the legend of the text ~ Lao Tzi was angered and frustrated with injustices and immorality of life in feudal China and decided to leave his home in the state of Zhou for a life in the wilderness.  When he reached the Western Pass (the border between the civilized China and the barbarian wilds), a guard petitioned him to record his teachings for the edification of future generations.  The elder sage complied, descended from his donkey and proceeded to write the entirety of the Dao De Jing in one sitting.  When finished, and without a backward glance, Laozi departed through the gate, never to be seen again.

Ying & Yang ~ 

The Ying & Yang are not exclusively a Daoist symbol but rather appear in much of Chinese thought to indicate the dark and the light * they are always portrayed as opposite and equal qualities * whenever one reaches a peak it naturally becomes the opposite quality * Ying and Yang are bound together as a mutual whole; you cannot have one without the other * the interaction of two things always gives rise to other things 

Lao Tzi(u) ~ 
Daoism is a tradition based upon the ideas and collected writings of the thinking of Lao Tzu * as a historical figure, he is a tad hazy, although it is believed he lived in the 6th century BCE * there is one piece of writing that it attributed to him that became an important foundational element of the tradition of Daoism . . . Dao de Ching

The Dao ~ 
Dao is considered to be the origanizational principle of the universe * it is also the most basic ontological principle of the universe * 
ontological ?  
the philosophical study of the nature of being, becoming, existence, or reality, as well as the basic categories of being and their relations.
WU WEI ~ 
the principle of 'action-less-action' 
this is the principle that one should live in a spontaneous manner in harmony with the (a) natural ordering and flow of the cosmos known as the ~ Dao
One should not act against this natural order and rhythm of nature * human happiness is the result of alignment with the Dao * Wu Wei allows people who practice with the Dao to live harmoniously with nature and to be mindful of the interconectedness of everything living * this concept existed in Chinese philosophy before the introduction of Daoism 
Desire ~ 
although the concept of wu-wei was not introduced to China via Daoism, the philosophers and thinkers associated with developed it the most extensively * it attempts to negate the effects of human desire; if a person can do away with human desires then they will act naturally * desire is that which causes people to act unnaturally and out of harmony with the Dao * 

Dao de Ching ~ chapter 2
As soon as beauty is known by the world as beautiful, it becomes ugly.
As soon as virtue is being known as something good, it becomes evil.
Therefore being and non-being give birth to each other.
Difficult and easy accomplish each other.
Long and short form each other.
High and low distinguish each other.
Sound and tone harmonize each other.
Before and after follow each other as a sequence.
Realizing this, the saint performs effortlessly according to the natural Way without personal desire, and practices the wordless teaching through one's deeds .
The saint inspires the vitality of all lives, without holding back.
He nurtures all beings with no wish to take possession of.
He devotes all his energy but has no intention to hold on to the merit.

When success is achieved, he seeks no recognition.
Because he does not claim for the credit, hence shall not lose it.

{as a text is dated to the Warring States period (480-221 BCE)
it is attributed to Lao Tzi