Do not think you will necessarily be aware of your own enlightenment.
非可测知,以坐禅是悟门之事。悟者,只管打坐。

For to win one hundred victories in one hundred battles is not the acme of skill. To subdue the enemy without fighting is the acme of skill.
是故百战百胜,非善之善者也;不战而屈人之兵,善之善者也。

It is said that the inferior seek to emulate the superior. Thus, if a general slackens only a little, those beneath him will be greatly negligent.
上者每为下者所效。大将若贪图舒服,部下必懈怠至极。

Too frequent rewards indicate that the general is at the end of his resources; too frequent punishments that he is in acute distress.
数赏者,窘也;数罚者,困也。

The colour of the mountains is Buddha's body; the sound of running water is his great speech.
溪声尽是广长舌,山无非清净身。夜来八万四千偈,他日如何举似人。

For them to perceive the advantage of defeating the enemy, they must also have their rewards.
取敌之利者,货也。

Confront them with annihilation, and they will then survive; plunge them into a deadly situation, and they will then live. When people fall into danger, they are then able to strive for victory.   
投之亡地然后存,陷之死地然后生。夫众陷于害,然后能为胜败。

Speed is the essence of war. Take advantage of the enemy's unpreparedness; travel by unexpected routes and strike him where he has taken no precautions.
兵之情主速,乘人之不及。由不虞之道,攻其所不戒也。

The clever hawk hides its claws.
聪明的鹰不会炫耀其利爪。

The general who wins the battle makes many calculations in his temple before the battle is fought. The general who loses makes but few calculations beforehand.
夫未战而庙算胜者,得算多也。未战而庙算不胜者,得算少也。

A general of great merit should be said to be a man who has met with at least one great defeat.
不战而屈人之兵,善之善者也。

The general who advances without coveting fame and retreats without fearing disgrace, whose only thought is to protect his country and do good service for his sovereign, is the je
wel of the kingdom.
故进不求名,退不避罪,唯民是保,而利于主,国之宝也。

Supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting.
不战而屈人之兵,善之善者也。
When we discover that the truth is already in us, we are all at once our original selves.
诸佛正为诸佛之时,诸佛毋须自己觉知自己之为诸佛,然而诸佛实为证会自性之佛,继续证佛而不休。

A flower falls, even though we love it; and a weed grows, even though we do not love it.
佛道原本跳出丰俭。故有生灭,有迷悟,有众生与诸佛。虽然说是如此,花从爱惜落,草逐弃嫌生。

Bestow rewards without respect to customary practice; publish orders without respect to pr
ecedent. Thus you may employ the entire army as you would one man.
施无法之赏,悬无政之令。犯三军之众,若使一人。

The enlightened ruler is heedful, and the good general full of caution.
明主慎之,良将警之。

Even monkeys fall from trees.
猴子也会树上落。

Even if one has learned all the sayings of the sages and saints, he should not insist on them obstinately.
虽遍览圣贤之言者,亦不得泥其字句也。

Can you imagine what I would do if I could do all I can?
知己知彼,百战不殆。


A little piece of gold may be highly valued, but if it gets in one's eye, the result will be darkness.
白酒红人面,黄金黑世心。

Be extremely subtle, even to the point of formlessness. Be extremely mysterious, even to the point of soundlessness. Thereby you can be the director of the opponent's fate.
微乎微乎,至于无形;神乎神乎,至于无声,故能为敌之司命。

Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.
谋无术则成事难,术无谋则必败。

Being unconquerable lies with yourself; being conquerable lies with your enemy.
不可胜在己,可胜在敌。


All warfare is based on deception.
兵者,诡道也。

One defends when his strength is inadequate, he attacks when it is abundant.
孝心名言守则不足,攻则有余。

Regard your soldiers as your children, and they will follow you into the deepest valleys; look on them as your own beloved sons, and they will stand by you even unto death.
视卒如婴儿,故可以与之赴深溪;视卒如爱子,故可与之俱死。

Secret operations are essential in war; upon them the army relies to make its every move.
(间者)此兵之要,三军之所恃而动也。

The stake that sticks out gets hammered down.
出头的椽子先烂。

If words of command are not clear and distinct, if orders are not thoroughly understood, the general is to blame. But if his orders are clear, and the soldiers nevertheless disobey, then it is the fault of their officers.
约束不明,申令不熟,将之罪也;既已明而不如法者,吏士之罪也。

If you do not enter the tiger's cave, you will not catch its cub.
不入虎穴,焉得虎子。

It is a man's own mind, not his enemy or foe, that lures him to evil ways.
人无善恶,善恶存乎尔心。

Dishonour is like a scar on a tree, which time, instead of effacing, only helps to enlarge.
愚行正如树疤,不会随时间而消失,反会越来越大。


A leader leads by example, not by force.
先之以身,后之以人,则士无不勇矣。

The foot feels the foot when it feels the ground.
以手摩头。于意云何?此摩所知,谁为能触?即身与触,二俱虚妄。本非因缘,非自然性。

All men can see these tactics whereby I conquer, but what none can see is the strategy out of which victory is evolved.
人皆知我所以胜之形,而莫知吾所以制胜之形。

Nothing ever exists entirely alone; everything is in relation to everything else.
诸行无常,诸法无我。

Act after having made assessments. The one who first knows the measure of far and near
wins — this is the rule of armed struggle.
掠乡分众,廓地分利,悬权而动。先知迂直之计者胜,此军争之法也。

The expert in battle seeks his victory from strategic advantage and does not demand it from his men.
故善战者,求之于势,不责于人,故能择人而任势。

The reverse side also has a reverse side.
反面也有其反面。

If you know your enemy and know yourself, you will not be imperilled by a hundred battles. If you do not know the others but do know yourself, you will win one and lose one. If you do not know the enemy and do not know yourselves you will be in danger in every battle.
知彼知己,百战不殆;不知彼而知己,一胜一负;不知彼不知己,每战必殆。


Pretend inferiority and encourage his arrogance.
能而示之不能,用而示之不用。

The way of the warrior is death. This means choosing death whenever there is a choice between life and death. It means nothing else.
武士道为凛然赴死之道,即于生与死之狭间舍生取义,此外别无它物。

The Four Oaths: Never be late with respect to the way of the warrior; be useful to the lord; be respectful to your parents; get beyond love and grief: exist for the good of man.
武士四誓,良者必遵之:不懈于武士道;谨职责于大名;尽孝心于至亲;戒除溺爱与贪念。

To perceive victory when it is known to all is not really skilful… It does not take much strength to lift a hair, it does not take sharp eyes to see the sun and moon, it does not take sharp ears to hear the thunderclap.
见胜不过众人之所知,非善之善者也;战胜而天下曰善,非善之善者也。故举秋毫不为多力,见日月不为明目,闻雷霆不为聪耳。

Prohibit the taking of omens, and do away with superstitious doubts. Then, until death itself comes, no calamity need be feared.
禁祥去疑,至死无所之。

A man must not live under the same sky as one who has injured his lord or father.
弑君弑父之仇不共戴天。

Where the army is, prices are high; when prices rise the wealth of the people is exhausted.
近师者贵卖,贵卖则百姓财竭。

One kind word can warm three winter months.
良言一句三冬暖。


The whole secret of existence is to have no fear.
无挂碍故,无有恐怖。远离颠倒梦想,究竟涅盘。

The skilful employer of men will employ the wise man, the brave man, the covetous man, and the stupid man.
善任人者,使智,使勇,使贪,使愚。