December 2008

Commentary

Here again we see the emotionally confounding truth of how we only really ‘get’ what we ‘give up’. Christ put it this way: ‘Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it’. We (and all life) feels an innate need to hold on, to contend, yet we can only know contentment when we let go. A harmonious life rests in the delicate balance between competition and cooperation with ourselves, others, and nature.

Scripture is mostly biased towards the cooperation side of the equation. I think, however, not because cooperation is the greater virtue. Rather, civilization’s core purpose has always been to tip the scales in our favor vis-à-vis our competition with nature. Thus, balance for humanity requires tipping the scales in favor of cooperation in order to merely return us to the middle — the happy middle. All that stands in our way is our species’ exceptional cleverness.

Translation

Everlasting.
Heaven and earth can long endure,
Because they do not give themselves life,
Hence they can long continue to exist.
The wise person places his life last yet life comes first,
Is outside his life, yet lives life.
Non conforming as well as without personal evil!
Hence he is able to succeed personally.

heaven (nature; God) long the earth for a long time. (i.e., enduring as the universe; everlasting and unchanging)

heaven and earth (world; universe) so (therefore; as a result) ability (energy; can) long just (for the time being) for a long time,

use (take; because of; so as to_ as well as) his (her; its; their; that; such) not self (oneself) give birth to (bear; grow; existence; life),

incident (happening; reason; cause; hence) ability (energy; can) long (of long duration) perdure (to continue to exist).

is (be _ this; that) use (take; because of; so as to_ as well as) sage (wise man) back (behind; rear; after) his/her/its body (life; oneself) yet body (life; oneself) earlier (before; first),

outer (outward; other) his (her; its; that; such) body (life; oneself) yet body (life; oneself) exist (live; survive; keep).

wrong (not conform to; run counter to; not) use (take; because of; so as to_ as well as)  his (her; its; that; such)  nothing (without) personal (secret; illicit) evil (heretical; irregular)!

incident (happening; reason; cause; hence) ability (energy; can) accomplish (succeed; become; turn into; result) his (her; its; that; such) personal (secret; illicit).

Original

天长地久。

天地所以能长且久者，

以其不自生，

故能长生。

是以圣人后其身而身先，

外其身而身存。