Why is Zhuge Liang, known as "Wolong", a "wonderful plan" and a god-like figure in people's minds, who went out to Qishan six times until he died of illness in Wuzhangyuan, but failed every time? You may get some inspiration after reading this article.
Original text
Therefore, the classics are based on five things, and the correction is based on seven strategies, and the feelings are explored.
The first is called Dao, the second is called Heaven, the third is called Earth, the fourth is called General, and the fifth is called Dharma. The Taoist people must agree with the superiors that they can die with them or live with them without fear of danger. Heaven refers to yin and yang, cold and heat, and the seasons. Earth refers to high and low, far and near, dangerous and easy, wide and narrow, life and death. Generals are wise, trustworthy, benevolent, courageous and strict. Dharma refers to the system of music, the official way, and the main use. All generals will hear these five things. Those who know them will be victorious, and those who do not know them will not be victorious.
Translation
Therefore, it is necessary to analyze the five aspects of the enemy and ourselves, compare the seven situations, and obtain details to predict the possibility of winning or losing the war.
The first is Tao, the second is heaven, the third is earth, the fourth is generals, and the fifth is law. Tao means that the monarch and the people have the same goal and unified will, and can live and die together without fear of danger. Heaven refers to day and night, cloudy and sunny, cold and heat, and the changes of the four seasons. Land refers to the height of the terrain, the distance of the journey, the difficulty and flatness of the terrain, the vastness and narrowness of the battlefield, and the geographical conditions such as the place of life or death. General refers to a general who is resourceful, faithful in rewards and punishments, sincerely caring for his subordinates, brave and decisive, and has strict military discipline. Law refers to organizational structure, division of responsibilities and powers, staffing, management system, resource guarantee, and material allocation. Generals must have a deep understanding of these five aspects. If you understand, you will win, otherwise you will not win.
Ancient and modern interpretations
These two paragraphs are the second and third paragraphs in "The First Plan", revealing the five elements that need to be considered before war - Tao, Heaven, Land, generals, and laws. At the same time, it explains an important preparation before war, that is "strategy". The "strategy" here does not mean "strategy", but "calculation and analysis".
The highest realm of "Sun Tzu's Art of War" - to conquer the enemy without fighting. But in reality, it is an ideal state that cannot be achieved. On the contrary, we must always be prepared for war. War is the only means to maintain peace. Countries without war capabilities are destined to be beaten.
Since you have to fight, let’s fight! But these five elements must be analyzed before fighting. The "five things" are necessary conditions for victory in war.
Tao, different from the "Tao" in the "Tao Te Ching", here refers to "humanity", that is, the unity of thinking from top to bottom. "Tao" does not indicate whether a war is just. In China's modern history, the invasions of foreign powers and the aggression they launched were completely unjust wars. Why did our country cede territory and pay indemnities to seek peace? The main reason is that the major powers have unified their thinking and want to carve up China, but our country is divided by warlords and has constant civil wars. It is obvious that we have failed at the "Tao" level.
"Before fighting foreign affairs, you must first make peace at home", "Everything will be prosperous when the family is harmonious", "Two people are of the same mind, their strength can break the metal", "When people are united, Mount Tai can move"... There are too many such famous sayings in later generations. Nowadays It seems that it coincides with the "Tao" in "The Art of War", which also expresses the importance of unity of thought. It also tells us that when dealing with others, we should be kind to others and be harmonious to make money. The same is true for national governance and business management.
Tian refers to "the weather", the change of day and night, cloudy and sunny, cold and hot, and the four seasons. In the age of cold weapons, weather and timing are particularly important, and the power of nature is immeasurable.
When Du Mu of the Tang Dynasty passed by Red Cliff, he left behind a pair of beautiful sentences, "The east wind does not have its way with Zhou Lang, and the bronze bird spring locks Er Qiao deeply." It means Zhou Yu, you brat, if it weren't for the east wind's help, , your wife and sister-in-law have long been taken captive to Cao Cao's Tongque Terrace. Zhou Yu used the "east wind" to create miracles with fire attacks, defeating many with less, and defeating strong with weak, which is still a legend to this day.
Duanzi is a Duanzi. Through famous sentences, you can see the essence. "East Wind" is just the "timing time" in the Battle of Chibi. Without the help of "East Wind", the burning of Cao Ying cannot proceed smoothly, even if you have the best strategy Even more cannot be achieved. This is also the origin of "Everything is ready, all we need is the east wind".
We also use "sky" everywhere in our daily lives. Some people choose sunny weather to go out and play, some people like to walk in the rain, and some people like to "grow old" in the snow with their partners... And those People who do not plan well and do not rely on "Heaven" will go against the grain and go against "Heaven". In the end, they will be hit by heavy rains and lightning strikes...
Earth refers to "geographical advantage" , the height of the terrain, the distance of the journey, the difficulty and flatness of the terrain, the vastness and narrowness of the battlefield, and the geographical conditions such as whether it is a place of life or death. In ancient wars, "geographical advantages" also required the help of "timing and timing" to work simultaneously.
The "Battle of Chibi" mentioned above is a good example. The "east wind" is the "natural time", so what is the "geographical advantage" in this battle? Obviously, the natural moat of the Yangtze River is a "geographical advantage".
Although Cao Cao had great talents and great strategies, he was helpless in the face of the vast water of the Yangtze River (of course, there was also the application of "counterintuitive tactics", which allowed Cao Cao to kill Cai Hao and Zhang who were fighting on the water in the army. Yun, Huang Gai's "bitter meat plan" to pretend to surrender, let's not mention it for now).
Cao Cao's army did not have a regular naval force, so he thought of using iron cables and boats to travel on land, thinking that it could make up for the lack of "geographical convenience". His counselors also thought that the Sun and Liu coalition would use fire to attack, but because it was winter, Thinking that there was only northwest wind and no southeast wind, this fact was ignored. However, on the side of the Sun-Liu coalition, Zhuge Liang foresaw the "timing" and relied on the change of wind direction and the "geographical advantage" to cause Cao Cao to be completely defeated.
"The first to get the moon is the tower near the water, and the flowers and trees in the sun are easy to spring." These two poems well reflect the advantages of "geographical convenience". If a boy wants to pursue a girl, or a girl pursues a boy, he must first take advantage of the "geographical advantage". For example, if men and women sit at the same table, in the same class, or in the same school, this will be better than those in "long-distance relationships" who occupy the geographical advantage. This is also an important reason why the divorce rate of "long-distance relationships" is increasing now. The example of long-distance love is just one aspect. Various "geographical advantages" in life need to be slowly figured out by yourself.
General refers to a "general" who is resourceful, trustworthy in rewards and punishments, sincerely cares for his subordinates, brave and decisive, and has strict military discipline. "Jiang" is both the maker and executor of decisions. "Jiang" should be resourceful and resourceful first.
When you are away, you will not accept your orders." This is the truth.
This is exactly from the perspective of change, advocating that military generals should not stick to the old ways and remain unchanged in their use of troops, but should deal with various problems flexibly and mechanism-wise, and always focus on the overall situation and ignore irrelevant matters or have no practical significance to the overall situation. The decision will not be implemented.
In reality, everyone is their own master, no different from this "general", and must be flexible in everything. As the saying goes, "all roads lead to Rome."
In national governance, business management, and in dealing with people, we must grasp the connotation of "general" and implement work with new theories and new practices based on the actual situation. We must not just rely on experience or follow dogma. Only in this way can we remain invincible.
Law refers to "regulations", organizational structure, division of responsibilities and powers, staffing, management systems, resource guarantees, and material allocation. There is no circle without rules. Whether in war or non-war, "laws" must be followed.
In ancient times, when running an army, one must adhere to laws. Otherwise, the army would be in disarray and collapse without attack. Sun Tzu knew this well. When he met King Wu Helu, he showed this by killing King Wu's concubine to train his troops.
Sun Tzu divided the 180 beauties in the palace into two teams, and made King Wu's two favorite concubines the captains. Then he announced the military law and made repeated orders. On the training ground, the beauties in the palace couldn't stop laughing. Sun Tzu said: "If the rules are not clear and the laws are not familiar, it is the general's fault." He reiterated the discipline, and the beauties continued to laugh during the training. Sun Tzu said: "It is the general's fault if he is not familiar with the law. Since he has explained it repeatedly, if he fails to implement it, it is the junior sergeant's fault." So he ordered the execution of King Wu's two beloved concubines. As a result, this team has been trained into a team that can go through fire and water.
We often say "the upper beam is not straight and the lower beam is crooked", and we think this is a failure to set a good example, but the root cause is that the policies at the top are not implemented well, and it will be even more difficult to convince the public when they are spread to the lower levels. If we can abide by the "laws" and strictly implement them when governing the country, cultivating ourselves, and managing our families, there will be no "bad children" and there must be a pair of "bad parents" behind them.
Sun Tzu also concluded: "Every general will hear about these five things. Those who know them will win, and those who don't know will not win." He further emphasized the importance of the "five things".
After reading these "Five Things", let's take a look at why Zhuge Liang's "Six Out of Qishan" failed? The reason is that he did not calculate the "five things" before the war. If the calculation and analysis were thorough, the outcome would be decided in one battle, and there would be no such situation as "six emergencies".
In fact, Zhuge Liang was more than willing but insufficient. In the late Shu Han Dynasty, there had been internal divisions. The "Tao" level had failed. In addition, Liu Chu, raising troops and mobilizing masses, was an expedition, and the "land" level was He didn't have an advantage at all levels, and he was basically going against the will of heaven, but in order to repay Liu Bei's kindness, he could be regarded as doing his best.
Sun Tzu's theory is: Before a war, you should analyze the probability of victory through these "five things". Fight only if you can win, and one battle will determine the outcome; if you cannot win, wait for the opportunity and wait until you are sure of the chance of victory. beat. This also warns us not to "fight" blindly in life, and not to become the typical example of "fighting and losing" in those chicken soup articles. When we have to "fight", we must be sure of winning.