Many say that you are your greatest enemy but is that really true?
I recently read a really enthralling book called The Art of War which was written by Sun Tzu who was a Chinese general, military strategist, and philosopher who lived in the Spring and Autumn period of ancient China which was around 771 to 476 BC according to Wikipedia.
Sun Tzu - The Art of War
I'll give you a little background of what this book is about. The Art of War was published in 1521 with the book containing 13 chapters, each of which is devoted to one aspect of warfare and it is commonly thought of as a definitive work on military strategy and tactics. The reason why this is so military oriented is that Sun Tzu was a Chinese general.
The book mainly revolves around the science of war which was made famous by its author who was a genius strategist. His tactics have been applied to everything from business to video games and it truly amazing how his legacy lives on today and we don't seem to realise it.
Principles In The Book Applied To Us
Despite all the good teaching and morals that can be picked up from the book The Art of War has never been applied to life itself as a whole and it is such a great piece of text where life is intertwined with it. We don't generally think of life as a war zone, however, everyone suffers within it. Some people are at war not only with themselves but also other existential factors.
I'm not trying to say to treat life as a burden and devise a strategy against it to reign victor and beat it down. What I'm going to try to push forward is don't despise life, but recognise the subtle pain stemming from its source. It is the main fundamental thing that keeps sapping away your energy but from this torment, we can also grow.
How this book can be applied to human life
I'm going to take a few extracts from the book and give my own interpretation in how it is intertwined with life and we can learn from it.
"All warfare is based on deception."
If we look at the view that life is the enemy, how does it deceive the consciousness within itself? Think deeply about this. We must appear to suffer in life, yet inwardly be at peace. Should you work hard to defeat life, one will only suffer more. You must work with life and enjoy it rather than loathe it or you will destroy each other.
Moreover, if we look at it more generally conflict and fighting is bred from deceit or when you are tricked. Despite the fact it could be menial you will still fester in some hatred and detest as you plan how to get your payback.
“The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.”
Therefore find your way of appearing to be in an effort with no struggle, appear relaxed but never lethargic. You must preach your annoyance in a modest and subdued way not inflicting any blows or causing any conflicts.
In this way, we find suffering & life are the same; consciousness & external environments are one and the same as well. They are both so intertwined that imposing and damaging one will inherently hurt the other so we should all make peace with ourselves and stay meek despite all the angst.
I read this book when I was in college and while the quote you chose is an excellent one, this was my favorite:
“There are not more than five musical notes, yet the combinations of these five give rise to more melodies than can ever be heard.
There are not more than five primary colours, yet in combination
they produce more hues than can ever been seen.
There are not more than five cardinal tastes, yet combinations of
them yield more flavours than can ever be tasted.”
Amazing when you think about it :)
It is truly sublime @dreemit
It does really show that despite the fact we may see independent limits, if we are able to mix together and form this wonderful concoction then you are able to thrive and prosper.
Without looking through all the different combinations we will be stuck with discrete and uniform decisions which may be harmful in the end
Brilliant post @arckrai liked it, had a mention from a friend about this book!!! long back !!!
The dynamics of the modern world are dramatically changing, enraging battles that were fought centuries ago have changed to tactical warfare and more diplomatic solutions, than in the earlier times.
This is more friendly but more" dangerous" world that we are living in today and no one wants WAR!!! Yet the threats continue !!!
Upvoted and followed!
Kindly follow me : @amitsharma
Cheers!
I read this book a very long time ago. It's a great tactical way to avoid battles.
If your enemy is stronger avoid
If your enemy is weaker show compassion
If you are evenly matched. Fight.
It applies to life as you point out.
Good post upvoted and resteemed.
It is amazing how principles from that book live on today.
Such simples rules but they have such a profound effect.
Thanks for reading @molometer
Thanks bro! Really helpful!
Thank you for reading :)
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Acceptance of ourselves is probably the most important without it well be unhappy in every area of our live @rogerblu
this is one book that everyone keeps telling me to read.
I think your insights are quite interesting on this.