肇論新疏 2.67

2.67

The first sentence sets forth the rescue, and thereafter all clarify the meaning. This is identical to Laozi. Since the previous text strictly challenged that there are knowing and encountering, fearing the rescue would say: although the sage has knowing and encountering, because he does not boast or rely on them, knowing is like not knowing, and encountering is like not encountering, and hence it is called forgetting knowing and abandoning encountering. If so, then this is merely that the sage does not take knowing and encountering as his own excellence to claim as private self-interest. However, because his empty mind does not exalt itself, he is upheld and venerated by beings, who in turn attribute knowing and encountering to the sage. Thus the sage cannot escape the excellence of knowing and encountering, and ultimately it fulfills his own self-interest. As Laozi says: "He puts his person behind, yet his person comes first; is it not because he is unselfish that he is able to fulfill his self-interest?" His meaning is: putting his person behind means not wishing to be selfish for himself; however, if he yields to others, others will inevitably yield to him, so originally wishing to be behind, he ends up in front—this is fulfilling his self-interest.