原文
公有领域天長地久。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。
王弼注
待校读自生則與物爭，不自生則物歸也。
無私者，無為於身也。身先身存，故曰，能成其私也。
河上公章句
待校读說天地長生久壽，以喻教人也。
天地所以獨長且久者，以其安靜，施不求報，不如人居處，汲汲求自饒之利，奪人以自與也。
以其不求生，故能長生不終也。
先人而後己也。
天下敬之，先以為長。
薄己而厚人也。
百姓愛之如父母，神明祐之若赤子，故身常存。
聖人為人所愛，神明所祐，非以其公正無私所致乎。
人以為私者，欲以厚己也。聖人無私而己自厚，故能成其私也。
Legge 1891
Public domainHeaven is long-enduring and earth continues long. The reason why heaven and earth are able to endure and continue thus long is
because they do not live of, or for, themselves. This is how they are able to continue and endure.
Therefore the sage puts his own person last, and yet it is found in the foremost place; he treats his person as if it were foreign to him,
and yet that person is preserved. Is it not because he has no personal and private ends, that therefore such ends are realised?