Chapter 7
天长地久
天长地久。
天地所以能长且久者，
以其不自生，
故能长久。
是以圣人后其身而身先，
外其身而身存。
非以其无私邪？
故能成其私。
Heaven endures; earth long abides. Heaven endures and earth long abides because they do not give birth to themselves. Hence they are long lived. Hence the sage places his person last, and it comes first; he treats it as something external to him and it endures. Does he not employ selflessness? Hence he attains his self-regarding ends.
A modern classroom translation, with labeled subsections for study.
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