The Dao means harmony between the people and their rulers. They will share life and death together, and never fear peril.
Heaven stands for yin and yang, cold and heat, and the changes of seasons.
Earth refers to distance, rugged or flat terrain, broad or narrow lands, and grounds of life or death.
A general should possess five virtues: wisdom, trustworthiness, benevolence, courage and strictness.
Rules cover military organization, official duties and logistical supply management.
All generals have heard of these five factors. Those who truly understand them will win; those who do not will be defeated.
Note
A great military strategist and thinker in ancient China, who lived in the late Spring and Autumn Period. He authored The Art of War, the world’s earliest and most influential military classic. His strategic thoughts have been widely applied in military, politics and management worldwide.
Yin and yang
A core traditional Chinese philosophy. Here it means the alternation of day and night, cloudy and sunny weather.
Five virtues of a general
Wisdom, trustworthiness, benevolence, courage and strictness, the standard for evaluating ancient military leaders.
Grounds of life or death
Military terms. “Life ground” means favorable terrain for survival and fighting; “death ground” means dangerous terrain that leads to defeat.
Dao
In this context, it refers to the unity of will between rulers and people, the fundamental political bond of a country and army.
The Application of the Five Factors
To illustrate these principles, let us examine the Battle of Fei River, where the outnumbered Jin Dynasty defeated the massive Former Qin Empire. This battle is a textbook example of how the “Five Factors” determine the outcome of war.
The Dao: Unity vs. Division
Jin Dynasty: The southern Jin forces were united under a common cause to defend their homeland from northern invaders. The people supported the government, fulfilling Sun Tzu’s requirement of “sharing life and death.”
Former Qin: Although Emperor Fu Jian commanded a massive army of over 800,000 men, his troops were a loose coalition of conquered peoples (Xianbei, Jie, etc.) who lacked loyalty to him. They did not share the same will as their ruler. This lack of Dao caused the Qin army to collapse at the first sign of retreat.
Heaven & Earth: The Terrain of Life and Death
The Jin generals, Xie Shi and Xie Xuan, did not meet the Qin army head-on in the open field (where numbers matter most). Instead, they forced the battle to occur at the Fei River.
By luring the Qin army to cross the river, the Jin transformed the terrain into a “Ground of Death” for the enemy. The river disrupted the Qin formation, making them vulnerable. This demonstrates the mastery of Earth.
The Commander: The Five Virtues in Action
Jin Commanders (Xie Xuan, etc.): They displayed Wisdom by devising a psychological trap. They requested the Qin army retreat to allow the Jin to cross, knowing the massive Qin force would struggle to coordinate.
Emperor Fu Jian (Qin): He lacked Wisdom and Strictness. He underestimated the Jin (overconfidence) and failed to maintain discipline in his ranks. His army was vast but disorganized, violating the principle of Discipline (Fa).
Discipline: Logistics and Structure
The Jin army was smaller but highly professional and well-supplied. In contrast, the Former Qin army suffered from severe logistical problems. It was stretched thin over a vast invasion front, making supply lines vulnerable. Their lack of organizational discipline (Fa) led to chaos when the retreat turned into a rout.
道者，令民與上同意也，可與之死，可與之生，而不畏危。天者，陰陽，寒暑，時制也。地者，遠近，險易，廣狹，死生也。將者，智，信，仁，勇，嚴也。法者，曲制，官道，主用也。凡此五者，將莫不聞，知之者勝，不知者不勝。
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