Art of War 6.25
The Art of War (孫子兵法), Weak Points And Strong 虛實篇
故形兵之極至於無形無形則深閒不能窺知者不能謀
In making tactical dispositions, the highest pitch you can attain is to conceal them;
conceal your dispositions, and you will be safe from the prying of the subtlest spies, from the machinations of the wisest brains.
Lionel Giles's notes
The piquancy of the paradox evaporates in translation. 無形 is perhaps not so much actual invisibility (see supra, § 9) as “showing no sign” of what you mean to do, of the plans that are formed in your brain.
深閒 is expanded by Tu Mu into 雖有閒者深來窺我. [For 閒, see XIII, note on heading.] He explains 知者 in like fashion: 雖有智能之士亦不能謀我也 “though the enemy may have clever and capable officers, they will not be able to lay any plans against us.”
Character glossary
- 故gùreason, cause; happening, instance
- 形xíngform, shape; to appear; to describe; to
- 兵bīngsoldier; troops, an army; warlike
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 極jíextreme, top; final, furthest, utmost; p
- 至zhìreach, arrive; very, extremely
- 於yúat, in, on; to, from; alas!
- 無wúno, not; lacking, -less
- 則zérule, law, regulation; grades
- 深shēndeep, profound; depth
- 閒xiánleisure, idle time; tranquil, peaceful,
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 能néngcan, may; capable, full of energy
- 窺kuīto peep, to spy on, to watch
- 知zhīto know, to perceive, to comprehend
- 者zhěthat which; they who; those who
- 謀móuto plan, to scheme; strategem
Passages with shared wording
- Art of War 6.13
- Zhuangzi Exercise of Faculties
- Art of War 6.9
- The Doctrine of the Mean Passage 24
- Zhuangzi The Universe
- Tao Te Ching Chapter 41
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.