[Daehanjeiguk]

Immediately following the discussion on victory, the thought passed the Emperor on defeat. If the way to victory was by the law, what was the way of defeat? What was the conduct becoming of the defeated?

(馬 - Ma)
(皇 - Emperor)

皇: We have discussed the ways to become victorious, but the Heavens know that every great nation must face defeat eventually. I understand that it is our prerogative to avoid defeat at all costs, but if defeat is eminent, what is the way to mitigate its effect and to make our way to the victorious path?

馬: There are many ways to make the way victorious from defeat. It is in fact defeat that teaches us the ways to victory, and therefore the greatest instructor is not the teachers of victory, but the teachers of defeat, for they know how the defeated army is defeated, whereas the victorious army only knows how to be victorious.

皇: Why is one more preferable to the other?

馬: Consider this. The enemy who only knows victory can only assume the ways to making victory, but not defeat. The enemy who knows defeat can learn the ways to defeat and victory, because he has tasted both sides of the sword. The enemy therefore can prepare the ways to being victorious by preparing the ways by not being defeated. It is for this reason why the Master Sun said never to wage war against your enemies for too long, for in battle they may be defeated, but protracted war will teach your enemies how to defeat you, whereas you know not how to remain undefeated. In this manner, by learning from defeat, they are able to become impregnable and remain untouched by our armies in learning defeat.

It is true that every great nation must taste defeat. But there are the three paths of defeat: defeat of honor, defeat of right, and defeat of being. Defeat of honor is the least important and perhaps the most easily lost. When our armies travel far and they suffer losses abroad, they suffer the defeat of honor, for they are unable to project themselves to where they are sent. The army is therefore lost its pride to remaining undefeated. It is great defeat if we need to defend allies, but in the end, it does not hurt our great land, and when pressed between the other choices, it is most important to suffer a defeat of honor before all others.

A defeat of right is more critical but still not quite as important as the greatest. We must caution ourselves against wars where the defeat of right is suffered, for we suffer more than the loss of pride. When we engage our enemies in lands of our neighbors or our periphery, the enemy is more capable to hindering our great land. It is true that our home armies will fight more secure on our lands, but weary armies also subject our great land to loss. Wars close to home must be fought to victory, but if threatened with the greatest defeat, we must avoid it at all costs.

A defeat of being is the greatest defeat and one from which no instructor can prepare the army. When the enemy has threatened our home and is destroying our armies and infrastructure, ruling the land becomes difficult, and our existence becomes at threat to loss. Of all three defeats, none is greater and none is more difficult to lose. But even the most foolish leader can lead the great land to disarray if he allows a war of being to occur. Under any account, defeat of being will cost us more than honor and right; it will be the end of our great land, and if we are threatened with defeat of being, no commander worthy of Han can ever surrender, for life or death, for the land he loves will die.

For these three defeats, it is important to realize that the same application applies to our enemies, and the maxim is best followed when facing opponents. By learning these defeats, you realize that defeats of honor and right are most preferable to defeats of being; this reflects on the primary objective of the commander – to defeat the enemy without destroying him.

皇: In the 1769 war with Seopanya {Spain}, we defeated their fleets and conquered Jonamdo. We were victorious because their fleets were destroyed. How does this victory match with our vision to preserve the enemy in defeat?

馬: When our fleets destroyed the Seopanya fleets, we did not destroy the enemy; we only incapacitated its arms and means to hurt. When fighting an opponent in the various martial arts of unarmed combat, does the competent fighter kill his opponent? Or does he incapacitate his opponent’s ability to hurt him? Indeed, the same with war. By destroying the fleets, we defeated our enemy’s ability to retaliate. We secured the victory as the Seopanya Kingdom was forced to concede their defeat of honor. We preserved their lands, and we preserved their home. There was also the consideration that perhaps our forces would have been unable to hinder them at home, but the perspective remains true – they still exist and they have profited from their loss in other theaters.

皇: Then, the way to defeat is not much different from the war to victory.

馬: The commander possesses both the way to victory and defeat. But following the five criteria, he must ensure victory first by ensuring he is impregnable. If the commander seeks to make his enemy pregnable, he will be defeated, for he will react to his enemy. By remaining impregnable, the enemy is forced to react to us. It is far more preferable that the enemy remain impregnable, so long as we remain impregnable as well. The way to victory is to remain undefeatable. The way to defeat is to become weak to the enemy’s attack.

It is therefore the instruction of defeat that tells us and our enemies how to be defeated. In this manner, we can better prepare to be attacked and remain undefeated. If we remain victorious, we cannot learn and make ourselves undefeatable. Otherwise, by defeat, we can learn the ways to victory.

皇: Is there any different conduct to be defeated than it is to be victorious? If the ways are the same, then surely the conduct is the same.

馬: Graceful in defeat as merciful in victory; we must set an example worthy of ourselves if we are defeated to remain graceful in defeat as we are merciful in victory. Master Kong says the virtuous man does not do to others what he does not want to be done in return; if we are victorious, we do not impose harsh penalties for them. If we are defeated, we accept the terms of defeat and cooperate with the victors, to as much as our honor will allow. In this manner, do what we expect our defeated foes to do when they are faced with defeat. In this manner, we teach our enemies that defeat is not the worst alternative possible.

皇: Therefore, we learn from defeat, and we conduct ourselves in the manner worthy of the defeated as the victor. Please explain to me about how to avoid defeat of being if we are overwhelmed, as while I hope that we never encounter any such circumstance, it is better to have the instruction to best prepare for such circumstances.

馬: As I said, no instructor can give the best advice on how to avoid defeat of being, but common sense will certainly avoid it at all costs. If confronted, it is best to avoid attacking our enemy directly. Battle while the enemy is impregnable is folly, and following the conventions, the way to victory remains with being undefeatable. If they come to our lands in force, flee to difficult terrain where they cannot engage us. Strip them of supply and choke their forces. Control the vital accesses and call upon the neighbors to overpower the invaders.

SUMMARY
- If defeat is inevitable, avoid the worse defeat.
- Conduct yourself of the most respectable behavior and your victors may leave you off the hook for some “special” concessions.
- Learn from your mistakes.
- Avoid protracted wars, because they teach your enemies how to fight against you.
- As always, avoid being destroyed; if destroyed, you can offer no resistance to the enemy, while defeat allows you to fight again another day.
- Victory rests with being undefeatable, so let your enemy tire himself against your defenses.
- If you follow convention, people in general are more likely to respect you in war and peace; if you trash convention, expect the same to be done to you in defeat.