Art of War 6.3
The Art of War (孫子兵法), Weak Points And Strong 虛實篇
能使敵人自至者利之也能使敵人不得至者害之也
By holding out advantages to him, he can cause the enemy to approach of his own accord; or, by inflicting damage, he can make it impossible for the enemy to draw near.
Lionel Giles (1910), Sun Tzŭ on the Art of War (1910), with Giles' notes — public domain.
Lionel Giles's notes
In the first case, he will entice him with a bait; in the second, he will strike at some important point which the enemy will have to defend.
Character glossary
- 能néngcan, may; capable, full of energy
- 使shǐcause, mission, orders; envoy, messenger
- 敵díenemy, foe, rival; to match; to resist
- 人rénman, person; people
- 自zìself; private, personal; from
- 至zhìreach, arrive; very, extremely
- 者zhěthat which; they who; those who
- 利lìgains, advantage, profit, merit
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 也yěalso, too
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 得déto obtain, to get, to acquire; suitable,
- 害hàito injure, to harm; to destroy, to kill
Passages with shared wording
- Zhuangzi Tien Tzŭ Fang
- Art of War 11.15
- Analects 4.2
- Mencius 1B.15
- Art of War 4.3
- Zhuangzi The Old Fisherman
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.