Essay Questions

Why does Pooh exemplify the way in whichever taoists look at life?

Pooh does not feel envy, jealousy or avarice. He expects things to turn out well and so they do. He assumes people will be nice because he has had no other experience. He is a very happy bear because he chooses to be. He looks at all the things he has in his life that are good and they make him happy. He doesn't look to what other people have that might be better than he has and start to want that. He is happy with his lot and that is what is his main similarity with Taoism. There is no outside force telling him that he doesn't have enough to be happy and so he feels content with what he has and whom he surrounds himself with.

What do you think A.A. Milne would have thought of his children's story being used as an example of basic Taoism?

A. A. Milne once stated that he never considered himself a children's author and that he never wrote his books with children in mind. For this reason he would likely have rather approved of Hoff's position. Milne wrote the Winnie the Pooh stories to gently teach using his lovable teddy bear as the vessel for what he wanted to say, which was to highlight the importance of keeping in contact with and always listening to the child that we used to be. The Taoist way of looking at things and the way that children look at things is very similar; Winnie the Pooh enables us to remember how we looked at the world as children and that as the purpose Milne had in mind when writing his stories.

Do you think the characters who live the Hundred Acre Wood are happy?

Winnie the Pooh is happy. He sees everything that he has and appreciates it and is happy because he does not have the ability to overthink things. Piglet is also happy because he knows himself. He is comfortable with himself and therefore does only things that he knows he can accomplish. He is surprisingly plucky and courageous and knows his limitations. Tigger does not know his limitations and thinks he can do everything. He always over estimates his capabilities. Although he is essentially happy he does suffer many disappointments largely because of his unrealistic attitude. Owl is not a particularly happy person because he is a scholar and he has read too much about the bad things that can happen, the better things that he could have and his impressions of life are from others' experiences.

How does Taoism differ from the teachings of Buddha and Confucius?

Benjamin uses an ancient painting called the "vinegar tasters" to illustrate the differences among the three schools of thought found in China, namely, Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism. The author suggests that the primary difference found in these teachings is in the manner in which each teaching discerns/perceives the essence of life. In this case, the vinegar represents the essence of life while the tasters' expressions represent their reaction to life. Benjamin states that the Taoists' perception/ reaction to life and its complexities is not without an understanding of the universal law. He further says that just as much as the natural laws of the universe are beneficial when followed, in that they maintain a harmonious balance between heaven and earth, so are the lessons gleaned from the complexities of life.

Therefore, a Taoist learns and follows the lessons that life intends to teach, i.e. a Taoist works in harmony with the natural law of the universe. Hence a pleasant expression in the painting. The Buddhist, on the other hand, believes that life is arrayed with myriad traps which supposedly stem from our desires and attachments. Benjamin suggests that, for a Buddhist, life then becomes a bitter experience because he constantly has to work at escaping his innate desires and attachments in the pursuit of peace and, eventually, the state of Nirvana. Finally, Confucianist believe that the government of man is out of sync with the Way of Heaven, and contrary to working with the natural laws as with Taoism, to harmonize the two, Confucianists follow strict rituals and ceremonies (external forces) instead. Benjamin further suggests that this approach of attaining a state of harmony doesn't seem so easily accessible to everyone at all times since its often done through an intermediary.