Six Secret Teachings

”太公曰：“富之而观其无犯，贵之而观其无骄；付之而观其无转；使之而观其无隐；危之而观其无恐；事之而观其无穷。富之而不犯者仁也；贵之而不骄者义也；付之而不转者忠也；使之而不隐者信也；危之而不恐者勇也；事之而不穷者谋也。人君无以三宝借人，借人则君失其威。” 文王曰：“敢问三宝？”太公曰：“大农，大工，大商，谓之三宝。农一其乡则谷足，工一其乡则器足，商一其乡则货足。三宝各安其处，民乃不虑。无乱其乡，无乱其族。臣无富于君，都无大于国。六守长，则君昌。三宝全，则国安。” 守土第七 文王问太公曰：“守土奈何？”太公曰：“无疏其亲，无怠其众，抚其左右，御其四旁。无借人国柄。借人国柄，则失其权。无掘壑而附丘，无舍本而治末。日中必彗，操刀必割，执斧必伐。日中不彗，是谓失时。操刀不割，失利之期。执斧不伐，贼人将来。涓涓不塞,将为江河。荧荧不救,炎炎奈何？两叶不去，将用斧柯。是故人君必从事于富。

Duke of Zhou said, "Wealth him and watch if he breaks no laws; honor him and see if he becomes arrogant; entrust him and observe if he defects; command him and check for concealment; place him in danger to see if he shows fear; employ him to verify his wit." Wealth without arrogance is benevolence; honor without pride is righteousness; trust without treachery is loyalty; obedience without deceit is faithfulness; courage in peril is bravery; competence in tasks is strategy. A ruler must not lend his power of state to others, for doing so forfeits authority. Wen Wang asked, "What are the Three Treasures?" The Duke of Zhou replied: "Large agriculture, large handicrafts, and large commerce are the Three Treasures. When farmers focus their village, grain is plentiful; when artisans concentrate, tools abound; when merchants gather, goods overflow. With these three settled, people have no worries, villages remain undisturbed, and clans stay intact. Subjects should not surpass rulers in wealth, and cities must not exceed the state. Six protectors secure the ruler's prosperity, while preserving all Three Treasures ensures national security." The chapter on "Holding Land" opens with Wen Wang asking how to govern territory, to which the Duke of Zhou answers: "Do not alienate kin, neglect the masses, care for those close by, and guard your borders. Never lend state authority to others, lest you lose control. Do not fill valleys while favoring hills, nor abandon the root to tend the branches." Like noon that must strike, or a blade that cuts when wielded; if delay occurs, time is lost, opportunities missed, and enemies advance. Small leaks become rivers; minor sparks ignite fires; failing to remove new shoots invites the need for an axe later. Thus rulers must prioritize prosperity.

For a reader today This ancient text offers practical guidance on building stable societies by supporting agriculture, craft, and trade while emphasizing integrity in leadership and timing in action. It highlights how internal cohesion and responsible governance create enduring strength rather than predicting outcomes or providing modern advice.

English translation by Eastern Lens, from the revised daizhige Chinese classics corpus. The original Chinese is published alongside it for verification.

今商王知存而不知亡，知乐而不知殃。夫存者非存，在于虑亡。乐者非乐，在于虑殃。今王已虑其源，岂忧其流乎。” 武王曰：“两军相遇，彼不可来，此不可往，各设固备，未敢先发。我欲袭之，不得其利，为之奈何？”太公曰：“外乱而内整，示饥而实饱，内精而外钝，一合一离，一聚一散，阴其谋，密其机，高其垒，伏其锐，士寂若无声，敌不知我所备。欲其西，袭其东。” 武王曰：“敌知我情，通我谋，为之奈何？”太公曰：“兵胜之术，密察敌人之机而速乘其利，复疾击其不意。”三疑第十七 武王问太公曰：“予欲立功，有三疑，恐力不能攻强，离亲，散众，为之奈何？”太公曰：“因之，慎谋，用财。夫攻强，必养之使强，益之使张。太强必折，太张必缺。攻强以强，离亲以亲，散众以众。凡谋之道，周密为宝。设之以事，玩之以利，争心必起。欲离其亲，因其所爱，与其宠人，与之所欲，示之所利，因以疏之，无使得志。彼贪利甚喜，遗疑乃止。

Now the Shang king knows he exists but ignores his peril; he enjoys pleasure but ignores disaster. True survival lies in guarding against ruin, and true joy lies in fearing calamity. Since your highness has examined the source of trouble, why worry about its flow? When two armies meet and neither can advance or retreat, establishing defenses without initiating attack, I propose to surprise them: feign disarray while maintaining order inside, show hunger while being full, appear dull while sharp within, mix unity with separation, combine forces then scatter them, keep plans secret, tighten traps, raise earthworks, hide your sharpest troops, keep silence that rivals hear not, and strike where they do not expect. If they learn my situation or see my designs, watch their moment closely and strike swiftly when they least suspect. I wish to achieve merit yet fear three things: attacking the strong without strength, alienating kin, or scattering the crowd; what shall I do? Follow natural tendencies, guard your planning, and use wealth wisely. To attack strength, make them feel stronger so they overextend, for excessive strength breaks and excessive stretching tears. To defeat strength uses its own strength; to separate kin uses their bond; to scatter crowds uses the crowd's unity. In all strategy, thoroughness is treasure. Create tasks, lure with profit, and conflict will arise. To alienate kin, use what they love or favor others, give them desires, show profits, then distance them so they cannot succeed; greed makes them joyful, but doubt stops them.

For a reader today This ancient text offers practical strategies for military deception, resource management, and psychological manipulation in warfare, while cautioning against overextension. It presents these as historical tactics rather than universal laws or modern directives.

English translation by Eastern Lens, from the revised daizhige Chinese classics corpus. The original Chinese is published alongside it for verification.

股肱四人，主任重持难，修沟堑，治壁垒，以备守御。通才二人，主拾遗补过，应对宾客，论议谈语，消患解结。权士三人，主行奇谲，设殊异，非人所识，行无穷之变。耳目七人，主往来，听言视变，览四方之士，军中之情。爪牙五人，主扬威武，激励三军，使冒难攻锐，无所疑虑。羽翼四人，主扬名誉，震远方，动四境，以弱敌心。游士八人，主伺奸候变，开阖人情，观敌之意，以为间谍。术士二人，主为谲诈，依托鬼神，以惑众心。方士三人，主百药，以治金疮，以痊万症。法算二人，主会计三军营垒粮食，财用出入。” 论将第十九 武王问太公曰：“论将之道奈何？”太公曰：“将有五材十过。”武王曰：“敢问其目？”太公曰：“所谓五材者，勇、智、仁、信、忠也。勇则不可犯，智则不可乱，仁则爱人，信则不欺，忠则无二心。

The army comprises specialists in command, fortification and negotiation; scouts in intelligence gathering; shock troops to lead assaults; propagandists to influence foreign allies; spies to monitor enemy movements; deceivers to exploit superstitious beliefs; physicians for battlefield wounds; and accountants for logistics. King Wu asked how to evaluate a general, and the Duke of Tai replied that generals possess five virtues—courage, wisdom, benevolence, trustworthiness, and loyalty—as well as ten fatal flaws.

For a reader today This ancient text offers readers a structured framework for assessing military leaders based on specific character traits and skills relevant to governance and warfare. It presents these qualities as timeless criteria for leadership evaluation rather than universal psychological laws or modern diagnostic tools.

English translation by Eastern Lens, from the revised daizhige Chinese classics corpus. The original Chinese is published alongside it for verification.

秋刈禾薪，其粮食储备也。冬实仓廪，其坚守也。田里相伍，其约束符信也。里有吏，官有长，其将帅也。里有周垣，不得相过，其队分也。输粟取刍，其廪库也。春秋治城郭，修沟渠，其堑垒也。 “故用兵之具，尽于人事也。善为国者，取于人事。故必使遂其六畜，辟其田野，究其处所。丈夫治田有亩数，妇人织纴有尺度，其富国强兵之道也。”武王曰：“善哉！”

In autumn, crops and firewood are gathered for food stores; in winter, granaries are filled to sustain the people. Villagers live in groups bound by mutual trust; officials oversee local leaders as commanders. Walls surround communities to keep them distinct; grain is sent to storehouses like fortifications. Cities and dikes are maintained seasonally as defensive works. "Thus, all tools for war depend on human effort. A wise ruler draws strength from these very things: thriving livestock, cultivated fields, and settled places. Men till the land to measured plots; women weave cloth within set dimensions—the path to a rich nation and strong army." King Wu replied, "Excellent!"

For a reader today This text shows how organizing daily life and agriculture can strengthen a society's resilience and readiness. It highlights the link between disciplined community management and collective security.

English translation by Eastern Lens, from the revised daizhige Chinese classics corpus. The original Chinese is published alongside it for verification.

已出，令我踵军，设云火远候，必依草木、丘墓、险阻。敌人车骑，必不敢远追长驱。因以火为记，先出者，令至火而止，为四武冲阵。如此，则三军皆精锐勇斗，莫我能止。”武王曰：“善哉！” 军略第三十五 武王问太公曰：“引兵深入诸侯之地，遇深溪大谷险阻之水。吾三军未得毕济，而天暴雨，流水大至。后不得属于前，无舟梁之备，又无水草之资。吾欲毕济，使三军不稽留，为之奈何？” 太公曰：“凡帅师将众，虑不先设，器械不备；教不精信，士卒不习。若此，不可以为王者之兵也。凡三军有大事，莫不习用器械。若攻城围邑，则有轒辒临冲；视城中，则有云梯飞楼。三军行止，则有武冲大橹。前后拒守，绝道遮街，则有材士强弩，卫其两旁。设营垒，则有天罗武落，行马蒺藜。画则登云梯远望，立五色旌旗。夜则火云万炬，击雷鼓，振鼙铎，吹鸣笳。越沟堑，则有飞桥、转关、辘轳、鉏铻。济大水，则有天潢、飞江。逆波上流，则有浮海、绝江。

Upon emerging, order my troops to follow and set up cloud-fire sentinels near trees, tombs, and obstacles; enemy cavalry and chariots will dare not pursue far. Use fire as a signal; those who leave first stop at the fire to form a four-winged phalanx, ensuring all forces remain bold and unstoppable. "Excellent," the Warrior King said. For Military Strategy 35: When advancing deep into rival lands, if your army faces deep ravines or floods before crossing fully, and sudden heavy rains block the way with no boats or fords available, how do you get everyone across quickly? Tai Gong replied: Leading any large force without preplanning tools, lacking skilled training, and unaccustomed equipment is unworthy of a true king. In such matters, all units must master their gear: siege engines like covered battering rams and climbing towers for attacks; mobile chariots and shield-bearers for movement; heavy bows and elite archers to guard approaches; fortification devices like trap fences and movable stakes; signaling flags by day and thousands of torches with drums, kettledrums, horns, and flutes by night; flying bridges and pulleys for crossing ditches; and rafts or barges for traversing wide rivers or rising against currents.

For a reader today This passage offers ancient military strategies for navigating terrain challenges without claiming predictive power, while outlining historical equipment used in formation warfare today as context rather than practical instruction.

English translation by Eastern Lens, from the revised daizhige Chinese classics corpus. The original Chinese is published alongside it for verification.