The Daodejing, also commonly referred to as the Tao Te Ching, is a Chinese text that teaches the beliefs of Daoism through poems. Daoism emphasizes getting back to a natural way of things and how opposites come in balance with one another to be apart of a bigger whole. This is similar to yin and yang, the idea that opposites actually work to complement each other. An example of this is a male and a female, as both have their own responsibilities in a household so that things run smoothly. The second poem in the Daodejing talks about this, as it explains that opposites exist and there cannot be one without the other. For example, if nothing was ugly, then it would be impossible for something beautiful to exist.
Although some of my interpretations may be incorrect, below is how I understood some of the lessons from the Daodejing.
#3: If you show who you are, people are likely to take advantage of you. If you have wealthy, people will try to take this from you. If you are a helpful person, people will always be trying to consume your time with their problems.
#7: Heaven and Earth were never born so they will last forever. They do not have any desires or wants, so they are fulfilled by being selfless.
#8: Be content with who you are – be like water, which benefits everything it touches.
#9: Be true to yourself – strive for your goals and do not seek the approval of other’s.
#23: You must trust to be trusted.
#26: Do not be restless and lose control or be a fool and forget who you are.
#27: A good man must teach a bad man and a bad man must respect his teacher.
#34: Do not be boastful – being great but not showing it makes it great.