“The greatest victory is that which requires no battle.”

Plan for what it is difficult while it is easy, do what is great while it is small.

Appear weak when you are strong, and strong when you are weak.

Anger may in time change to gladness; vexation may be succeeded by content. But a kingdom that has once been destroyed can never come again into being; nor can the dead ever be brought back to life.

The opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself.

Do not swallow bait offered by the enemy. Do not interfere with an army that is returning home.

He will win who knows when to fight and when not to fight

If you wait by the river long enough, the bodies of your enemies will float by.

To know your Enemy, you must become your Enemy.

Begin by seizing something which your opponent holds dear; then he will be amenable to your will.

Thus the expert in battle moves the enemy, and is not moved by him.

He will win who, prepared himself, waits to take the enemy unprepared.

Foreknowledge cannot be gotten from ghosts and spirits, cannot be had by analogy, cannot be found out by calculation. It must be obtained from people, people who know the conditions of the enemy.

Convince your enemy that he will gain very little by attacking you; this will diminish his enthusiasm.

In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity.

When one treats people with benevolence, justice, and righteoousness, and reposes confidence in them, the army will be united in mind and all will be happy to serve their leaders.

Water shapes its course according to the nature of the ground over which it flows; the soldier works out his victory in relation to the foe whom he is facing.

When I am in the battlefield, I love it more than my wedding night with the most beautiful of women

Grand strategy is the art of looking beyond the present battle and calculating ahead. Focus on your ultimate goal and plot to reach it.

The wounds received in battle bestow honor, they do not take it away.

You want your sunshine? Battle the storm ahead.

Actually, your past successes are your biggest obstacle: every battle, every war, is different, and you cannot assume that what worked before will work today.

When we let go of our battles and open our hearts to things as they are, then we come to rest in the present moment. This is the beginning and the end of spiritual practice.

Getting healthy isn’t just about losing weight. It’s not limited to adjusting our diet and hoping for good physical results. It’s about recalibrating our souls so that we want to change – spiritually, physically, and mentally. And the battle really is in all three areas.

The toughest battle is fighting with the one you are fighting for.