Heaven and Earth last for ever.
Why do Heaven and Earth last for ever?
They are unborn, so ever living.
The sage stays behind, thus he is ahead.
He is detached, thus at one with all.
Through selfless action, he attains fulfillment.

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HIDING THE LIGHT

Both Heaven and Earth endure a long time.

The cause of their endurance is their indifference to long life.

That is why they subsist.

Thus the wise man, indifferent to himself, is among the greatest of men, and taking no care for himself, he is nevertheless preserved.

By being the most unselfish he is the most secure of all.



In my theological point of view, everything is a particular expression of Consciousness. Physical things are expressions of gross consciousness, biological things are an expression of instinctual consciousness, psychological things are an expression of egoic consciousness. And it is here at ego that our dilema ensues, because our created ego wants to be the immortal thing itself, not just an expression of the immortal nature. Physical things such as the Earth do not possess this egoic quality because they have not evolved it, and so this dilema is not for it. Heaven has trancended the egoic quality, and so has no need of it. The sage is one who has learned to transcend the ego and find his center of gravity in Heaven as it embraces Earth, and expresses itself through ego. A point Emerson beautiful puts this way:

A man is the façade of a temple wherein all wisdom and all good abide. What we commonly call man [as an "individual person" or ego], the eating, drinking, counting man, does not, as we know him, represent himself, but misrepresents himself. Him we do not respect, but the soul, whose organ he is, if he would let it appear through his action, would make our knees bend. When it breathes through his intellect, it is genius; when it breathes through his will, it is virtue; when it flows through his affection, it is love. And the blindness of the intellect begins when it would be something of itself [be as "own person"]. The weakness of the will begins when the individual would be something of himself. All reform aims in some other particular to let the soul have its way through us….

"Heaven lasts long, and Earth abides.
What is the secret of their durability?
Is it not because they do not live for themselves,
That they can live so long?
Therefore the sage wants to remain behind,
But finds himself at the head of others.
Reckons himself out,
But finds himself safe and secure.
Is it not because he is selfless
That is self is realized?

John C.H. Wu Translation"

Once again, we find Lao Tzu trying to explain to us the nature of Tao. Interestingly enough, we see a lack of ego in the Tao. Which is quite different than the western concept of god. Lao Tzu shows us the paradox of the universe which necessarily creates an eternal peace, and realization.

Can we truly become self realized when we let go of our ego? In my western mind I say no, but from my Tao understanding. It makes perfect sense.

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