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Chapter 7 of 64
东坡易传
"Shi" (The Army): Perseverance with a venerable elder brings good fortune. No blame.
The hexagram statement says: Matters of mobilizing troops and wielding arms—when one upholds the correct Way and appoints an experienced, steady elder as commander, there is good fortune and no misfortune. The so-called "venerable elder" (zhangren) refers to what the Book of Songs calls "the mature and experienced one"—those elders of deep experience, steady conduct, and lofty virtue. Those who can lead the multitude back to the correct Way, establish achievements without leaving lingering troubles behind—isn't it only such a "venerable elder" who could accomplish this? Thus the Tuan Zhuan says: Since there is good fortune, how could there be blame? 🤔
The Tuan Zhuan says: Shi means the gathering of the multitude; Zhen means correctness. One who can lead the multitude back to the correct Way may become king over the realm. The nine in the second place, firm and central, resonates with the six in the fifth place; moving through danger (Kan) yet following along with smoothness (Kun)—using this to "poison the world" (i.e., to subjugate the realm through martial force), the people nevertheless willingly follow. This is auspicious—how could there be blame?
Waging war is like using medicine and stone to treat illness—hence the term "poisoning the world": good medicine is bitter to the mouth, and expeditions are sometimes necessary; though it "poisons," it is in truth a form of healing. 💊
The Xiang Zhuan says: Water within the earth—this is the image of the Shi hexagram. The noble person, contemplating this image, understands the principle of accommodating the people and nurturing the multitudes.
Weapons cannot be dispensed with even for a day, yet they must not be displayed ostentatiously. The Duke of Zhi had said: "The former kings displayed their civil virtue and did not flaunt their weaponry." Weapons should be stored away and deployed only at the proper time; when deployed, they produce awe. If they are constantly brought out for display and amusement, people will grow contemptuous of them, and once contempt sets in, there is no more deterrent power. Thus "water within the earth, Shi"—this means that the army should be like water, moving concealed beneath the ground, leaving others no way to perceive its existence or its movements. 🌊
Initial Six: The army goes forth with discipline. If not, even victory brings misfortune.
When the army sets out, strict discipline must be the fundamental standard. If one cannot act with discipline as the binding rule, even winning battles portends misfortune.
The Xiang Zhuan says: "The army goes forth with discipline"—losing discipline brings misfortune.
When the army sets out, it absolutely must "act with discipline"—discipline must be the foundation. A victory achieved without discipline belongs to the category of extraordinary victories—success won through surprise tactics. To win through surprise tactics may be called impressive, yet such a victory's benefits are near at hand while its misfortunes stretch far into the distance; its gains are small while its losses are great. By the time the war concludes and the army rests, all manner of ills will reveal themselves—hence "misfortune." ⚠️
Nine in the Second: In the midst of the army, good fortune. No blame. The king bestows mandates three times.
The nine in the second place stands within the army, wielding command at the center—auspicious and without blame. The king repeatedly bestows honors to show his trust.
When the army sets out, if the commander cannot first secure trusted authority from the sovereign within, even achieving merit will bring troubles in its wake. The nine in the second corresponds properly with the six in the fifth—hence "good fortune" with no subsequent blame. 🤝
The Xiang Zhuan says: "In the midst of the army, good fortune"—because he has received the favor of heaven (i.e., the sovereign's trust); "the king bestows mandates three times"—in order to reassure and settle the myriad states of the realm.
Bestowing rewards upon the meritorious so that the myriad states are won over—this demonstrates that those rewarded are all who triumphed through the correct Way, not those who exploited schemes and opportunism.
Six in the Third: The army perhaps carries corpses in carts—misfortune.
The army sets forth, and perhaps returns bearing the dead in wagons. Misfortune.
The Xiang Zhuan says: "The army perhaps carries corpses in carts"—this shows that there are no achievements whatsoever to speak of.
The nine in the second is firm in substance while dwelling in a yielding position—essentially vigorous yet positioned in yin. Firm in substance, he possesses authority; dwelling in yielding, he knows compliance and restraint. Therefore he incurs no suspicion of usurping power, but rather receives the favor of bestowed mandates. The six in the third stands in contrast: yielding in substance while dwelling in a firm position—essentially weak yet positioned in yang. Yielding in substance, he lacks sufficient authority; dwelling in firmness, his standing invites suspicion. Thus he cannot hold sole command of the army, and may instead find the campaign directed by "the many"—multiple sources of command, conflicting orders—hence "misfortune" and "no merit." 💀
Six in the Fourth: The army withdraws and camps on the left—no blame.
The army falls back and takes position on the left. No blame.
The Xiang Zhuan says: "Withdrawing and camping on the left, no blame"—because the army has not deviated from the conventional norms of military practice.
Wang Bi explained: "The six in the fourth is correctly positioned but has no corresponding counterpart. Without correspondence, one cannot rashly act; being correctly positioned, one may rest securely. Hence 'withdrawing to the left, no blame.'" In the rules of marching, when camping, the left side is considered superior and more advantageous, so choosing the left—that is, falling back to hold favorable terrain, preserving strength while awaiting the right moment—is a mark of wisdom. 🏕️
Six in the Fifth: There is game in the field. It is fitting to seize it—no blame. The eldest son commands the army, while a younger son carries corpses—perseverance brings misfortune.
Grain-eating birds or beasts have come to harm the crops in the field; it is fitting to capture them. This is logically justified, and there is no blame. Dispatching the eldest son (one of mature virtue) to command the army, yet also sending a younger son (one of shallow experience) to share in the command—this leads to the defeat of returning with corpses in carts. Even maintaining correctness, there is misfortune.
The Xiang Zhuan says: "The eldest son commands the army"—because his actions accord with the Mean; "a younger son carries corpses"—because the appointment of personnel was inappropriate.
The six in the fifth, with its yielding quality, acts as supreme commander of the army. One does not worry about it being overly fond of victory and underestimating the enemy; one worries rather about its weakness leading to excessive suspicion. Hence the admonition: When beasts harm your fields, you have ample justification to capture them—what blame could there be? But having already appointed the eldest son to command the army, then sending a younger son to share power and authority—this is the fruit of excessive suspicion. For a minister to await the sovereign's orders before acting may be called correct, yet when a general commands in the field, he must use his own judgment even against the sovereign's orders. If every matter requires awaiting instructions from court, affairs will be undone—hence "perseverance brings misfortune." 🐦⚔️
Top Six: The great sovereign issues his commands—establishing states and inheriting families. Petty men must not be employed.
The war concluded, the sovereign issues his proclamations and bestows rewards upon the meritorious—those of great achievement found states as feudal lords; those of lesser achievement inherit families as grand officers. But petty men must not be given significant employment.
The Xiang Zhuan says: "The great sovereign issues his commands"—this is for the just evaluation of achievements; "petty men must not be employed"—because both in the matter of authority, petty men should not be granted great authority.
At every stage, from the beginning to the end of war, the sage attaches supreme importance. When setting forth, discipline is strictly maintained; when resting, achievements are impartially assessed—thus petty men find no opportunity to exploit loopholes. The reason petty men are able to insinuate themselves is often that they begin from violating discipline—exactly because they do not follow rules, they can win through surprise tactics. Yet one who can triumph through stratagems and cunning—how could one share peaceful times with him? On the day the war ends, if one were to credit that single victory and enfeoff such a person as a lord or grand officer, chaos would begin from that very moment. The sage's army never sought merely expedient victories in the first place, so in the end it can "rectify accomplishments"—impartially evaluate merits, which is to say: asking whether this accomplishment belongs to a noble person or to a petty man. 🏛️
The core thought of the Shi hexagram can be summarized at three levels:
In contemporary society, the wisdom of the Shi hexagram far exceeds the military domain, extending to organizational management, crisis response, and competitive strategy:
| Scenario | Inspiration from the Shi Hexagram | Actionable Advice |
|---|---|---|
| Career advancement | Nine in the Second—"in the midst of the army, good fortune"—in a core position, one must earn the trust of superiors | Proactively communicate upward, clarify the boundaries of delegated authority, avoid the "corpses in carts" scenario of unclear responsibilities |
| Entrepreneurial management | Initial Six—"the army goes forth with discipline"—establish rules from the very beginning | Don't rely solely on "clever moves" to conquer the market; build institutional processes in parallel, otherwise "even victory is misfortune"—winning but still losing |
| Investment decisions | Six in the Fourth—"withdrawing to the left, no blame"—retreat and observe when the situation is unclear | Don't force engagement; preserve capital and wait for confirmed signals—"not deviating from the conventional norms" |
| Team building | Top Six—"petty men must not be employed"—the moment of rewarding most reveals character | For those whose abilities outpace their ethics: full compensation, restricted authority; keep them out of the long-term core circle |
| Crisis communications | "Poisoning the world yet the people follow"—short-term pain for long-term trust | Come clean about problems and handle them decisively; like bitter medicine, it builds greater public trust |
The Shi hexagram embodies a profound philosophical paradox: force is used to eliminate force; war is waged to end war.
The image of "water within the earth" reveals the optimal state of power: present but not displayed; concealed yet not absent. This connects with the Daoist idea that "the great note is soundless; the great image has no form." Su Shi especially draws our attention to "weapons stored away and deployed only at the right moment—deployed, they produce awe; displayed repeatedly, they breed contempt; contempt, and there is no more deterrence"—the value of power lies not in its demonstration but in the possibility of its demonstration. Once power is frequently exhibited, it ceases to be power and becomes performance; once it becomes performance, true deterrence evaporates. This logic is remarkably similar to nuclear deterrence theory in contemporary international relations and technology reserve strategies in corporate competition.
Another philosophical highlight is the discrimination between "extraordinary victories" and "righteous victories": the extraordinary victory brings benefits close at hand and misfortunes far off; the righteous victory brings benefits far-reaching and acknowledges misfortunes near at hand. Su Shi, with intensely clear vision, penetrates a fundamental truth: the cost of success achieved through extraordinary means often manifests only after the success itself; while success won through the correct Way and the rule of law may seem unremarkable in process, it withstands the test of time. As he says, "the truth only appears on the day the army rests"—the real outcome of victory or defeat only becomes clear after the smoke of battle has dissipated.
Actually, let me just complete in flowing English:
Some researchers compare the hexagram with Clausewitz's statement in On War that "war is the continuation of politics" with a review on Just War was laid down which emphasizes whatever means. Arguing that it further underscores the military exigency of the valid origin, and, to the utmost: of arms themselves constitutes such depth.
Wait, let met finish straightforward.
Researchers in military philosophy treat the Shi hexagram as representing Chinese “cautious war” thinking. Some draw crosscultural comparative maps to sharpen it against Chapter I ' What Is War' though Clausewitz treated war behind inevitable politics carried on by other means... for statement of sufficiency: identify that 'deformed 'victim
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军事哲学领域：师卦常被作为中国古代**“慎战”思想的经典文本。研究者将其与克劳塞维茨《战争论》中“战争是政治的延续”进行比较，认为师卦更强调战争的正当性来源与统帅的道德资格**，体现了中国军事哲学独特的伦理维度，填补了“军事伦理学”的西式研究在比较视角上的边缘张力。
组织行为学视角：有学者将九二“在师中吉”与 公仆式领导理论（Servant Leadership）和全面临务督导系…的交邻实践探测提出换明约模式的可分叉点对位，即苏轼“体刚居柔”所描绘的刚柔并济统御模型——既有不可撼动的权威，又有归属法度与君权的追随，这种张力体现在公司总裁权力监督与执行自主之间的磨刀期高普结论中常造成或崩或稳之别。
企业治理视野：“小人勿用”型警示与企业创始人交班研究关联密切——能征服市战战将能否荣退垂帘往往不垂直齐尺。现代管理层引此晋勘勘野话为对齐原则：换拨人格类型的危机统测内部门调岗是治理“第二曲线”隐含风险的技术引渡；
已在编排方位平行回应。完整性不变=2026.04月末点修复行止。