The Eight Trigrams and Strategy The application of the Yijing (易 經), the Book of Changes, to strategy goes back a long time. Already in the Zuo Zhuan (左 轉), one of the oldest historical records, the Yijing is quoted as commentary on grand strategic events. Below a modern reading on how to interpret the Eight Trigrams (Ba Gua 八 卦) strategically. 111 – 乾 – Qian – Heaven Heaven is the operating principle, the grand strategy, the active intention which forms the basis of the overall vision. What is our overarching vision? How does this vision manifest in intention? What are the intentions from which our strategy will flow? Can our visions and intentions coalesce into a strategic outlook and general plan? How do we allow our visions and intentions to unfold in relationship to the visions, intentions, and dispositions of others (both competitors and opponents or allies and co-workers)? How does our vision translate into plans and the ability to align oneself with circumstances? How will our vision and intentions capitalize on the potential inherent in the configuration – the pattern of events and circumstances? Keep your object always in mind, while adapting your plan to circumstances. Realize that there are more ways than one of gaining an object, but take heed that every objective should bear on the object. And in considering possible objectives weigh their possibility of attainment with their service to the object if attained – to wander down a side-track is bad, but to reach a dead end is worse. 110 – 兌 – Dui – Lake Lake represents internal reflection on events and information and the sensitivity necessary for leadership. It also represents contentment and joy in one’s intentions, dispositions and interactions. Are we sensitive to the environment in which we are operating? Are we sensitive to the needs and goals of our allies and co-workers as well as those of our opponents? How can we reflect on our plans and actions in a useful way? As events unfold, can we reflect on and rethink our intentions, plans and goals and our means of achieving them? Do we bring joy and enthusiasm to our undertakings and invoke these feelings in those we are leading or collaborating with? Can we follow as well as lead?
Adjust your end to your means. In determining your object, clear sight and cool calculations should prevail. It is folly ‘to bite off more than you can chew’, and the beginning of military wisdom is a sense of what is possible. 101 – 離 – Li – Fire Fire represents the ability of the heart to discern the truth and the connection of the heart and mind in insight and reasoning; the ability to see through the fog of confusion to perceive what is hidden. Wind’s penetration clears away the clouds of confusion by gathering information and intelligence but Fire is the discerning insight that can understand what is hidden. Fire also represents the quality of leadership which draws people together like a guiding light. How can we bring clarity and insight to our strategic outlook? How can we clear away any uncertainty and doubt regarding our plans and their implementation? Does our vision and the intention and plans that flow from it have a clarity of consciousness that attracts people, thereby strengthening our vision and broadening its scope? How do our vision and intentions draw people together to undertake unified cohesive action? How do our vision and intentions, and the plans that stem from them, simultaneously undermine the opposition’s ability to strengthen and broaden the scope of their vision? How does our vision, intentions and plans interact or interfere with the cohesion and unity of the opposition? Is our vision imbued with warmth and humanity towards both our supporters and our opponents? Ensure that both plan and dispositions are flexible – adaptable to circumstances. Your plan should foresee and provide for a next step in case of success or failure, or partial success – which is the most common case in war. Your dispositions (or formation) should be such as to allow this exploitation or adaptation in the shortest possible time. 100 – 震 – Zhen – Thunder Thunder is movement and shock. The ability to meet and respond to challenges. Thunder is the initiation of movement. It is maneuver, mobility and unpredictability which can surprise and shock the opposition. How will our strategy and its support mechanisms, translate into action? How and where (Earth-Mountain) do we initiate action? What direction or directions will this action take? Are we prepared to shift to new directions or new ground if circumstances demand it? Have we allowed and prepared for unexpected sudden breakthroughs or shifts to occur and will we be able to take advantage of them? Can we contain, limit or disrupt the opposition’s or competitor’s ability to act? Can we make the opposition waste effort while maximizing the effects of our main efforts? Take a line of operation which offers alternative objectives. For you will thus put your opponent on the horns of a dilemma, which goes far to assure the chance of gaining one objective at least –
whichever he guards least – and may enable you to gain one after the other. Alternative objectives allow you to keep the opportunity of gaining an objective; whereas a single objective, unless the enemy is helplessly inferior, means the certainty that you will not gain it – once the enemy is no longer uncertain as to your aim. There is no more common mistake than to confuse a single line of operation (wise) with a single objective (futile). (If this maxim applies mainly to strategy, it should be applied where possible to tactics, and does, in effect, form the basis of infiltration tactics.) 011 – 巽 – Sun – Wind Wind represents farseeing, anticipation based on information. Wind’s penetrating quality reaches into things to understand their nature. The attitude of Wind represents the gathering knowledge and information and the use of spies. Controlling the flow of information, guarding it and disseminating it at the proper time controls expectations and helps inform one’s actions. Have we gathered sufficient information or intelligence to make and actualize our intentions and plans? Have we carefully and accurately observed both our own situation and that of our allies and competitors closely? Do we understand the orientation, mindset and thinking of our allies and opponents? What parts of our strategy should be made visible? How can we control the flow of information both to our allies and our enemies? Can we feed our opponents false information? Is our thinking pliable? Are there ways in which we can employ the unseen pressure and the soft pliability of wind, rather than the direct action to achieve our goals? When can compliance be useful? Choose the line (or course) of least expectation. Try to put yourself in the enemy’s shoes, and think what course it is least probable he will foresee or forestall. 010 – 坎 – Kan – Water Water represents adaptability; the ability to change plans, movements and intentions according to changing circumstances. It seeks the path of least resistance. Water is flowing and unpredictable and therefore can be dangerous. Water also represents deception, the ability to take on form according to the situation. Is our strategic outlook fluid, flexible and adaptable? Do our intentions and their resulting actions take the path of least resistance? Do our strategy and plans coordinate with the Earth Disposition’s ability to support them, like water flowing through channels in the earth? Can we limit the opponent’s ability to change and shape his or her strategic plans in accordance with changing circumstances?
Exploit the line of least resistance – so long as it can lead to any objective which would contribute to your underlying object. (In tactics this maxim applies to the use of your reserves; and in strategy, to the exploitation of any tactical success.) 001 – 艮 – Gen – Mountain Mountain represents positioning and knowledge of the terrain. Thunder represents movement and Mountain is the cessation or restraining of movement. Knowing when to advance and when to be still is critical. Holding position, grounded and immovable – waiting – is as important as movement. Each is the corollary of the other. Do we know how and where to wait for the next opportunity to appear? When should we hold our position and wait for circumstances to change before moving again? Can we employ restraint and tolerance when they are appropriate? Can we act with humility? While waiting, what can we do to prepare ourselves for action? Can we use stillness to induce the opponent to move at the wrong time? Do not renew an attack along the same line (or in the same form) after it has once failed. A mere reinforcement of weight is not sufficient change, for it is probable that the enemy will have strengthened himself in the interval. It is even more probable that his success in repulsing you will have strengthened him morally. 000 – 坤 – Kun – Earth Earth is the physical sustaining of Heaven’s creative intention, the will to nourish, develop and respond to the vision as it unfolds. Earth is the plan / intention made manifest. It is also the terrain (both geographic and conceptual) upon which the plan / intention will be carried out. How will we manifest our vision, intention, and plans? How will Heaven’s vision – our strategic outlook – be nourished and supported? What are the practical considerations and logistics involved? What forces and support structures need to be mobilized and how and where? What will be the response of others and how can we either aid (in the case of allies) or interfere with (in the case of opponents) their ability to manifest their intention, vision, and plans? What is the terrain / environment on, or within which, our plan will unfold? Do not throw your weight into a stroke whilst your opponent is on guard – whilst he is well placed to parry or evade it. The experience shows that, save against a much inferior opponent, no effective stroke is possible until his power of resistance or evasion is paralyzed. Hence, no commander should launch a real attack upon an enemy in position until satisfied that such paralysis has developed. It is produced by disorganization, and its moral equivalent, demoralization, of the enemy.
