Many say that you are your greatest enemy but is that really true?
I recently read a really enthralling book called The Art of War which was written by Sun Tzu who was a Chinese general, military strategist, and philosopher who lived in the Spring and Autumn period of ancient China which was around 771 to 476 BC according to Wikipedia.
Sun Tzu - The Art of War
I'll give you a little background of what this book is about. The Art of War was published in 1521 with the book containing 13 chapters, each of which is devoted to one aspect of warfare and it is commonly thought of as a definitive work on military strategy and tactics. The reason why this is so military oriented is that Sun Tzu was a Chinese general.
The book mainly revolves around the science of war which was made famous by its author who was a genius strategist. His tactics have been applied to everything from business to video games and it truly amazing how his legacy lives on today and we don't seem to realise it.
Principles In The Book Applied To Us
Despite all the good teaching and morals that can be picked up from the book The Art of War has never been applied to life itself as a whole and it is such a great piece of text where life is intertwined with it. We don't generally think of life as a war zone, however, everyone suffers within it. Some people are at war not only with themselves but also other existential factors.
I'm not trying to say to treat life as a burden and devise a strategy against it to reign victor and beat it down. What I'm going to try to push forward is don't despise life, but recognise the subtle pain stemming from its source. It is the main fundamental thing that keeps sapping away your energy but from this torment, we can also grow.
How this book can be applied to human life
I'm going to take a few extracts from the book and give my own interpretation in how it is intertwined with life and we can learn from it.
"All warfare is based on deception."
If we look at the view that life is the enemy, how does it deceive the consciousness within itself? Think deeply about this. We must appear to suffer in life, yet inwardly be at peace. Should you work hard to defeat life, one will only suffer more. You must work with life and enjoy it rather than loathe it or you will destroy each other.
Moreover, if we look at it more generally conflict and fighting is bred from deceit or when you are tricked. Despite the fact it could be menial you will still fester in some hatred and detest as you plan how to get your payback.
“The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.”
Therefore find your way of appearing to be in an effort with no struggle, appear relaxed but never lethargic. You must preach your annoyance in a modest and subdued way not inflicting any blows or causing any conflicts.
In this way, we find suffering & life are the same; consciousness & external environments are one and the same as well. They are both so intertwined that imposing and damaging one will inherently hurt the other so we should all make peace with ourselves and stay meek despite all the angst.
Thank You for Reading!