Tao Te Ching · 7 of 81 · tr. James Legge
Chapter 7
Heaven is long-enduring and earth continues long. The reason why heaven and earth are able to endure and continue thus long is because they do not live of, or for, themselves. This is how they are able to continue and endure. Therefore the sage puts his own person last, and yet it is found in the foremost place; he treats his person as if it were foreign to him, and yet that person is preserved. Is it not because he has no personal and private ends, that therefore such ends are realised?
Themes
◆Microcosm Macrocosmcosmology
The human being as a small-scale image of the entire cosmos; the body, soul, and intellect mirroring the structure of the heavens and the divine — distinct from correspondence in that it makes the human the privileged mirror.
The sage's behavior is presented as a reflection of the enduring nature of Heaven and Earth, positioning the human as a small-scale image of the cosmic order.
All passages →◇Paradox As Teachingethics
Using apparent contradiction, reversal, or riddle to destabilise ordinary understanding and induce insight.
[auto] The text relies on apparent contradictions such as putting oneself last to be found first and having no ends to realize ends to convey its spiritual insight.
All passages →◇Wu Weipraxis
Effortless action aligned with the spontaneous flow of the Dao; non-coercive, non-striving conduct that yields results without forcing — the sage acts without acting.
[auto] The passage explicitly describes the sage's conduct of having no personal ends yet realizing them through non-striving, which is the core definition of effortless action aligned with the Dao.
All passages →Related passages · 6 parallels
◆christian_mysticism|The Life and Doctrines of Jacob Boehme|Chapter 14 (part 7)
“This light moderates the action of the fiery will still active in them, the blessings of their good deeds surround them, the hope for still greater glorification is their life, and from the trouble and persecution which they have suffered t…”
Both passages emphasize the importance of selflessness and the enduring nature of spiritual or divine principles. The Tao Te Ching speaks of enduring through selflessness, while the Christian mystical text describes the enduring joy and blessings of selfless souls.
◆egyptian|The Egyptian Book of the Dead (Papyrus of Ani)|Chapter 43 (part 43)
“au am-nef saa en neter neb ahau pa neheh t'er-f He[4] hath eaten the knowledge of god every, [his] existence is for all eternity pa t'etta em sah-f pen en merer-f ari-f mest'et'-f and to everlasting in his sah [5] this; what he willeth he d…”
Both passages explore the concept of eternal existence and the nature of the soul or divine essence. Passage A discusses the eternal life of the soul and its divine nature in ancient Egyptian beliefs, while Passage B describes the enduring nature of heaven and earth and the selfless sage who, by not living for himself, achieves preservation and realization of his ends. Both emphasize the transcendence of the individual self and its connection to a higher, enduring reality.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 92
“Section 2 2. Supposing we accept this view and hold that, while things below the moon's orb have merely type-persistence, the celestial realm and all its several members possess individual eternity; it remains to show how this strict perman…”
Both passages explore the idea of enduring existence and the nature of permanence. Passage A discusses the selflessness of the sage and how it leads to preservation, while Passage B examines the permanence of celestial bodies and the role of soul and body in their enduring existence. Both texts touch on the theme of enduring existence through a form of selflessness or transcendence of individuality.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 93
“Section 3 3. We have to ask, that is, how Matter, this entity of ceaseless flux constituting the physical mass of the universe, could serve towards the immortality of the Kosmos. And our answer is "Because the flux is not outgoing": where t…”
Both passages explore the concept of enduring existence and the role of selflessness or non-attachment in achieving permanence. The Tao Te Ching emphasizes putting oneself last to achieve preservation, while the Select Works passage discusses the permanence of celestial bodies and the role of soul and body in their endurance.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 95
“Section 5 5. But how explain the permanence There, while the content of this sphere- its elements and its living things alike- are passing? The reason is given by Plato: the celestial order is from God, the living things of earth from the g…”
Both passages discuss the enduring nature of the heavens and earth, attributing it to their selflessness and connection to a higher principle. They also touch on the idea of the sage or higher soul being preserved due to its alignment with this principle.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 96 (part 1)
“Section 6 6.
We may now consider the question whether fire is the sole element existing in that celestial realm and whether there is any outgoing thence with the consequent need of renewal.
Timaeus pronounced the material frame of the All…”
Both passages discuss the concept of endurance and permanence, attributing it to a lack of self-interest or personal ends. They both highlight the idea that higher entities (heaven, celestial order) endure because they do not act for themselves, and this is contrasted with the transient nature of lower entities (earth, living things of this realm).