Chapter 8 · Nine Changes · 九變

Passage 8-3

塗有所不由. 軍有所不擊. 城有所不攻. 地有所不爭. 君命有所不受.

Some roads should not be traveled Some armies should not be attacked Some cities should not be besieged Some ground should not be contested Some sovereign orders should not be obeyed

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These passages from other chapters connect to the themes in Passage 8-3:

Flight: The First Calamity Passage 10-8 故兵有走者, 有弛者, 有陷者, 有崩者, 有亂者, 有北者... Insubordination Passage 10-9 夫勢均, 以一擊十, 曰走. 卒强吏弱, 曰弛. 吏强卒弱,... Collapse Passage 10-10 大吏怒而不服, 遇敵懟而自戰, 將不知其能, 曰崩. Ruin Passage 10-11 將弱不嚴, 敎道不明, 吏卒無常, 陳兵縱橫, 曰亂. Disorganization and Rout Passage 10-12 將不能料敵, 以少合衆, 以弱擊强兵無選鋒, 曰北. 凡此... Unity Through Shared Danger Passage 11-32 是故, 不爭天下之交, 不養天下之權, 信己之私, 威加於敵...

More from Chapter 8: Nine Changes (九變)

Passage 8-1: Sun Tzu said: In warfare, the general receives orders from the sovereign, mobili... Passage 8-2: On difficult ground, do not encamp On intersecting ground, form alliances On iso... Passage 8-4: The general who masters the advantages of the nine variations understands warfar... Passage 8-5: A commander who does not understand the methods of the nine variations cannot ge... Passage 8-6: The wise consider both advantage and disadvantage. By weighing advantage within ... Passage 8-7: Subdue other rulers through harm Employ them through tasks Move them through adv... Passage 8-8: In warfare, do not rely on the enemy not coming—rely on being prepared. Do not r... Passage 8-9: Five dangers for a general: 1. Recklessness—he can be killed 2. Cowardice—he can...