the te of piglet

P : How does your experience reading the follow up book in the series compare to that of reading the first?

R: For me, reading this book has taken a completely different route than when I read "The Tao of Pooh". As I mentioned this before this may be due to myself feeling slightly less stressed about school and such at this point in time. When I am not bogged down by the worry that I wont complete things I'm able to understand the author's words more clearly. I am finding myself looking for positive applications to his words and examples rather than trying to figure out why they are flawed. All of this has led me to finally realize my feelings on the content of these two books. I believe that taoism is a wonderful and achievable state of mind but in order to reach this you must first practice a number of non-taoist like principles. As I mentioned in the previous blog I don't believe it's possible to create items for everyday use until you have gone through rigorous theories that may not always be applicable in everyday life. I also believe that you can't just become a relaxed easy going person with out going through the stressful process of organizing a schedule. I don't know I suppose I still have mixed feelings on the two stories but I at least am currently able to enjoy the book rather than throw it down in frustration due to being the busy body Hoff gives such a bad name. I think I've finally come to terms with the fact that it's okay to just sometimes let things happen and go with the natural flow of things because really no matter how hard you push in the other direction reality sets in. I guess it's just our job to make the most of these situations and try to have a good attitude about it and figure out a positive response. Either way I've been able to enjoy this book more which has been something really nice for me.

the te of piglet

P: Choose a passage from the book that you particularly dislike and explain why.

R: I don't necessarily dislike this passage however it does confuse me a bit. In this section of the book Hoff explains the differences between Eastern and Western philosophy. In the west we tend to focus on ideas that are not necessarily applicable in daily life. We learn of the inter-workings of complex theories that we can't really use. I can see where this is true, as I'm currently in AP Calculus, I tend to question exactly where I'm going to need to know the derivative of the derivative of a function unless I was to become a calculus teacher in which case I wouldn't really be needing to know this because I'd just be teaching it to other people who could go on to become calculus teachers but no one was really using the things to do anything other than prove they know it's a useable concept that can be taught. In this sense, I relate. He goes on then to explain that in Eastern Philosophy they concentrate more on useful items that we will be able to use everyday. He goes on to list a pageful of every day items that the chinese have invented. What confuses me though is the thought that all of these practical items couldn't have been created with out some understanding of the complex theories that entail Western Philosophy. I feel like there must have been some kind of deep inter-workings behind the creation of the calculator right? He also says that the chinese invented the drilling for natural gas but previous to this he talks of how Taoism (an Eastern Philosophy) is all about working with nature rather than using it to our advantage. Slightly puzzling..

the te of piglet

P: Choose a passage from the book you particularly like and explain why.

R: In one chapter of this book Hoff explains something called "The Eeyore Effect". I am particularly a fan of this chapter because he portrays it in such a way that you find yourself never wanting to have this said effect be affiliated with yourself . The Eeyore effect is a personality trait that some people are prone too. It is our ability to put negative feelings into our mind where they are completely unnecessary or our tendency to exaggerate problems that don't need to be exaggerated. It is a trait that belongs to people that take on a challenging idea with the attitude that it will inevitably fail. By seeing situations in this light it makes me want to have a better outlook when I find myself feeling this way. Somedays when I have an impossible work load I tend to go on and on about it instead of sitting down and getting something done. In dance class when I struggle with pointe shoes I find myself wanting to give up rather than work hard to get better. After reading this chapter I feel like he has made avoiding the Eeyore Effect seem so simple that I just want to make sure that I do exactly that. This chapter has also helped me to realize my difference in attitude to this book and the previous one. I feel like this may be due to the fact that things with school are slowly beginning to settle down, allowing me to see that I really can relate to the things the author is saying.

the te of piglet

Author: Benjamin Hoff

Publication: 1992

P: What is the author's dominant method of communication? How does the author's communication affect you relationship to the subject?

R: Benjamin Hoff uses a number of methods of communication is his tales of taoism. He includes other texts as he takes excepts from the tales of "Winnie-the-Pooh" and "The House on Pooh Corner". He also uses fictional dialogue between him and the characters from those stories. FInally, he uses explanation to justify his reasoning and express his point of view on the relationship between taoism and these tales. I believe that his methods of communication make it very clear that he is trying to get us to relate to these characters more easily to enable us to in turn relate ourselves to taoist principles. This was true in "The Tao of Pooh" as well. It is extremely helpful considering I haven't read these stories of Winnie-the-Pooh since I was little and I cant necessarily remember the details of these character

s personalities which is needed to understand the relationship. The dialouge and text excepts help to refresh my memory and make the relationship more clear. Using his explanation to reenforce this relationship I'm able to relate myself more closely to the subject. However his interpretation of the characters of Winnie -the-Pooh and the way he chooses to portray them make me question if A. A. Milne would approve. It seems odd that another author can just make up dialouge between someone else's character's for the benefit of their own book. This makes me feel more disconnected from the subject as I question the validity of one of his forms of communication.

the tao of pooh

P: How did the opening passage of the book lead you to anticipate the ending of the book?

R: I chose for this novel, since it is less of a story than a book showing an interpretation of something, to use the forward and so called "backward" to the book to explain my anticipation. In the foreword The author begins to introduce Pooh bear and the role he will play in the book, a subject being taught the principles of Taoism while simultaneously representing these principles himself. Hoff then explains how he came across the idea of creating this story when an "Unbeliever" said he could never prove a Great Master of Wisdom had come from the west and at the same time prove that this Great Master was actually Winnie-the-Pooh. This was a beautiful opening to the book as it adequately depicted all that was to come as I began to read the novel. He used so many wonderful and simple example of Pooh representing Taoism through his many adventures and used his responses to these examples and principles to even better encase the ideas of Taoism. By the end of the book when the "backward" comes along I feel completely as if he has accomplished his initial purpose to " explain the principles of Taoism through Winnie-the-Pooh, and explain Winnie-the-Pooh through the principles of Taoism". The "backward" consists mainly of a song that Pooh composes in an attemp to cover just exactly what the "Tao of Pooh" is,

"To know the Way,

We go the Way;

We do the Way

The way we do

The things we do.

It's all therein front of you,

But if you try too hard to see it,

You'll only become confused.

I am me,

And you are you,

As you can see;

But when you do

The things you do,

You will find the Way,

And the Way will follow you."

As much as this book made me question things about myself it is undoubtedly very simple just as Taoism was meant to be and is a very clever and well constructed way to present Taoism to those wanting to understand. From the foreword to the backward I appreciate Benjamin Hoff's perspective and focus on his rhetorical purpose.

the tao of pooh

P: Pay attention to word choice- how is the author shaping your judgement by the words he chooses.

R: In this particular chapter Benjamin Hoff chooses the words Bisy Backson. These two words and this particular chapter are making it difficult for me to continue reading the book. A Bisy Backson refers to a note that Christopher Robin left on his door intending to say, "Busy back soon". Hoff goes on and on and on to describe these Bisy Backsons, the ones who are always going never resting always working and even when they are resting they are finding some way to make themselves work. I AM A BISY BACKSON! I want to be a taoist, I do I really do, but as I read this book instead of feeling like I can live like a taoist, I feel even more like I'm never going to be able to. I'm always going, always looking for a "Great Reward waiting for us somewhere, and that what we have to do is spend our lives working like lunatics to catch up with it". It just is disappointing to me that I have let my high school career turn into this. The author's choice of words, and way of depicting those who do not practice the taoist way makes me judge myself and the way I'm living in a negative way. He talks about all these wonderful things that this way of life brings but doesn't explain how to change. He just shows to two radically different ways of life. I don't know exactly what I'm supposed to be judging but his choice of words is making it very easy to judge myself.

the tao of pooh

P: Choose a passage from the book you particularly like and explain why.

R: For this particular prompt I chose an entire chapter that explains the Taoist principle called the Wui wei. In this chapter multiple examples are given of instances when Pooh did not go out of his way to figure or plan a situation out, and ended up saving the day. This just seems to work for me in small ways in real life. Those days when you are sitting there stressing over how to figure out exactly how to make something work, how to organize a schedule, how to make everyone happy, it's always the person who is trying to calm everyone down, the person who is sitting back and looking at the situation rather than stressing over it, always manages to piece the puzzle together with out half the effort the one stressing managed. This is one of those things again I find myself guilty of; however, this is something about my life that I should easily be able to change and I, every once in a while, do manage to achieve this. This generally isn't the case this year though, as I've managed to dig myself into a huge hole of stress by piling on to many obligations. A beautiful example that this chapter includes is a saying by an old Western philosopher, "I think, therefore I am confused." I feel like this is the story of my life and most likely a lot of other people too. The more we think about things and go against the "Wui Wei" the situation becomes less and less likely to work itself out on it's own. As we input our many ideas, and rules, and attempt to make things work, we just add more and more variables to the situation leaving one big tangled know of stress.

the tao of pooh

P: Choose a passage from the book you particularly don't like and explain why.

R: "A well-frog cannot imagine the ocean, nor can a summer insect conceive of ice. How then can a scholar understand the Tao? He is restricted by his own learning." - Chuang-tse

This passage is particularly upsetting to me because it makes me feel like I am the scholar that can never be a part of the Tao. I keep reading this novel and all I want to do is be able to relate to the Tao and live that way but I can't. He makes it seem like we have to make ourselves more simple-minded and more able to let things slide off our sleeves without letting them worry us but I just can't seem to do that. I just wonder how other people manage. I'd like to be a Taoist but there is so much school work, extracurriculars, blah, blah, blah that are set in front of us to get into college. It's like society, the structure of human life is anti-taoist. I can't sit here and just not do something and see how it goes because if I do that I'm likely to fail not only at the task at hand but life in general. He talks about how the intelligent scholar is simply intelligent for the sake of being intelligent, or as he puts it they attain "Knowledge for the sake of Knowledge". He says that they only learn from books and never really know what they are talking about because they haven't gone out and experienced it themselves. Book smarts is an important thing to though right? I mean, I wish I had the option and go out to learn about the world through experience but no one is expecting that of high school students. right now life is about Knowledge for the sake of Knowledge and again I wish it wasn't but we have to learn this stuff at some point.. This passage along with others is making myself feel kinda bad about myself.

the tao of pooh

P:Relate what you are reading to past content learned in a previous class.

R: As I'm continuing to read I'm beginning to understand more the relationship between transcendentalism and Taoism. In Mr. P's American lit class last year I was assigned transcendentalism as my literary movement. As a researched I began coming across a lot of references to Taoism and eastern philosophy however I never really took the time to trace it back. In a particular passage that I am currently reading the author happened to mention spontaneity and simplicity both in the same paragraph. These two ideas are both basic principles of the transcendentalist as well. I also recall that transcendentalist believed in an "Over Soul" or spirit that controls the universe type of thing which seems strikingly similar to the Tao or "the way". Another similar characteristic is that in Taoism it is important no to go against the laws of nature because they have already been set for us and it is not our place to disrupt these rules. Transcendentalists choose their feelings over reasoning which seems as if they are following natures rules as well. By managing to not over think a situation and go with what you feel you are abiding by the laws nature sets for us. It just seems very interesting how closely related they are. At this moment I am very much wishing I could relate Taoism back to world history more because I feel like the beginnings of Taoism and Transcendentalism may have resulted from similar dissatisfaction with society and even the current prevailing government. So far I am very satisfied with the relevance of this book to my past studies.

This book is also easily tying me back to world history as I mentioned before. It has been a brilliant refresher on eastern culture and religion.

the tao of pooh

Author: Benjamin Hoff

Publication: 1982

P: Comment on the perspective from which the book is told and how the author's choice affects your relationship with the books content.

R: Well, seeing as I'm reading The Tao of Pooh the book is obviously told from the perspective of Pooh at times. The author is explaining the principles of Taoism to Pooh while using examples of Pooh's past experiences and current responses to explain the ancient religion to us. As I'm beginning to read this novel I'm realizing that, knowing Taoists are similar to Pooh Bear, I'm trying to find ways that Taoism relates to my everyday life. By using a likable character that many people can relate to through childhood memories, it makes the content more relatable as well. We simultaneously receive the perspective of the author's explanation of Taoism, along with Pooh's perspective, giving us an educated look and then an application to our own lives. Slowly other character's from the Winnie the Pooh tales are incorporated into the author's explanation to Pooh, each representing a more anti-Taoist principle. All of these various examples, through the perspective of well know characters, help me to relate more directly to the content which enhances my understanding of the taoist principles.

One criticism I am finding myself develop; however, his perspective is clearly showing a dislike fore those who don't live by the principles. This obvious dislike makes me feel less attached to what he's saying because I find myself trying to stand up for the other side. In the very first chapter Pooh is shown a picture representing Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism, he goes on to show the the two other religions in a very negative light without even explaining the success the religions brought at different times in the history of the world. All of this may just be me speaking for Ms. Embry here..