ordering yin and yang according to the four seasons to bring about what was best for all people. Internally they oversaw
the hundred bureaus, making the nobles, grandees, and scholars responsible for their respective duties and comforting the peasants, enabling widows, widowers,
orphans, and childless each to find their place. Externally they won the allegiance of allies, so that the feudal lords maintained order and didn’t start any
wars. They reassured other peoples on all sides, so the other peoples agreed to diplomacy, and those beyond the seas adadmired the civilization. Therefore
ministers are the guts and heart of a nation.
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Post by Pathfinder on Feb 16, 2022 19:24:20 GMT
Enlightened rulers and wise generals will take lessons from these examples, internally cultivating cultural virtues while externally managing military
preparations. When inside and outside are both provided for and the normal and the provisional are employed at appropriate times, then the nation can be
preserved forever so the people will always be at peace.
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Post by Pathfinder on Feb 21, 2022 17:07:40 GMT
The origins of warfare are of many types, but they do not go beyond three
categories: just war, contest for prestige, or greed for profit.
When it is humane, just, loyal, and faithful, harboring no selfishness, an
operation that is in accord with nature and humanity is called a just war.
There are seven kinds of just war in all. First is when the people all over
the land are withering away under a brutal government, waiting for the time
when it will some day perish, so Providence accedes to the people’s desire
and borrows the services of a spiritual warrior with the character of a sage
to execute the tyrant, so the people are revived in the midst of water and
fire.
Second is when there is a virtuous ruler with no resentful citizens in his
domain, but rebels infringe upon the king’s authority, antagonizing his
allies, not responding to invitations to make peace and not submitting to
admonitions about justice. When it is unavoidable, the ruler commands the
overlords and orders allies to raise an army to wipe out the rebels.
Third is when treacherous ministers assassinate their rulers, and loyal
ministers and dutiful knights raise an army for justice to execute them.
Fourth is when the ruler is weak while the ministers are strong; authority
rests with the powerful, who confer private favors to establish a
commanding presence; troublesome people form factions; and the country
is on the brink of collapse. Then loyal ministers contrive to stabilize the
nation.
Fifth is when the whole land is already in chaos, disloyal strongmen
carve out their own bailiwicks and invade each other, and then the loyal and
the good assist the ruling house to restore the central government and
rescue the people’s lives.
Sixth is when there are those who seek revenge on the enemies of their
fathers and grandfathers, who take pains to humble themselves to servants,
attract heroes, and enlist death-defying warriors, raising an army to efface a
national disgrace.
Seventh is when the country is in utter chaos and has no settled ruler, so
everyone keeps to his stronghold, waiting for the world to settle down; if
bandits come spoiling, robbing your people, then you raise an army to hunt
them down, to relieve the people of their harm.
When an enemy afflicts you and you have no choice but to take action,
this is called responsive war. This means victory by military response.
When it saves the world from disaster and gets rid of what harms the
populace, then it is considered just warfare. Those whose warfare is just
prosper because they pursue the people’s happiness.
When a pretense of justice is used to seek a reputation, this is warfare in
a contest for prestige. An armed contest is dangerous; to pursue prestige
thereby is to forget justice.
When a pretense of humanity and justice is used for profiteering, that is
treacherous warfare. Those who arm out of greed will perish, because this is
unnatural and inhuman. In latter days this type of treachery is not rare.
There are those who outwardly claim to have a just cause in executing
usurping assassins, while inwardly harboring a scheme to set themselves
up, eventually getting rid of the heirs of the ruler and killing the loyal
ministers.
These are bandits robbing bandits—how can they escape blame? Some
overtly say they want to effect good government throughout the land,
leaving a reputation for merit in the books, but in reality they wind up
assassinating their fathers and murdering their sons, then increasing taxes
and exactions so much that they lose the masses. This is severing the root in
pursuit of the branches. How could they not collapse and perish?
People of the world do not discuss whether they are just or unjust but
simply praise the cunning who take by aggression and have won battles
repeatedly, calling them heroes and good commanders. Noble men despise atedly, calling them heroes and good commanders. N
Planning for the Nation
The root of the land is in the nation, the root of the nation is in the home,
the root of the home is in the person. Therefore those who would peacefully
govern the land, the nation, and the home first cultivate themselves. When
you are personally cultivated, then your whole household is influenced by
this; if this is extended, the whole nation is orderly. If one nation is orderly,
the whole land will go along with it. This is how a ruler, by personal
conduct, leads subordinates by means of his character, so the people,
observing, are impressed and their hearts submit.
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Post by Kriyaban on Mar 4, 2022 12:49:34 GMT
It is most important to observe the hardships of the officers and soldiers and
not forget them. The season is not as significant as the advantage of the ground;
the advantage of the ground is not as significant as the harmony of the personnel;
the harmony of the personnel is not as significant as the strategy of the general;
the strategy of the general is not as significant as riding on momentum.
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Post by Kriyaban on Mar 4, 2022 12:52:31 GMT
The Three Treasures are the farmers, the artisans, and the merchants. The
Three Strategies are tactics, intelligence, and planning. The Four Doors of
martial arts, according to Takeda Shingen, are archery, riflery, horsemanship,
and military science
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Post by Kriyaban on Mar 4, 2022 13:02:08 GMT
A general of old, climbing onto high ground, saw a rainbow. Delighted, he said
to his troops, “This rainbow is the energy of a cloud of defeat hanging over our
enemy. If we attack tonight we’ll win.” As it turned out, they did fight that night
and won a victory. Then there was a man named Yamamoto Kansuke in the
inner circle of Takeda Shingen who is supposed to have won battles by knowing
the significance of the stars.
In both cases, they saw that their chances in battle were good and used these
devices to encourage their cohorts. Another went before deities with lots and
prayed, “If You grant us victory in this battle, show it by the sign of 3.” Then he
drew lots three times, and got the number 3 each time. Seeing this, the soldiers
were relieved of doubt and actually won the battle that day. What the
commander had done was to discard the lots with 1 and 2 beforehand, so that
only lots with the number 3 remained.
In order to encourage his troops, Di Renjie of the Tang dynasty secretly
counterfeited a coin with heads on both sides, then when he’d get set up for
battle he’d say to the soldiers, “If we’re going to win this battle, the coin should
come up heads.” Then he’d flip the coin. Seeing it always come up heads, the
troops thought it was supernatural and fought their way to an overwhelming
victory.
All of these were strategies for settling the minds of the soldiers. It is also said
that in olden times they’d designate seats of the firm and the timid every day to
inspire the officers and soldiers.
Generally speaking, past and present, those who esteem boldness and power
inevitably perish, while those who value humanity and justice are invariably
loyal. So it is normal for a warrior to disregard his life for justice and fight to the
death to be honorable.
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Post by Kriyaban on Aug 3, 2023 19:02:40 GMT
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