ne episode of an elder giving advice to conquer evil:A certain elder said: Apply yourself to silence, have no vain thoughts, and be intent in your meditation, whether you sit at prayer, or whether you rise up to work in the fear of God. If you do these things, you will not have to fear the attacks of the evil ones. (Merton 1960, 47)The monks approach was to concentrate on bettering themselves through prayer and meditation so that they would be prepared when temptation arose. If they knew themselves, they would be able to conquer evil much more easily.Energy was an important factor on the battlefield and Sun Tzu realized the consequences of not being able to command large groups:The control of a large force is the same in principle as the control of a few men it is merely a question of dividing up their numbers. Fighting with a large army 6under your command is nowise different from fighting with a small one: It is merely a question of instituting signs and signals. (Clavell 1983 21)Once again control is central to the efficiency of the army. With a forceful and organized leader, the plans would proceed smoothly and victory would be a much easier task. This also relates to the enemy, for if a commander knew that the enemy was disorganized, then he would always have the advantage in battle. If the leader of an army could strike when his enemy was unprepared, the he would be the winning opponent. All of this directly relates to Sun Tzu’s strategy of making careful calculations to the last detail. Sun Tzu warns commanders:Unhappy is the fate of the one who tries to win his battles and succeed in his attacks without cultivating the spirit of enterprise, for the result of a waste of time and general stagnation. The enlightened ruler lays his plans well ahead; the good general cultivates his resources. He controls his soldiers by his authority, knits them together by good faith and by rewards makes them servi...
