Forward,+The+How+of+Pooh?,+The+Tao+of+Who,+Chris+and+Rachel

=Section 1. Tao of Pooh - Rachel Choi & Chris Nam =

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Benjamin Hoff begins //The Tao of Pooh// with a three-page foreword, expostulating upon the existence of Taoist elements in the Western hemisphere of the world. He uses an excerpt from //Winnie-the-Pooh// as an example, and when rebutted by one of his colleagues, who states that //Winnie-the-Pooh// is "about this dumpy little bear that wanders around asking silly questions, making up songs, and going through all kinds of adventures, without ever accumulating any amount of intellectual knowledge or losing his simpleminded sort of happiness," Hoff replies, "Same thing" (Hoff, xii). This reply prompts Hoff to pen what is almost a Taoist rendition of //Winnie-the-Pooh//, and thus the book launches into the first chapter.


"The //How// of Pooh?" begins with the narrator and Pooh travelling to China in order to find "something allegorical" – anything with historical relevance and power (2). They then attain //The Vinegar Tasters//, a scroll depicting three men, gathered around a vat of vinegar, tasting the vinegar and each sporting their own reaction. This scroll is revealed to be an allegory of the three most prominent religions / philosophies in China – Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism. K'ung Fu-tse, portrayed in //The Vinegar Tasters// with a sour facial expression, pioneered Confucianism, emphasising a high regard towards the ancestors and the past.  Buddha, portrayed in the scroll with a bitter expression, begot Buddhism, a religion that necessitated the attainment of nirvana in the face of societal evil in this world. Finally, the smiling Lao-tse transpired to come up with Taoism, a philosophy that suggested that since the earthly natural balance needs to be preserved, the destruction of governments to accommodate new ones is actually detrimental to us collectively. Rather, Lao-tse teaches us to embrace our "world of dust" as the source of valuable lessons. Hoff then crucially notes that this book will focus on the more personal and the more quotidian aspects of Taoism, and notes that happiness is indeed a cardinal trait of the Taoist, which is best exemplified by Lao-tse's smiling face in //The Vinegar Tasters//.

**"The Tao of //Who//?" **
 "The Tao of //Who//?" answers one extremely valuable question: why //The Tao of __Pooh__//? What significance does the character of Pooh have in this respect? Hoff reveals that one of the most important principles of Taoism is homophonic to "Pooh" - //P'u//, the Uncarved Block. The Chinese character of //P'u// defines to mean "natural, simple, plain, honest," and can be defined as the combination of a radical meaning "tree" and a phonetic meaning dense growth (11). Such leads to the combined meaning of "things in their natural state" (11). Hoff goes on to mention three thinkers in //Winnie-the-Pooh// - the Rabbit, the Owl, and Eeyore, and their respective characteristics with the slightest measure of exasperated scorn. Such exasperation descends from the fact that these animals have a purpose for their wisdom. However, Pooh's simplicity and genuineness allows him to become an entity very similar to the Uncarved Block, which heralds a simple, carefree nature, almost childlike and uninfluenced by society. 

Thematic Analysis[[image:6a00d83451c0aa69e2010536c4a1fd970c-800wi.gif width="175" height="175" align="left"]]
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 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">**The "smiling," happy nature of Taoism:** it is all too clear that despite the quite ominous atmosphere that is brought through the existence of Confucianism and Buddhism, Taoism has this unique, relentless "smiling" nature. Such is exemplifed most clearly in //The Vinegar Tasters//, in which, even after tasting some vinegar, Lao-tse smiled, contrary to K'ung Fu-tse and the Buddha. This also correlates very well with the assertion that Taoists are (stereotypically speaking) perhaps too carefree about their social influence, unlike Confucianists and Legalists.
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">**The nature of P'u, the Uncarved Block:** one of the most important principles of Taoism, the P'u places value upon the simplistic, the original, and the carefree. Like Pooh, Taoism extols those who, with a childlike mind, do not see past their quotidian desires and merely stay active in this limited way. As Hoff clearly states, Taoism does not meddle in the politics of humans; it merely takes genuine interest in the Taoist's outspoken affection towards simplicity and the quotidian circumstance rather than an artificial human creation, like politics.

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 * 1) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">What do //The Vinegar Tasters// represent?
 * 2) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">What are the main ideas and principles of each of the three main religions of China as depicted in //The Vinegar Tasters// (Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism)?
 * 3) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Explain the most noticeable characteristic of the Taoist personality. Why do you think this attribute is so noticeable and significant?
 * 4) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Why is Lao-tse smiling in //The Vinegar Tasters//? What concept of Taoism is shown through his facial expression?
 * 5) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Explain the relationship between "radical" and "phonetic" according to Taoism.
 * 6) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">How can you attain the secret message of Uncarved Block?
 * 7) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Relate the secret message of Uncarved Block with the characteristics of Taoists. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">
 * 8) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Identify //the// foundational Taoist principle and explain what this principle is.
 * 9) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">How do Taoists turn negative things in others' perspectives into something positive?
 * 10) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Explain the foundational principle of Lao-tse's teachings. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">

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