道德經

Tao Te Ching 7 · 7

Hiding the Light

天長地久。天地所以能長且久者，以其不自生，故能長生。是以聖人後其身而身先；外其身而身存。非以其無私邪？故能成其私。

Heaven lasts long, earth endures. The reason heaven and earth can last long and endure is that they do not live for themselves; so they can live long. So the sage puts himself last, and yet he comes first; he sets himself aside, and yet he survives. Is it not because he has no self-interest? So he can fulfill his self-interest.

Word by word

天tiānHeaven長chánglasts long地dìearth久jiǔendures。天地tiān dìheaven and earth所以suǒ yǐThe reason能néngcan長chánglast long且qiěand久jiǔendure者zhěis，以yǐthat其qíthey不bùdo not自zìfor themselves生shēnglive，故gùsothey能néngcan長chánglong生shēnglive。是以shì yǐSo聖人shèng rénthe sage後hòulastputs其qí(his)身shēnhimself而érand yet身shēnhe先xiāncomes first；外wàiasidehe sets其qí(his)身shēnhimself而érand yet身shēnhe存cúnsurvives。非fēiIs it not以yǐbecause其qíhe無私wú sīhas no self-interest邪xié(?)？故gùSohe能néngcan成chéngfulfill其qíhis私sīself-interest。，。；。，；，。？。

The setting

Heshang Gong titles it 韜光 “Hiding the Light”.

A note on this passage

The sage copies heaven and earth, and the chapter turns on one word used twice. 私 is self-interest: the sage has none (無私), and that is exactly how his own interest is achieved (成其私). Heshang Gong’s title for the chapter is 韜光, “hiding the light”.

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