Saturday, April 11, 2009

7: Unselfishness


7

Heaven is eternal and Earth is lasting.
How can they be eternal and lasting?
Because they do not live for themselves.
That is how they can be eternal.
Therefore:
The sage puts himself last and becomes the first,
Neglects himself and is preserved.
Is it not because he is unselfish that he fulfills himself?


Unselfishness

The well-known reward for the unselfish is the praise received. Another benefit is hinted in the example of Heaven and Earth: The ones who don't live for themselves will endure, because that path is less straining, less of a struggle...

Here is my full commentary on this Tao Te Ching chapter:
Tao Te Ching Chapter 7 Translation and Commentary

4 comments:

  1. I think that you should not think if a deed is good or bad. Nature is always in balance. A good deed will, somehow, create something bad and a bad deed will be the creation that makes a flower of good bloom. Just be patient.

    Never bind your mind in thoughts of god and evil. Everything is at itself with its own purpose. Who are you to judge?

    Be and let be...

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  2. what is a good deed's inspiration but to transcend a selfish motive
    what is a selfish person but a good deed's target.

    it is only good in comparison to the bad

    so they are the same whole

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  3. Interesting thought, thanx for sharing

    Oliver

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  4. I think one should strive to forget the good deed as quickly as it happens...once conscience tries to gloat and feel rewarded by doing "good"...we must remember that good or bad is not for us or within us to decide...giving money to a homeless person that uses it to buy food or a weapon to commit a crime, as an example...maybe is as Nietszche puts it.. what happens because of love is beyond good and evil

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