| 1 |
天長地久。天地所以能長且久者，以其不自生，故能長久。 |
Heaven is long-enduring and earth continues long. The reason
why heaven and earth are able to endure and continue
thus long is
because they do not live of, or for, themselves. This
is how they are
able to continue and endure. |
Heaven endures and earth is lasting. And why can heaven and earth endure and
be lasting? Because they do not live for themselves.
On that account can they endure. |
Heaven is eternal, earth is lasting. The reason why heaven and earth are eternal
and lasting is because they do not live for themselves;
that is the reason they will ever endure. |
| 2 |
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。 |
Therefore the sage puts his own person last, and yet it is found in
the foremost place; he treats his person as if it were foreign to him,
and yet that person is preserved. Is it not because he has no
personal and private ends, that therefore such ends are realised? |
Therefore
the holy man puts
his person behind and his person comes to the front.
He surrenders his person and his person is preserved.
Is it not because he seeks not his own? For that
reason he can accomplish his own. |
Therefore the wise man will keep his personality out of sight and because of
so doing he will become notable. He subordinates his
personality and therefore it is preserved.
Is it not because
he is disinterested, that his own interests are conserved? |
