In the monastery, whether in Buddha's time or Dogen's, a monk would take care of others AND take care of his/her own personal needs, practice, mental and physical health. Others were fed and tended to, but one fed and tended to oneself too. Even outside a monastery, out in the world, we may be part of a loving family in which one needs and works to take care of others, feeding and clothing and comforting them, but we also must feed and clothe, rest and recreate, and comfort oneself in order to do so. The others are not separate from you, but neither are you separate from them. I think it is much the same for doctors and nurses in a hospital, flight attendants on a plane, social workers helping the poor, teachers in a school ... all need to strike a balance between being 'other directed' AND healthful, moderated and mentally/physically balanced self interest (don't be too self-absorbed, personal pleasure addicted, excessive, greedy or someone who indulges in harmful activities) so as not to burn out.
But Buddhism provides a few more lessons: That there never were "others" to start with, nor a personal "self," and thus the others are already safe ... although they just don't know so. Also, they are just us, and we are just them ... so our sitting Zazen and practice is automatically their sitting and practice. Your sitting Zazen automatically saves the whole world, a whole world that never needed saving.
Nonetheless, though all that is true and, from one perspective, there is nobody in need of saving in the absolute perspective, here in the relative world there are still hungry mouths to feed and minds to enlighten ... so when we monks and mommies get back up from the cushion, we get back to work feeding our fellow monks or children, waiting tables or curing patients, tending to passengers or the needy poor ... and tending to our own needs too.
All together, all in healthy balance.
Gassho, J
STLah
(pardon, more than 3 small sentences)