Buddhism And Confucianism In Benjamin Hoff's The Tao Of Pooh

In Benjamin Hoff’s The Tao of Pooh, about 10 major Taoist teachings are covered through stories using the more familiar characters and concepts of Winnie the Pooh. Of these, the lessons on the understanding of inner nature, or cottlestone pie, and the story of the stonecutter, or that sort of bear, were those which I found most similar to my own goals. Both are focused on overcoming some sort of self-imposed obstacle, whether that be social anxiety or low self-esteem. Both of these also had an underlying more positive message than that offered by Buddhism or Confucianism. Where Buddhism tells me I must remove all desire to achieve happiness, and Confucianism says to turn towards my given role in life, Taoism offers the suggestion of just “being”. The first lesson I felt like I truly “learned” from the book was that of cottlestone pie. While at first this story seemed a bit cynical, referencing knowing your limits and abilities instead of the more common “you can do anything you set your mind to” montra, I found the reality check …show more content…
While it is important to recognize what is and isn’t possible in the moment as a whole and what can and cannot be expected of others, it’s just as important to realize the assets we possess as individuals. In the story, Piglet assumes he isn’t useful for the situation, and when told he is, Pooh then assumes that because of this, he is not useful. The instinct to second-guess your own importance is more strong for some than for others and unfortunately, that thought process seems to be my go-to. It’s important for all people not only to know that they are useful to others, but also to generally know their own worth. Without that, it’s difficult to think of yourself as capable to do the things you were made to do. Instead of questioning how you could help in the future, Tao suggests to focus on what you can do right