Unlike Descartes and many modern philosophers, Laozi (老子) didn't attempt to use deductive reasoning to find the truth and prove it to the world. He already knew about the ultimate truth. Not only did he know, he experienced and lived it! Therefore, people who met him kept bugging him to teach them "the way"; Tao Te Ching is the result of those requests.
I'll interpret the Tao Te Ching verse by verse (81 chapters/sections/verses (章) in total) with the help of the book that I'm studying, Change Your Thoughts - Change Your Life: Living the Wisdom of the Tao, which already did what I'm about to do. I'll take what I like from the book's interpretation and combine it with my personal take. The most amazing thing about the Tao Te Ching is its open-endedness; even the same person can have different interpretations of the text in different times, let alone different individuals. There's no one "right" way to interpret it. As you read it, you'll only learn the things that are relevant to you. Tao Te Ching is like a lamp that shown you the way that's always within you.
1st Verse
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