It is the business of a general to be quiet and thus ensure secrecy; upright and just, and thus maintain order.

Subtle and insubstantial, the expert leaves no trace; divinely mysterious, he is inaudible. Thus he is master of his enemy's fate.

As water shapes its flow in accordance with the ground, so an army manages its victory in accordance with the situation of the enemy.

Those skilled at making the enemy move do so by creating a situation to which he must conform; they entice him with something he is certain to take, and with lures of ostensible profit they await him in strength.

Bestow rewards without respect to customary practice; publish orders without respect to precedent. Thus you may employ the entire army as you would one man.

What is essential in war is victory, not prolonged operations.

Hence the experienced soldier, once in motion, is never bewildered; once he has broken camp, he is never at a loss.