when the general is weak, the nation is weak

banksy

 

 
The general

is the bulwark of the nation.

When the bulwark is strong, the nation

is strong. When the bulwark is

weak, the nation is

weak.

 

There

are three ways

in which a ruler can bring

misfortune to his army: if he orders

the army to retreat or advance when it cannot

effectively do so, this is called “hobbling the army”;

if he attempts to administer the army when he does not

know how, its warriors will become frustrated;

if he commands the officers without proper

insight into how they function, this

will undermine their

confidence.

 

Once an army

has been confused like this,

trouble will arise from every direction.

This is known as “inviting chaos

and handing victory to the

opponent.”

💀

 

from The Art of War, Chapter III

 

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concentrate upon the way without pause

i ching / hexagram 40

 

Once 

you’ve begun 

to understand the Way, 

concentrate upon it without  

pause. This is the sunlight 

that matures the fruit of

your realization. 

 

Maintaining 

your insight through 

whatever comes, you make 

a Oneness of the world, and

conditions such as “good”

and “bad” drop 

away.

 

Wei wu Wei Ching, Chapter 40

 

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difficulty at the beginning

quiet, luminous, still

 

If we persevere a great success is at hand.

 
The literal translation of “chun” is “a blade of grass pushing against an obstacle as it sprouts out of the earth.” Receiving this hexagram is a sign that beyond the difficulties and pressures that surround you, a success lies waiting. In order to bring it fully into the light, you must be patient and persevere in nonaction.
 
No matter how fervently one desires to resolve a situation, to intervene impatiently now will only hinder the progress of good fortune. Accept and bear with the discomfort of chaos without attempting to push it away. Allowing it to clear of its own accord, in its own time, is the only way of insuring a subsequent blossoming of success.
 
Hold to proper principles. In your actions, seek and respect the counsel of the Sage. Allow those whose hearts are true to assist you wherever possible; be tolerant of all others. In this way the blessing that now lies hidden will come into the open.
 

from The I Ching, or Book of Changes

Hexagram 3, Chun / Difficulty at the Beginning

 

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invisible yet ever present


 
 

The heart of Tao is immortal,

the mysterious fertile mother of us all,

of heaven and earth, of every

and not-thing.

 

Invisible yet ever present,

you can use it forever

without using it up.

 

Tao te Ching of Lao Tzu,

Chapter 6

 

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a time for creating union

seeds of realization

 

Seek union with others

and with the Sage.

 

“Holding together”

denotes a time for creating union

with others in order to complement and assist

one another, just as the rain complements and assists

the earth, which is an image often associated with

this hexagram. In order for your unions to bear

the greatest possible fruit, certain

requirements must

be met.

 

The first

requirement for holding

together with others is that we hold

together with our own inner truth. This means

that we adhere to proper principles as a matter of habit,

striving always to remain innocent, balanced, and

correct. In short, marry the Sage first and

faithfully, and good fortune will

come to all subsequent

marriages.

 

The second

requirement for holding

together with others is that we

steadfastly resist the clamoring of

the emotional inferiors within. Every union

meets with challenges, and if we are not resolute

against the effects of fear, doubt, despair, and anger,

no lasting success will be possible in any relationship.

This is a good time to ask yourself if you are

displaying the steadfast correctness and

strength of character that are

at the heart of all great

unions.

 

Finally,

it is the responsibility

of one who would unite to see

that it is possible for others to enjoy union

as well. The desire for community is deeply felt by

all humans, and it is the shared responsibility of all those

on the higher path to make some sort of “family”

available to those in need. In doing this,

we pay homage to

the Sage.

 

The I Ching, or Book of Changes

Hexagram 8, Pi / Holding Together

 

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