第七章：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。非以其无私邪？故能成其私。

      Heaven is eternal, the Earth Everlasting. How come they to be so? Is it 

      because they do not foster their own lives; That is why they live so long. 

      Therefore the Sage Puts himself in the background; but is always to the 

      fore. Remains outside; but is always there. Is it not just because he does 

      not strive for any personal end That all his personal ends are fulfilled?

      第八章：上善若水，水善利万物而不争。处众人之所恶，故几于道。居善地，心善渊，与善仁，言善信，正善治，事善能，动善时。夫唯不争，故无尤。

      The highest good is like that of water. The goodness of water is that it 

      benefits the ten thousand creatures; yet itself does not scramble, but is 

      content with the places that all men disdain. It is this that makes water 

      so near to the Way. And if men think the ground the best place for 

      building a house upon, If among thoughts they value those that are 

      profound, If in friendship they value gentleness, In words, truth; in 

      government, good order; In deeds, effectiveness; in actions, timeliness- 

      In each case it is because they prefer what does not lead to strife,[1] 

      And therefore does not go amiss.

      [1]Even ordinary people realize the importance of the Taoist principle of 

      'water-like' behaviour, i.e. not striving to get on top or to the fore.

      第九章：持而盈之，不如其已；揣而锐之，不可长保。金玉满堂，莫之能守。富贵而骄，自遗其咎。功遂身退，天之道也！

      Stretch a bow[1] to the very full, And you will wish you had stopped in 

      time; Temper a sword-edge to its very sharpest, And you will find it soon 

      grows dull When bronze and jade fill your hall It can no longer be 

      guarded. Wealth and place breed insolence That brings ruin in its train. 

      When your work is done, then withdraw! Such is Heaven's[2] Way.

      [1] the expression used can also apply to filling a vessel to the brim; 

      but 'stretching a bow' makes a better parallel to 'sharpening a sword'.

      [2] as opposed to the Way of man