Photo Credit: Wikipedia
Required reading for one of my undergraduate courses has
become one of my favorite books. This is
one book that I did not sell back to the bookstore, or try to sell online, and
instead decided to keep in my personal library at home. I’ve read it several times over the years,
especially during the most stressful times in my life, as a reminder to take a
deep breath, and refocus.
The book
I’m talking about is the Tao of Pooh, written by Benjamin Hoff and
published in 1982. It’s based on Tao principles, which focus on “following the
way” through wu-wei (action through non-action/ effortless action). If you’re
not familiar with Taoism (I’m definitely not), it’s most common in China, and
dates back to the 4th century BC. Hoff displays the difference
between the Tao way, and the wrong way through the main characters in one of
your favorite cartoons as a child, The
House at Pooh Corner. And which character do you think exemplified the Tao
way?
Winnie
the Pooh, of course. Pooh lived life simply, didn’t over-complicate situations,
and although we wouldn’t describe him as an energetic go-getter, things always
seemed to work out for him.
After
reading the book, I wondered who Benjamin Hoff was. Hoff, of Oregon, published
this book at age 36. It seems like he
had a great interest in Chinese culture, even earning a BA in Asian Art just a decade
or so before writing the book. According to the info I found on Wikipedia about
him, he also comes across as a free spirit, given all of his career changes:
tree pruner, antiques restorer, hospital orderly, journalist, reporter and musician.
He wrote 5 books in total, but in 2006, he publicly resigned from book
writing. I have no idea what career he’s
pursuing now.
He
followed up the New York Time best-selling book with another one about Winnie the
Pooh and his friends called The Te of Piglet. In this piece, Hoff describes
how Piglet’s te, or inner power and
heart, allows him to live in harmony with the Tao, while the characteristics of
some of the other characters prevent them from living more fulfilling lives.
Photo Credit: 1zoom.net
One
lesson I came away with after reading this book is that the mind that is given
rest, often comes up with the most innovative solutions. While it’s not
realistic to aim to live your life like Winnie the Pooh (he was kind of an
airhead), it is a great reminder to stop and enjoy the simple things: silence,
family time, meditation, nature, a good book, or great food. We need to savor
these moments. Afterall, if God forbid we don’t wake up tomorrow, then what was
all the fuss and rush for?
At 158
pages, it’s an easy read for people who are short on time. Check it out and let me know what you think!
Signing off,
Nic
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