Something I found particularly interesting about Daodejing was how similar its teachings were to other religions practiced throughout the world. Most of the ideas match other religions such as living for others and correcting faults within ourselves. These notions were even more interesting when looking at some of the passages that mirrored Christianity even though they were created hundreds of years before Christ. Something that was also interesting about these teachings was the idea of being peaceful and passive. This contradicts the Western ideas that one should act and “work hard” to attain their goals. This could contribute to the different philosophies when it comes to living and working in the east versus the west.
Another aspect I thought was particularly interesting was the view of women within the texts. The idea of “mother” is used several times. I was surprised to find this language based on how Christianity tends to use father. Especially for a text written thousands of years ago, I did not expect such high esteem to be placed on female characteristics. Although later the Daodejing refers to women as passive and men as active, I was shocked that women would be so included in the teachings.
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