Chapter 1 – Sentence 7

Giles:

By method and discipline are to be understood the marshaling of the army in its proper subdivisions, the graduations of rank among the officers, the maintenance of roads by which supplies may reach the army, and the control of military expenditure.

 

Goldwater:

Organization entails such as the Qu system, the organization of the army and its units of men; the officer path, the organization of officers and their levels of authority; and the organization of the army’s primary uses, organization into units of men that do such as handle money, supplies, and infrastructure.

 

Traditional Chinese

法者，曲制，官道，主用也。

 

Simplified Chinese

法者，曲制、官道、主用也。

 

Pin Yin

fǎ zhě, qū zhì, guān dào, zhǔ yòng yě.

 

法者，曲制，官道，主用也。
Organization, Qu system, officer path, primary uses.

 

法 者， 曲 制，
Organization, Qu system,

 

官 道、 主 用 也。
officer path, primary uses .

 

Organization (involves the) Qu system, (the) officer path, (and) primary uses.

Organization includes the Qu system (the organization of the army and its units of men), (the) officer path (the organization of officers and their levels of authority), (and organization of the army’s) primary uses (of money, supplies, and infrastructure).

Organization entails such as the Qu system, the organization of the army and its units of men; the officer path, the organization of officers and their levels of authority; and the organization of the army’s primary uses, organization into units of men that do such as handle money, supplies, and infrastructure.

Comments:

1. The first pair of subdivisions of the unity of the Dao gave rise to a second pair of subdivisions. Yin developed some Yang, and Yang developed some Yin. These distinctions are known as Yang within Yin and Yin within Yang. Both of these symbolize mankind.

2. The 1st of these symbolizes Yang within Yin. This is Yang, and symbolizes the unity of mankind. The army is unified around the general.

3. This next subdivision of the Dao gave rise to the 4th distinction. This is known as Yin within Yang. This distinction represents subdivision within the unity. The general’s behavior follows the 5 virtues in order to create unity and harmony within the army as a whole. Unity represents Yang. However, if we look closely, we must recognize subdivision within this unity, Yin within this Yang. In other words, although the army as a whole acts as 1, in harmony and in unity, if we look closely we see that the army is not all the same. It is subdivided into many distinct groups, which together act as 1, unified whole. The subdivision of the army into distinct groups reflects how it is organized.

4. 曲制, the Qu system: According to Sun Bin, the armd is subdivided into small groups of men, which combine to form larger groups, which combine to form a group known as the Qu, which is a grouping of 200 men. The Qu system reflects the various distinct roles that these different Qu play in the organization of the army.

5. 官道, the officer path: This refers to the organization of the officers, and their various levels of authority.

6. 主用, the primary uses: This refers to the organization of the army into small groups, each with its own responsibility, that enable the army to effectively carry out the various primary functions of the army, such as handling money, logistics, building and maintaining infrastructure, etc.

7. The Dao is about unity, such that the country and the army work as one. Still, there must be subdivisions within the unity (Yin within Yang). Organization refers to the subdivisions of the unity, the breakdown into parts that enables the whole to function well as one.