Daodejing Chapter 7: selfishness and selflessness

Heaven is lasting,
Earth is enduring.
Heaven and earth
Last and endure,
Because they do not
Live for themselves.
That is why they can endure.
The sage places himself at the back,
Yet ends up at the front.
He has no consideration for himself,
Yet stays safe and secure.
Because he is selfless,
He is perfectly fulfilled.

「天長地久，天地所以長且久者，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。非以其無私耶！故能成其私。」

Laozi drew the inspiration for his teachings from his observations of the laws of nature. In the Daodejing, he highlights the principles that people should follow to lead impactful lives and contribute to social harmony.

Just as heaven and earth have lasted from the beginning of time precisely because they do not “exist for themselves,” so too should the sage eschew his own private interests. Paradoxically, because he “places himself at the back” he automatically “ends up at the front” because he is willing to listen to other people and work towards the collective benefit. By the same token, “because he is selfless” he is “perfectly fulfilled.”

By “perfectly fulfilled”, Laozi was referring to the selfless kind derived from the satisfaction of working towards the common good rather than the selfish kind produced by the ephemeral pleasures of accumulating unbridled wealth and power.

Food for thought for today’s one percent to consider!

Note
I took this image at Longhu (Dragon Tiger) Mountain, a famous Daoist site about ten miles south of Yingtan in Jiangxi Province. A great place to visit!