Line by Line - Verse 7, Lines 1-2

Heaven is long-enduring and earth continues long.
~ James Legge translation, from The Sacred Books of the East, 1891 ~

Heaven and Earth last forever. Why do heaven and Earth last forever?
~ Gia-fu Feng and Jane English translation, published by Vintage Books, 1989 ~

Heaven and Earth are everlasting
~ Derek Lin translation, from Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained, published by SkyLight Paths, 2006 ~

Tao never stops. Why?
~ Ron Hogan rendition, from Beatrice.com, 2004 ~

If Tao is the process of life itself and the essence of all things, then it is everything past, present and future.

Of course, the very concept of time is another human construct. Forever only makes sense WITHIN this construct. If time merely is an illusion, then forever doesn't really exist or, put another way, it has no real meaning. This is one reason that many philosophical Taoists -- me included -- simply state that Tao is.

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