Chapter 9 · The Army on the March · 行軍

Passage 9-12

塵: 高而銳者車來也; 卑而廣者, 徒來也; 散而條達者, 樵采也; 少而往來者, 營軍也.

Reading dust: - High and sharp—chariots approaching - Low and wide—infantry approaching - Scattered in streaks—gathering firewood - Light and moving—establishing camp

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These passages from other chapters connect to the themes in Passage 9-12:

Know Enemy, Know Self Passage 3-13 故曰, 知彼知己, 百戰不殆; 不知彼而知己, 一勝一負, ... Sovereign and General Passage 3-11 故君之所以患於軍者三: 不知軍之不可以進, 而謂之進; 不知... Five Conditions of Victory Passage 3-12 故知勝有五: 知可以戰與不可以戰者勝. 識衆寡之用者勝. 上... Invincibility First Passage 4-1 孫子曰: 昔之善戰者, 先爲不可勝, 以侍敵之可勝. 不可勝... True Skill Is Invisible Passage 4-3 故曰: 勝可知, 而不可爲. 不可勝者, 守也; 可勝者, ... Full Spectrum Knowledge Passage 10-17 故知兵者, 動而不迷, 擧而不窮. 故曰: 知己知彼, 勝乃...

More from Chapter 9: The Army on the March (行軍)

Passage 9-1: Sun Tzu said: When positioning the army to observe the enemy: Cross mountains an... Passage 9-2: After crossing rivers, move away from the water. When the enemy crosses toward y... Passage 9-3: If you seek battle, do not confront the enemy near water. Observe the terrain an... Passage 9-4: Cross wetlands swiftly—do not linger. If you must engage in wetlands, position n... Passage 9-5: On level ground, occupy easy terrain with high ground to the right and rear. Pos... Passage 9-6: Armies prefer high ground to low, favor sunlight over shade, nurture life and oc... Passage 9-7: This is how terrain aids the army. When upstream rains cause rushing currents, w... Passage 9-8: When terrain features deep ravines, enclosed basins, natural prisons, tangled un... Passage 9-9: When the army’s flanks have difficult terrain, marshes, reeds, forests, or dense... Passage 9-10: When the enemy is near but quiet—he relies on difficult terrain. When distant an... Passage 9-11: Movement in the trees—the enemy approaches Many obstacles in the grass—suspicion... Passage 9-13: Humble words with increased preparations—advancing Aggressive words with forcefu... Passage 9-14: Rushing about and arranging chariots—preparing for decisive action Half advancin... Passage 9-15: Water-bearers drinking first—thirsty Seeing advantage but not advancing—exhauste... Passage 9-16: Night cries—fear Camp disturbance—general lacks authority Flags moving erratical... Passage 9-17: Hanging pots and not returning to quarters—desperate Earnest, rambling talks wit... Passage 9-18: First harsh, then fearful of troops—the height of incompetence Arriving with apo... Passage 9-19: Numbers alone do not guarantee victory. Avoid reckless advance. Unite forces, as... Passage 9-20: Punish troops before winning their loyalty—they will not submit; not submitting,... Passage 9-21: When orders are consistently enforced, the troops are trained to obey. When orde...