Living a Long Life - Not Giving Any Opportunity to Death - DaoDeJing 50

Living a long life is not to give any opportunity to death such as bad lifestyle leading to sickness, carelessness and recklessness, and making enemies. If we need to shorten our life, may it be for a worthy cause. DaoDeJing 50

DaoDeJing Chapter 50 Text & Translation:

出生入死，

From birth till death,

生之徒，十有三；

Those that live [to right old age] is 30% or those who try to live is 30%

死之徒，十有三；

Those that die [before their ripe old age] is 30% or those who try to die is 30%

人之生，动之死地，亦十有三。

The lives of men, moving in the areas of death (i.e. putting themselves in danger), is also 30%.

or those who struggle with death to live is 30%

夫何故？以其生生之厚。

Why is this so? Because of trying very hard to live.

盖闻善摄生者，陆行不遇兕虎，入军不被甲兵，

We heard that those who know how to manage life, when traveling will never meet rhinoceros nor tigers. When they enter the army, they are not killed.

兕无所投其角，虎无所措其爪，兵无所容其刃，

The rhinoceros find no place to poke its horn.

The tiger finds no place to put its claws.

The soldier finds no place to cut with his knife.

夫何故？以其无死地！

Why so? There are no death spots!

How to live a long life?
The best way to live a long life is not to put yourself in danger.

1. Prevention is better than cure. So we must not overly stress ourselves and cause us to fall sick. We must live a healthy lifestyle. 
2. Another way is not to give any opportunity to others, either wild animals or angry man, to harm us. 
1. Stay away from going to dangerous places. 
2. Make peace with people.  Don't make any enemy. Forgive those who hurt you.

Under normal circumstances, having a healthy and long life is good and to be desired. However, there are times, for reasons of higher cause, we may have to sacrifice our lives.

Living a long life is rather simple - don't put yourself at risk, says Lao Zi. But we usually over-stress ourselves or over indulge ourselves that make us sick. If not, we have bad relationships with people. May we be warned that we can live a simple, good and healthy life.

Lim Liat (c) 13 Nov 2016