I’m not much for religion. Never have been, doubt if I ever will be, it’s just the way I’m wired, get used to it.
Having said that, I am spiritually inclined, and I’m certainly open to learning about the many philosophies which have sprouted up across the centuries that man has walked upright on this planet.
One such philosophy I came across because of a book title I happened upon several decades ago, namely “The Tao of Pooh,” written by Benjamin Hoff in 1982. Being a Winnie the Pooh fan, I found that particular book title to be curious and so I bought it and devoured it in two days.
It was my introduction into Taoism, and I have embraced that eastern philosophy ever since.
It would be impossible to try to condense a definition, or explanation, of Taoism in a short blog post. The best I can do, for those of you unaware of it, is to borrow from Wikipedia:
“Taoism (or Daoism) is one of the main strands of traditional Chinese philosophy. It gets its name from the idea of the Dao, which means “the way,” which is the reality beyond human perception, a reality that Taoists strongly associate with the natural world. For Taoists, the ultimate goal of human life is to understand this reality and learn to live in harmony with it.
“One of the main beliefs of Taoism is wu-wei, or “not doing.” Taoists believe that the path to wisdom and happiness involves emptying the mind and settling into a deep stillness. Like Buddhists and Hindus, Taoists practice intensive spiritual meditation as a method for understanding the world and living a better life.
“Taoism is strongly associated with the yin-yang sign, which symbolizes the Taoist belief in matched opposites: light and dark, hot and cold, wet and dry, masculine and feminine. However, the real point of a yin-yang symbol isn’t just the black and white halves – it’s also the fact that each half contains part of the other! The black side has some white in it, and the white side has some black. This is a central belief in Taoism: that even though the world is made up of matched opposites, it’s not a simple matter of “this vs. that.” Moreover, there is no ethical dimension here: light is not “better” than dark just as summer is not “better” than winter; they are just different. In Taoism, good and evil are illusions.”
Let me put it another way.
I am no more important than any other human. I am no more important than any other creature walking, crawling, or flying in this universe. In order for this universe to function properly, mankind needs to work in harmony with it, not against it.
I can achieve these things by living simply . . . by observing . . . by making a small footprint on this world . . . and by being humble and accepting my place in this existence.
Or, put another way, by simple living!
Here is something I have noticed over the years: there are no new philosophies or words of self help; everything is a recycling of earlier thoughts. Simple living, minimalism, intentional living, these are all offshoots of Taoism and other philosophies. They’ve just been dusted off and presented with a new package for marketing purposes. What I really like about Taoism are the major principles it is based upon: humility, frugalness, compassion, and the ability to adjust. Call it whatever you want, but I can sink my teeth into a lifestyle built on those principles, and on the belief that we all need to live in harmony with each other and with the Earth. And I dare you to find fault with that mission statement.
Anyway, The Tao of Pooh is the name of the book. If you haven’t read it, and you are a fan of Pooh, head for your local bookstore and pick up a copy.
