The Art of Peace

Most of us have heard of the "Art of War" by Sun Tzu. For those who aren't familiar with it, The Art of War is one of the oldest and most successful books on military strategy. Personally, I love the fact that Sun Tzu's philosophy makes it clear that "the peak efficiency of knowledge and strategy is to make conflict altogether unnecessary."

In other words, the ideal strategy in war is to win without fighting and accomplish the most by doing the least. This is a Taoist philosophy, and like any perception of great depth, it might appear as a paradox at first.

Although a seeming contradiction, it can be recognized that the goal of any and all conflict, or war is to achieve a greater peace. The illusion of opposites does indeed make it hard to see at times. We can realize this though simply by looking at the root intention of those involved in the conflict. We can also realize that conflict actually helps define what peace is. Peace gives conflict a meaning just the same. Without one, the other would be a constant and therefore unnoticeable. They are two sides of the same coin. They are one.

To further illustrate, check out the similarities in the best fighters and the most peaceful people:

The best warriors are able to maintain a calm in battle. They can be in full motion, yet maintain a stillness with in. They are able to adapt to whatever the circumstances are and make the absolute best out of the situation.

The people best at staying peaceful, blissful, and all around happy are people with the ability to adapt to life just as the best warriors who ever lived. They are able to adapt to whatever the circumstances are and make the absolute best out of the situation.

The art of peace and the art of war have a whole lot in common!

Related posts:
The Pure Paradox
The Illusion of Opposites
The Peace Loving Warrior