Classical Text 古典文獻 · Dao De Jing 道德經
Chapter 7 — Lasting and Long-enduring
韜光
Part I — The Dao 上篇·道經
Original Verse
原文
天長地久。
天地所以能長且久者，以其不自生，故能長生。
是以聖人後其身而身先；外其身而身存。
非以其無私邪？故能成其私。
English Translation
英譯
Heaven is lasting and Earth is long-enduring.
The reason they can last so long
Is that they do not live for themselves;
Therefore they can live forever.
Thus the Sage puts himself last and finds himself first;
He stays outside and finds himself preserved.
Is it not through his selflessness
That his self-interest is fulfilled?
Liuren Fajiao Commentary
六壬法教注疏
In Liuren Fajiao, we often say that the power belongs to the Lineage (祖師門), not the individual. By "putting the self last" and dedicating every ritual and act of magic to the service of others and the glory of the teachers, the practitioner's own spiritual power (De) is naturally preserved and grows.
"Not living for self" (不自生) is the key to longevity in cultivation. A practitioner who seeks magic for purely selfish gain or ego will find their power fleeting. But one who acts as a selfless conduit for the Dao becomes as enduring as the forces they invoke.
Source: Dao De Jing (道德經), Chapter 7