Chapter 7 of the Laozi

Chinese Text

天tiān长cháng地dì久jiǔ。
天tiān地dì所suǒ以yǐ能néng长cháng且qiě久jiǔ者zhě, 以yǐ其qí不bù自zì生shēng, 故gù能néng长cháng生shēng. 
是shì以yǐ圣shèng人rén後hòu其qí身shēn而ér身shēn先xiān, 外wài其qí身shēn而ér身shēn存cún. 
非fēi以yǐ其qí无wú私sī耶yé？ 故gù能néng成chéng其qí私sī. 
 

Translation

Heaven and Earth endure forever.
The reason Heaven and Earth can endure forever is that they do not live for themselves. That is why they can endure forever.
Therefore, the Sage puts himself last and yet comes first.
He disregards his own body, and yet his body is preserved.
Is it not because he is selfless?
That is why he can achieve his own goals.

Notes

河上公Héshàng Gōng explains the expression 长久chángjiǔ as "to live forever." H: The expression 自生zìshēng literally means "to appropriate one's life," and 自私其生zìsī qí shēng means "to live only for oneself." E: The 道Dào is selfless. If one who practices the 道Dào values life and seeks to enjoy it for himself alone, he does not conform to the 道Dào and cannot nourish his life (live long). The best way to nourish one's life is not to live for oneself alone. One who does not cling to life practices 无为wúwéi; if you practice 无为wúwéi, your spirits (神shén) will settle within you, and you will live long. One who clings to life and lives only for himself engages in action (有为yǒuwéi). If you engage in action, your spirits will be restless and never at peace; thus, you will destroy your own life. The 圣人shèngrén observes the way of 天tiān and 地dì, which do not live for themselves (but for all beings), and recognizes that whoever seeks to live harms his own life. Therefore, he puts himself last; he disregards his body and individuality to imitate 天tiān and 地dì, which do not live for themselves, and thus he comes first and is preserved for a long time.

B: Why can humans not endure forever like 天tiān and 地dì? It is because they are blinded by what they see and hear, seduced by their sensations and perceptions. Their body, which is but an illusion, binds them like iron shackles; they eagerly seek the means to live and do not know how to suppress disordered passions or sensual appetites. Therefore, the 圣人shèngrén uproots and expels the illusions of the world; he humbles himself to nourish his will and forgets his body to preserve his purity. All people love to rise; he alone loves to humble and lower himself. They love to make themselves great; he alone seeks to appear soft and weak (柔弱róuruò). They all compete for the first place; he withdraws as if timid. He puts himself after others and places them before him. That is why people honor him and place him first.

People eagerly pursue affairs; he alone reduces his desires (减欲jiǎnyù). They value themselves; he alone forgets his body (忘身wàngshēn). They desire life; he alone learns to die (学死xué sǐ). He makes nothing of life; that is why death cannot reach him.

B: The expression "placing oneself after others" (后其身hòu qí shēn) means "to bow and humble oneself before them." The expression 外其身wài qí shēn, literally "to put oneself outside oneself," means "to forget one's body" (C: to forget the self). He bows to others and does not take the first place; that is why others give him the place he deserves, and he comes first. He forgets his body and regards it as foreign; that is why he can be preserved for a long time.

C: He rids himself of all private interests (去私qù sī) and would be ashamed to be the only 圣人shèngrén. But this very humility shows that he is a 圣人shèngrén; it is through this that, without intending to, he can achieve his private interests. E: The 圣人shèngrén is selfless (无私wúsī); he has no desire to achieve his private interests (私欲sīyù); that is why he succeeds. If he had this desire, he would be selfish. Never has anyone been seen who, being selfish, could achieve his private interests.

The words 成其私chéng qí sī "to achieve one's private interests" explain the words: he comes first (先xiān), he is preserved for a long time (长久chángjiǔ).