Daodejing, Verse 7

Daodejing - Other Voices

Heaven is eternal – the earth endures.
Why do Heaven and earth last forever?
They do not live for themselves only.
This is the secret of their durability.
For this reason the sage puts himself last
and so ends up ahead.
He stays a witness to life,
so he endures.
Serve the need of others,
and all your own needs will be fulfilled.
Through selfless action, fulfillment is attained.

The 7th verse of the Tao Te Ching teaches us to live a Tao centered life, instead of an ego centered life. If we are able to do this in our minds and actions we will find inner peace and fulfilment. The ego is a demanding force, and if you live with ego you can never be satisfied. You will continue to strive for more, and never feel complete. Generously thinking and serving others will lead to matching your behaviors with the rhythm of the Tao. If you can achieve this the power of the Tao will flow freely; leading to a fulfilling life.

When you let your ego determine your behaviors and persue desires, the more they will elude you. You end up striving and never arriving. Let life come to you, not the other way around. If you achieve this than you find yourself in a continually state of receiving, because of the endless generosity of the eternal Tao.

Our culture defines us by our success, social status, and our possessions. We are taught the quest for power, and bigger better things are supposed to bring us happiness. In the 7th verse the Tao tells us to live for more than just ourselves.

Try to identify your ego centered mind, try to replace with a “how may I serve” way of thinking. Stop chasing after the mentality of more this or that. Refuse your demanding habits, by refusing to chase after them. By holding back ego’s demands, even for a few moments you will feel more and more fulfilled.

By giving without asking for anything in return you will be given everything you need. The things you desire will start coming to you, by putting your self last, you will end up ahead. When we live for others, we have a living connection to the Tao. This living connection does not come easy. You need to consistently meditate, and with each day live to serve others. In doing this you discover the rhythm of the Tao. As you reach out in thinking and doing you release loving energy.

I study the verses of the Tao Te Ching as often as I can. I do not like to move on to the next verse until I am able to live these teachings effortlessly. This verse is one I find myself having trouble living everyday.

The notion of always putting others before yourself is difficult for me because I desire the time to work on my writing career and my foundation. Since I work full-time and have a wife and three kids; time is a rare thing for me. I want to live through my ego center so I can accomplish my personal goals. It is when I allow this ego center to completely take me over, is when I find myself slipping. When I am tempted with greed and selfishness. I begin to think of less fortunate individuals. This allows me to feel more connected to life and be grateful for what I have...
~ from The Philosophy of Me, author Tim Lundmark, original post date: 5/20/10 ~

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