1-Page Summary

The Tao of Pooh uses the characters from the stories of Winnie the Pooh to exemplify the teachings of Taoism. Taoism is an ancient Chinese philosophy that focuses on the natural order of the universe as a guide for living, known as The Way. In Taoism, there are no preconceived notions about how life should be and no manipulation of the world to force it into what you want to happen. In the everyday world, people often use knowledge and cleverness to explain and justify behavior, rather than paying attention to the ebb and flow of the power that lives within everything. By giving your mind over to the power held within you and nature, you can find contentment and joy in simply living.

Six principles guide a Taoist life, and many elements from the stories of Pooh articulate the concepts held within them.

P’u—The Uncarved Block

The Taoist principle of P’u is translated into the image of the Uncarved Block, meaning that things in their original state carry their own natural power. When you manipulate that thing, or carve the block, you ruin its power.

Pooh is the embodiment of the Uncarved Block because he is simple-minded and doesn’t think too much about what life means or how to change the world to suit his desires. He simply exists in the world and takes life for what it is. The fact that Pooh is the hero of every story, not the other characters who do a great deal of thinking, such as Owl, Rabbit, and Eeyore, legitimizes his behavior.

The Cottleston Pie Principle

Cottleston Pie is a song sung by Pooh that expresses the principle of Inner Nature in Taoism. Inner Nature is the thing existing inside everything that makes it unique. The Cottleston Pie Principle has the following three doctrines:

1. Allow things to be what they are.

Everything and everyone has a purpose, and when that purpose is recognized and celebrated, things will happen as they are meant to happen. Ignoring Inner Nature is like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole. Life will be full of struggle and never turn out as it should.

For example, a gnarled tree will be difficult to turn into lumber. If you only see the value of the tree as a means offor building something else, you will be disappointed. If you acknowledge that the unique shape of the tree makes it beautiful and the wide branches are good for shade, you will find value in the tree.

2. Everyone has limitations.

Limitations are only weaknesses if you want them to be. Everyone has things they are not traditionally made for or that they don’t like about themselves. But if you acknowledge them, you can understand how to use them to work for you. In contrast, ignoring your limitations puts your life and those around you in jeopardy.

For example, Tigger wanted to prove that tiggers can do anything, even climb trees better than bears. He climbed to the highest branch, but he was unable to come down. Pooh and the other characters had to risk their own safety to help Tigger get down from the tree.

3. Some things cannot be known.

People, especially scholars, have a hard time accepting that certain aspects of life or behavior have no explanations. When you seek to place a label or explanation on one of these things, you overshadow the Inner Nature at their core. If you can accept that certain things are just what they are, you will understand them better and find the proper use for them in the world.

The Way of Pooh

The Way of Pooh, or the Pooh Way, is the translation of the Taoist Wu Wei, which means following your Inner Nature and the rhythm of life. Wu Wei is akin to a lack of action, meaning you do not attempt to struggle or work against the natural flow of the universe.

Wu Wei is similar to water flowing down a stream. The water moves over or around the obstacles without resistance. When you live with Wu Wei, you are placing the round peg in the round hole. There are no mistakes because nature does not make mistakes.

For example, Pooh wanted to give Eeyore a pot of honey for his birthday, but on his way to Eeyore’s house, he ate the honey. Rather than panic, Pooh turned the empty pot into a present. Eeyore found the jar to be useful for storing things in and was delighted, even more than he would have been with a pot of honey.

The Antithesis of Wu Wei

In the world of Pooh, the Bisy Backson is someone who is always on the go, always searching for something better, and always trying to achieve more. They put forth these efforts to earn Big Rewards and Save Time. Science, business, and religion say that hard work leads to great rewards. But in their attempts to be the best, brightest, or righteous, the Bisy Backson never finds contentment because there will always be more just out of reach.

The problem with this type of life is that happiness and growth are sought through knowledge and cleverness. The Backson assumes happiness and growth will come from the outer world, instead of realizing they start inside. Additionally, all the efforts to save time simply waste time. There is joy to be found in the process of living. You need only to slow down and enjoy the power of life to find it.

The Tiddely Pom Principle

Everyone has something special about them, as does everything. When you approach yourself and others with caring and compassion, you are living with Tz’u, the Taoist expression that prioritizes the “heart” over the “mind.” The Tiddely Pom Principle is the act of taking the first step toward using our gifts effectively to be happy.

In layman’s terms, this idea is called the Snowball Effect—the first step you take toward opening your heart to your gifts and all the gifts in the world triggers the accumulation of more steps. Those steps lead to your ability to find wisdom, joy, and bravery in yourself simply by acknowledging their existence inside of you and being grateful for who you are and what you have.

The Empty Mind

When the mind is full of knowledge and cleverness, there is no room to simply see what is in front of you. The brain is diverted to focus on superfluous aspects of life. A full mind, therefore, leads you away from truth. An empty mind means seeking nothing and attempting to go nowhere. When the mind is clear, you can see things for what they are, marvel at them, and find the true spirit of their usefulness.

Your brain is capable of more than simply intaking, sorting, and regurgitating data. When the mind is clear, the avenues that lead to the brain’s higher powers are revealed. Creating a clear mind means going back to a childlike state, before our curiosity and openness to learning were diminished by knowledge and social conditioning. A childlike mind has been drained of the particulars of acquired knowledge and is free to follow the Way of the universe.

Taoism and Modern Society

Humans have become separated from the reality of the natural world by knowledge and cleverness. Great minds have learned too much and thought their way into tunnels in which compassion does not reside. We seek happiness and stability through our clever thoughts and actions, but how happy or stable do any of us feel?

Those who will successfully find wisdom and happiness will be the ones capable of listening to their Inner Natures, being sensitive to the circumstances around them, and following the natural order of life. If you want to truly be wise and content, you must see the world through the inquisitive and objective mind of a child to find the right path to follow.

Introduction: What Is Taoism?

Taoism is a way of living that is free from preconceived notions about how you should be living. The Way of the Taoist is a way guided by intuition, sensitivity to the natural world, and a willingness to be guided by wisdom, rather than knowledge.

Does this type of character sound familiar? In Western culture, one of the best examples of Taoism is Winnie the Pooh. Pooh is a simple bear with simple thoughts. He wanders around happy and open to whatever the day brings without expectations or accumulation of knowledge. He merely is, and it always works out for him.

By looking at the theoretical aspects of Taoism and ancient examples of Taoism at work, as well the adventures of Pooh and his family of friends in the forest, you can gain insight into why the Taoist way may be the most beneficial way to live.

The Vinegar Tasters

The “Vinegar Tasters” is a popular Chinese painting that helps elucidate how Taoism differs from other belief systems. The painting shows three men surrounding a pot of vinegar. Each man represents one of the three prominent teachings of Chinese wisdom—Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism—and the vinegar represents the “essence of life.” Each man has dipped his finger in the pot, tasted the vinegar, and reacted by way of facial expression to the taste.

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Kano Isen'in, c. 1802-1816, Honolulu Museum of Art

The first man, Confucius, shows a sour reaction to the vinegar. Confucianism suggests that rituals create order and lead to the right results. A Confucianist holds ancestral cultural heritage dear and longs for the days in which the emperor was considered the son of heaven and bridged the gap between heaven and earth. For Confucius, modern life is sour because it has deviated from the rituals of the past, and the government of men has strayed from the government of the universe, or “Way of Heaven.”

The second man, Buddha, shows a bitter reaction to the vinegar. Buddhists believe that a being must rise above their earthly desires to attain a state of Nirvana. They contend that the modern world is full of traps and illusions that draw people in and lead to pain. The essence of life is bitter from society’s obsession with the pursuit of personal satisfaction and subsequent suffering.

The third man, Lao-tse, the author of the oldest book on Taoism, the Tao Te Ching, shows a happy reaction to the vinegar. For Taoists, there is harmony between heaven and earth at all times that is readily found by anyone at any moment.

Lao-tse sees Confucianism as laws run by men, which disrupts the natural laws of the heavens that mirror back to the earth. The more human interference with the natural state of things, the more distance created between humans and the harmony of the universe. Life becomes sour when you try to manipulate nature and ignore the natural order of life.

Lao-tse sees Buddhism as an unnecessarily negative perspective of the world. Rather than providing traps that lead to pain, the world is full of opportunities for lessons that teach you how to live in harmony. Life becomes bitter when greed and selfishness make humans resentful of each other and the natural offerings around them.

Taoism is the belief in the Way, or the mechanism that governs all things in heaven and earth. You cannot and should not try to explain or define the Way for the sake of knowledge. You can simply experience the Way. When living with the Way, life is happy.

When you merely exist in the appreciation of what life offers, are open to its lessons, and are willing to adapt to whatever comes your way, you are living a Taoist life. The vinegar is only sour or bitter if you choose to experience it that way through comparisons or resentment. The vinegar is simply what it is, and when you accept and appreciate that, the negative becomes sweet.

Principle 1: The Tao of P’u (Pooh)

There are several principles that express the teachings of Taoism, which are exemplified in elements from Winnie-the-Pooh or The House at Pooh Corner. As we’ll see, the main antagonists to the Way of the Tao are knowledge and cleverness. These two characteristics are represented by Owl, Rabbit, and Eeyore and often get in the way of growth and wisdom.

The first is the Taoist concept of P’u (pronounced like Pooh), which says that things in their original state carry their own natural power. This concept is represented as the “Uncarved Block” and is a significant principle of Taoism. Pooh is the epitome of P’u because his simple-minded nature allows him to move through life and accomplish things without trying. He doesn’t know enough to question life or manipulate the world around him. His desires are simple; therefore, he lives simply.

Being simple does not mean being stupid in Taoist culture. It means being wise, which is different from having knowledge or cleverness. The fact that Pooh is always the hero in his stories, rather than the more knowledgeable Owl, Rabbit, and Eeyore, is significant.

An example from one of their adventures helps explain the difference:

One day, Rabbit, Pooh, and Piglet were lost in the woods. They followed many paths, but they always seemed to end up at the same sand pit. Rabbit, always on the lookout to show how smart he is, reasoned that the pit was a sign that he knew where they were in the woods. But Pooh thought the pit was following them. When it was time to find a new direction, Rabbit wracked his brain to determine the right direction, but Pooh suggested a different tactic. He thought they should try to find the sand pit.

Pooh’s reasoning was this: When they went looking for home, they always found the pit instead. If they started looking for the pit, they would surely not find it because they hadn’t found anything they’d been looking for all day. Instead of the pit, they might find another thing, and maybe the thing they find will be the thing they’re looking for. Using this strategy, they were able to make it out of the forest and find their way to Christopher Robin’s. Pooh and Piglet acknowledged that with all of Rabbit’s cleverness, he doesn’t really understand anything.

Pooh illustrates two principles of the Uncarved Block: 1) a willingness to be spontaneous and the ability to be successful in those spontaneous endeavors and 2) the state of accepting things for what they are.

For instance, Pooh and Piglet were sitting around deciding who to go visit one morning. Pooh suggested they visit everyone, but Piglet thought they should have a reason for visiting. Pooh came up with a reason—it was Thursday. They could simply go around wishing everyone a happy Thursday. Piglet had to admit that even though Pooh doesn’t have much Brain, things always turn out right for him.

The Problem with Knowledge

In the world of Pooh, Owl represents the Brain, or scholar. In Chinese culture, the scholar is the embodiment of knowledge and signifies the way of Confucianism. The scholar seeks knowledge simply for the sake of having it and guards it closely. The knowledge is disseminated to the general public using pretentious or overwrought language to create distance between the reader and the information. If we can’t understand what the scholar is saying, they can remain superior and unchallenged. The priority is to prove their own intelligence, not enlighten others.

But looking at life through the lens of academic dissertation is like getting to know someone by looking at their wax replica in a museum. Scholarship loses the spirit of life and often expresses things in a way that differs from lived experience, which makes the concepts more difficult to grasp. Knowledge and experience are not equal, and not everything can be named or identified by category or genus. There are many useful applications for the characteristics and activities of scholars, but there is more to life than what can be intellectually understood.

Taoists refer to the tendencies of scholars as an inability to see the good parts of life. In Taoism, “the wise are not learned, and the learned are not wise.” Intelligence is beneficial for analyzing certain aspects of life, but it is limited in understanding the deeper and grander meanings held within nature. The limitations of knowledge restrict the scholar’s scope of the world.

An example of the limitations of knowledge is expressed when Owl attempts to teach Pooh how to spell Tuesday. Musing that everybody knows that Tuesday is spelled Twosday because it falls on the second day of the week, Owl exclaims that the day after Twosday is Thirdsday. Owl uses logic based on a narrow scope of knowledge to come to the wrong conclusion, rather than accepting reality for what it is or seeking to understand what he cannot explain.

In the West, where Taoism is understood not through practice or from Taoist teachers, but from the likes of the Scholarly Owl, the principles are dissected, examined, and interpreted as definitions and origins. Western Taoist teachings are the wax statue of the holistic Taoist way of life.

Knowledge affects the Uncarved Block when it manipulates the natural Way of things. When you stop trying to cajole life into bits and pieces of useful information, the simple inherent power of the universe shines through. Pooh is lovable because of his simplicity. He has no ego, complexity, arrogance, or self-interest and sees life with childlike wonder. This is the essence of the Uncarved Block and when life becomes fun and joyous.

Exercise: Letting Go of the Reins

It’s easy to become controlling and want to manipulate all aspects of life as you see fit, but as you’ve learned, this behavior often leads you astray.

Principle 2: The Cottleston Pie Principle

In the world of Pooh, the Cottleston Pie Principle represents the Taoist ideal of Inner Nature, which encompasses the unique aspects inside everything. Everyone and everything has characteristics inside that differentiate them from others, similar to the way that no two snowflakes are the same. Inner Nature is difficult to comprehend through language, but the ideas are more approachable through the meaning held within Pooh’s song Cottleston Pie.

(Shortform note: Although the song is much longer, for the sake of understanding the principle, we’ll only cover the relevant lines.)

Stanza 1—“A fly can’t bird, but a bird can fly.”

Stanza 2—“A fish can’t whistle and neither can I.”

Stanza 3—“Why does a chicken, I don’t know why.”

The three lines translate into the three main principles of Cottleston Pie.

1. Allow things to be what they are.

Everything on earth, including people, have their own purpose and place in the world. When you listen to your Inner Nature, you’re always where you’re supposed to be. But people often try to fit a square peg in a round hole. When you ignore the power of your purpose, you end up where you don’t belong. Think of all the people stuck in jobs, marriages, and environments that don’t serve them. When you understand who you are, you can find your specific brand of beauty and authenticity that has value in the right circumstances.

A story from the writings of Chuang-tse, the second major writer on Taoism, exemplifies this principle:

A man complains that a large gnarled tree on his property is not suitable for lumber or any use because of its shape and thickness. In his eyes, the tree is useless. But Chuang-tse suggests that the tree is only useless to someone who sees it only as a means for wood to be used elsewhere. This person is missing the benefits the tree provides simply by being a large tree. The large size makes the tree useful for shade. The dense branches could provide shelter from a storm. The intricate shape can be gazed upon for its beauty. The tree is only useless if someone wants it to be.

2. Everyone has limitations.

Your limitations or weaknesses can be blessings when you acknowledge them. When you recognize and understand your limitations, you can work with them in the right way to make them beneficial and turn them into strengths. In contrast, ignoring limitations creates trouble for you and everyone around you. When you force yourself in directions or situations you aren’t designed for, you disrupt the natural order of life, which has ripple effects.

An example from the world of Pooh is Tigger’s assertion that tiggers are capable of anything. Tigger tells Roo that he can climb trees better than Pooh, and to demonstrate, he climbs to the top of a tall tree. But once in the tree, he is unable to come down and gets stuck. Everyone else must come and risk their safety to help Tigger get down from the tree.

Acknowledging limitations doesn’t mean you aren’t capable of rising above them. But you must be realistic about what you have to start with. For instance, if you are physically weak, you can grow stronger through any number of activities. But you must accept the present limitations of your muscles to know the right path to move down.

The Chinese have a saying: “One disease, long life. No disease, short life.” Translated, this saying means that those willing to acknowledge their ailments will take care of themselves, whereas those unwilling to admit that anything is wrong won’t and will perish.

3. Some things cannot be known.

There are some aspects of life that simply have no explanations that are discernable. Yet, scholars and scientists seek to find answers and labels for everything. And when something about human nature or the world is revealed to have no discernable answer, they call it “instinct.”

You do not need to explain every phenomenon in the universe. You don’t need to ask superfluous questions and force empty explanations. You simply need to understand the Inner Nature of everything and be willing to trust that things are as they are for a reason.

The Problem with Cleverness

In the world of Pooh, Rabbit represents cleverness. But as seen in the example of Pooh, Rabbit, and Piglet lost in the forest, cleverness is rarely suitable for understanding the nuances of life.

Cleverness is inadequate as a method for understanding life. It is knowledge that exists on the surface of things and can be quickly dispensed as judgments or evidence of intellectual supremacy. But life changes deeply at times, and shallow cleverness cannot always keep up. When you focus on being clever, you miss many significant aspects of life, such as your Inner Nature.

An example of the failings of cleverness is when Kanga and Roo first come to the forest. At first, Rabbit sees that they are different and dislikes them. Being clever, he devises a plan to get rid of them. But as time passes, everyone sees how much Kanga and Roo have to offer and welcomes them into the group. Rabbit’s clever plan is thwarted, and he has to readjust his initial opinion because of what their Inner Natures revealed.

Rabbit’s inaccurate judgments are reminiscent of many seen in our society. We are easily persuaded into believing that differences are only skin deep, and we concoct clever remarks or ways of separating ourselves from each other. Others become manipulated or influenced by the cleverness of others because they, too, are not looking deeper than the surface. When you ignore Inner Nature, you make it easier for lines to be drawn between yourself and others. When you accept that Inner Nature exists in all of us, cleverness takes a backseat to acceptance and understanding.

You must also turn this lens toward yourself. There are always going to be things you don’t like about who you are, but those things do not define you and are not permanent. Every part of who you are is worthwhile in the right context. Once you know who you are, you can decide what to do with it. Finding alternative uses for your unwanted characteristics is easier than ignoring them or getting rid of them.

For example, humans work hard to avoid negative emotions because they are painful and jarring. But you can always reshape negative emotions into something positive. Think of feelings like piano keys. When you pound them, you create a chaotic and disturbing noise. But removing the keys leaves you without any music at all. When you play the keys in the right configuration, you can create something beautiful.

This focus on the negative is best represented by the Eeyore Attitude. Eeyore focuses on the negative side of everything. He uses knowledge to understand what there is to complain about and cleverness to express his pessimism. For instance, when Pooh wishes Eeyore a good morning, he replies, “Good morning, Pooh Bear, if it is a good morning, which I doubt.”

You may become stuck in the Eeyore Attitude when knowledge and cleverness fail to support the results you want. Until you are open to seeing what lies beneath the surface of life, you will never understand the true nature and power of the people and world around you and, thus, will never be satisfied.

Principle 3: The Way of Inaction

Wu Wei, or the Pooh Way, is one of the fundamental elements of Taoism and most appropriately describes the habits of Pooh. Roughly translated, this principle means “without acting” or acting without expending energy or struggle. Think of Wu Wei as water in a stream naturally gliding over or around obstacles in its way.

Wu Wei occurs when you acknowledge your Inner Nature and work with the rhythm of life. You expend minimal energy and experience no mistakes because nature does not make mistakes. Mistakes happen when you use your knowledge to interfere with the natural path laid before you.

The Pooh Way means allowing each peg to fit inside its corresponding hole. The action is easy because things are taken for what they are. Conversely, knowledge wants to analyze the shape of the holes and pegs to determine which go where. Cleverness will attempt to find imaginative ways to force pegs where they don’t belong. These are the actions are those of someone trying too hard to make something work. When you try too hard, you become tense, confused, and uncomfortable. You’re too much in your head, which is exhausting and inevitably ineffective.

A story from the writings of Chuang-tse expresses the benefit of following the natural rhythm of life and the detriment likely in thinking too hard for a solution.

One day, Confucius saw a man who appeared to be drowning in the pool at the base of a waterfall. The man was thrashing about in the rough water. When Confucius and his men went to rescue the man, they found him happy and content on dry land. The would-be saviors asked him how he had survived, and the man replied that he’d learned to forget himself and simply follow the flow of the water. When he did not struggle, surviving was easy.

With Wu Wei, you simply let things happen in the way the natural order dictates, and they work out whatever way they need to. You may disagree or dislike the result and feel disappointed or resentful at the time. But in hindsight, you will likely realize the necessary path life took in that moment for you to be where you are, doing what you’re doing in the present. Even if you’d tried to end up in the same place on your own, you likely couldn’t have created a better path and might have even made mistakes along the way.

Pooh and Piglet’s birthday presents for Eeyore are good examples of how following the path before you can lead to unexpected satisfaction.

When Pooh discovered it was Eeyore’s birthday, he went home to find a suitable present. Piglet also wanted to give Eeyore something and went home to find something special. Pooh decided the best present was a jar of honey, so he grabbed one and set off toward Eeyore’s house. But along the way, Pooh started to feel hungry. He sat down and was relieved that he’d thought to bring a jar of honey with him. He ate the whole jar of honey before he remembered why he’d brought it in the first place. Instead of panicking, Pooh decided the jar was still a good gift and stopped to have Owl inscribe it with the words “A Very Happy Birthday.”

Piglet had decided to give Eeyore a balloon left over from a previous party. He secured the balloon against his chest to make sure it didn’t fly off and ran all the way to Eeyore’s, wanting to beat Pooh there so it would seem like he’d remembered on his own. His mind was so filled with the gratitude Eeyore would show him that he didn’t see a hole in the ground. He tripped and landed on the balloon, popping it. Piglet was distraught that his present was ruined, but when Pooh showed up with his jar, Eeyore realized the jar was for putting things in and the balloon, now that it was deflated and more manageable, could be kept in the jar. The two gifts complemented each other, and everyone was delighted.

There is no way to put the power of Wu Wei into academic terms or a category. It is simply what occurs when you follow the flow of life and your intuition. When things work out in the end, people will say you have psychic powers, but really you were simply sensitive to circumstances. The responsibility to make decisions shifts from you to the natural world. If you can accept what’s happening as the Way and not force your will or disappointment on it, you will learn how to be truly happy.

Principle 4: The Antithesis of the Pooh Way

If the Pooh Way is the way of inaction, then the opposite behavior would be overaction. In the world of Pooh, a person who is always moving, always searching for something they don’t have or a way to get more is called a “Bisy Backson,” which translates to “Busy, Back Soon!” A Bisy Backson is someone who is never at peace or content. They’re the ones pacing the floor, fidgeting, or rattling the change in their pockets. They must always be exerting the full capacity of their energy and feel like there’s never enough time.

A story from the writings of Chuang-tse provides a description of a Backson:

A man hated seeing his footprints behind him and his shadow. He thought he could outrun them, so he ran fast. But the footprints and shadow were still there. He reasoned he wasn’t running fast enough and increased his speed. He kept running faster and faster until he finally collapsed from exhaustion and died. If he’d simply stopped moving, there would have been no footprints. If he’d stopped in the shade, there would have been no shadow.

So what drives the Bisy Backson? Likely, they expend this energy in search of a reward. Science, business, and religion all perpetuate the idea of a Big Reward for those who work hard and earn it. People chase the new cure or technology, the fancy penthouse, or the ticket to Heaven. But this lifestyle is never satisfying or successful because the need for more is never satiated.

In this frantic and unsatisfied place, the natural rhythm of life is overshadowed. There is no happiness or pride because the search for what’s just out of reach will never end. And when you don’t get what you want or what you get doesn’t feel like enough, you will blame the world instead of your inability to listen to it. If you want to be healthy, calm, and happy, do the opposite of the Bisy Backson.

How the History of the Backson Affects the Present

The first-known Backsons were the Puritans, who landed in the New World and set about manipulating it in every way possible. They worked tirelessly to cultivate the vast land for agriculture, but their efforts failed. They were close to starvation before the native residents helped them learn to farm according to the cycles of nature. Although things got better, this Backson society could not sit still during the off season, and they continued to force the land to bend to their will.

Centuries later, the result of manipulating this once naturally fertile land using chemical stimulants is fruits and vegetables that have no flavor and a small amount of nutritional value. What would have happened if the Backsons had viewed the land as beautiful and rich and found a way to live with it harmoniously?

From this group, a line of descendants grew under this standard of work to conquer and receive their just rewards. We see this ideology at play in modern society, where many do not see the world as a friendly place full of natural power. Instead, the world is a place to continue conquering, and anything or anyone that gets in the way is a threat. Progress is defined by struggle and triumph—it’s change and growth developed from the outside in, rather than the other way around.

This overexertion of power destroys the natural inclination of living things to adapt and grow. Whether it’s the “Bulldozer Backson,” who wants to develop every ounce of available land, or the “Bigoted Backson,” who wants to control the fates of others for personal benefit, the Backson will struggle with everything they have to change the world around them so they can receive their reward without having to change themselves.

Saving Time

Saving Time is another motivation for Bisy Backson behavior. There are many examples of Backson society trying to save time: fast food restaurants, grocery stores, microwaves, pesticides, and others. The sole purpose is to create ways to do things fast and efficiently, leaving the person or natural element as a secondary priority.

However, all these efforts to save time do not actually lead to more time. Life moves at an even faster clip than before these things were invented, and all the time saved is filled up with more distractions. The problem is that time is not like water, stamps, or sand. You can’t bottle it up and use it for later. In the effort to create ways to save time, you actually use time. If you spend all of your time trying to figure out how to save it, you’re wasting it.

Pooh Versus the Backson

When Christopher Robin asks Pooh what he enjoys most in the world, Pooh is quick to assume that eating honey is what he likes best. But when he thinks about it further, he realizes the moment before he eats the honey is the best part, even better than the honey itself.

All of the Backson’s efforts to receive their reward and save time are futile because the reward is never as good as the space that exists between wanting the reward and receiving it. Life is built up of periods where you work to attain goals and periods of goal attainment. The Backson assumes that the goal is what leads to happiness, but Pooh understands that happiness lies in the before. This before can be called anticipation, but a Taoist would call it a moment of awareness.

Goals and rewards matter, but happiness and contentment lie in the process of getting there. If you work toward your goals in the wrong way, you will always feel frustrated with the process, drained, and lacking. These feelings will also occur when you work toward the wrong goals. If the goal and process are both appropriate, both can be enjoyed simply for what they are.

Awareness is understanding that the simple act of working through the process is powerful and useful. When you focus on what you’re doing now, rather than what your actions will get you, you can close the door on Big Reward and Saving Time mentalities and find eternal joy in simply living.

Exercise: How Satisfied Are You?

It’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of life. With so much going on, we often forget to stop and smell the roses. How has your busy schedule affected your life?

Principle 5: The Tiddely Pom Principle

The Tiddely Pom Principle, named after one of Pooh’s songs, is similar to the idea of the “Snowball Effect.” It relates to taking the first step of believing in yourself to allow the natural momentum of life to build toward happiness and contentment.

We all have something special and useful that we can offer the world. Often, we require some outward result or someone else to show us what our specialness is. But if you want to be the architect of your own life, you must find a way to believe in your power and learn how to wield it. You can use your gifts to make life work for you, rather than striving to be like others or waiting for fate to deliver what you want.

You are less likely to take risks when you don’t understand your power. You will come to unfamiliar circumstances with fear, and nothing new will be accomplished. This disbelief in your power makes you unable to believe in the power of the natural order of life, as well, and you miss out on opportunities to evolve.

An example from the world of Pooh expresses this concept.

Pooh and the gang went on an expedition to find the North Pole. Along the way, Roo fell into a rushing stream and was swept away. Everyone was too busy worrying about Roo or shouting out advice to do anything, except for Pooh. Pooh wondered if there was something he might be able to do that hadn’t been done before. As he wandered along the stream, he found a pole and picked it up. He decided to stretch the pole across the stream, and when Roo came up to it, he was able to climb out. Christopher Robin asked Pooh where he found the pole, to which Pooh responded he just saw it and thought it might be of some use. It was then that Christopher Robin realized that Pooh had found the North Pole.

Pooh, in his simple way of following the path before him, recognized that perhaps there was something in the environment around him that could help in this new situation. He believed he was capable of seeing what was around him and using it to serve his purpose. That first step started the snowball effect of positive action, which led to a positive result.

Tz’u, or Caring and Compassion

Taoists refer to this belief in oneself as Tz’u. This belief comes from the heart, and as Lao-tse wrote in the Tao Te Ching, the “heart” is the first gift from which courage and wisdom grow. We all have the ability to be happy and use our gifts effectively. Some of us just choose not to. This decision is likely influenced by knowledge and cleverness, which come from the brain, not the heart, so they do not involve compassion. A lack of compassion equals a lack of wisdom, and a lack of wisdom equals a lack of courage.

When you are courageous enough to believe you are special and capable of living harmoniously with the world, you’ll stop seeking outside validation. You’ll believe in the goodness of your power and no longer feel the need to compete. This is the first step in the Tiddely Pom Principle, for as Lao-tse wrote, “A thousand-mile journey starts with one step.”

Wisdom, joy, and bravery are not distant concepts standing at the end of a long tunnel. They are immediately available as soon as you choose to start living with them. If you want to be happy, you must be grateful for what you have and who you are. If you want respect, you must take the first step of giving respect. Conversely, if you want to be unhappy, you should be dissatisfied with yourself and life.

Whether you live with hope or disillusionment depends on how you use the Tiddely Pom Principle to benefit yourself and the world. The parts of you and the world that will help you be successful are likely already around. You just have to be willing to see them and use them.

Principle 6: The Empty Mind

In Taoism, nothing equals something, and what we actually think of as something is nothing. Taoists call this T’ai Hsu, or “The Great Nothing,” which represents being able to see what’s in front of you when you’re not busy looking for something else. This idea is also known as the empty mind.

When the mind is full, there is no room for what simply is to exist. A full mind cannot hear or see clearly because knowledge and cleverness divert your focus to unnecessary aspects of things. You seek more than what is actually there or what needs to be there, which leads you down a path away from truth. Think of a bird singing. An empty mind hears the bird and enjoys the beautiful sound. A full mind will try to determine what kind of bird it is. Knowledge and cleverness will seek a way to validate the song, rather than simply allow it to exist.

The truth of a thing is found within it. With an empty mind, you can see it, marvel at it, and acknowledge the usefulness of it. This is because emptiness in the mind triggers your spiritual energy. In this place, you are in tune with the natural order of things.

Emptiness is a difficult proposition for many people because it seems closely linked to loneliness. As a society, we do everything we can to escape loneliness. We schedule every second of our days, fill up vacant and open spaces of land, and turn on the TV for company. We dismiss the value of aloneness and empty spaces, so we fight against them. But the more we fight loneliness, the more isolated we become, and the cycle goes round and round.

Achieving Wisdom

Wisdom differs from knowledge. The latter strictly deals with information stored in the brain, whereas the former relates to the full scope of understanding beyond mere information. The brain has the capacity to create, store, and compartmentalize information faster and more efficiently than any high-tech computer on the market, but this is not the extent of its power. The brain is capable of so much more, and only using it for knowledge is like using a magic wand to prop open a window.

Lao-tse said, “To attain knowledge, add things every day. To attain wisdom, remove things every day.” To truly start a journey toward wisdom, you must allow the mind to clear so the avenues to its other powers can be revealed. Therefore, the path to wisdom is the path of nothing.

Think about your last big idea, something others might refer to as a “stroke of genius.” Where did the idea come from? Likely, if you trace it all the way back to the beginning, you’ll find it came from nothing. Most of these revolutionary ideas are not born from laboring over information. They come during moments when you forgot to be thinking about something else, like when you first wake up. But you don’t have to wait for these moments to sneak up on you. You can create them intentionally using the childlike mind.

The Childlike Mind

The goal of the childlike mind is to allow the brain to achieve the same freedom it had when you were curious and observant. As a child, you didn’t know enough to structure the world into knowledge capsules, so you were open to playing and learning with abandon. When you moved into adulthood, you used your experiences, abilities, education, and social conditioning to inform life decisions and explain the world around you. This tendency moved you farther from wisdom.

Many believe that brain development ends with adulthood, but the final destination of the mind is the independent state of the all-seeing child. This type of mind has been drained of the minute particulars of acquired knowledge and left open to the wisdom of nothing, or the way of the universe. In this state, the mind is filled with light and joy because it is in line with the natural powers of the world.

The saga of Pooh’s adventures with his friends comes to an end when they stroll through the forest searching for nothing and no one. They come upon an enchanted forest atop a mountain where the whole world can be seen and felt. This place is always there for you to find if you can follow the path of nothing to nowhere. The enchanted place is inside you. You just need to stop looking for it.

Pooh and the Current Social Crisis

If, as a collective people, we cannot turn our search for wisdom and contentment away from knowledge and cleverness and toward the natural order of things, we will suffer immensely. The great thinkers of the world have learned too much and lost compassion for others. Knowledge and cleverness have steered us away from reality because of the prominence given to information. We’ve all heard that “Knowledge is power,” and it’s true. Our powerful brains can think us into any idea or feeling we want.

But what has this thinking been used for? Isn’t every decision in life aimed toward gaining more knowledge and power so we can feel stable and happy? With all that energy used for the wrong endeavors, how happy or stable do any of us feel?

The people who will be successful in finding true wisdom and happiness are those capable of listening to their Inner Natures, being sensitive to circumstances, and allowing the natural flow of life to guide them. There are those who live this way now, and society tends to see them as anomalies or outliers of mainstream society. But these people are examples of what mainstream society has the ability to become if we stop manipulating the world around us.

Each of us has the Clever Rabbit, Scholarly Owl, Negative Eeyore, and Simple Pooh inside. We typically give the rabbit and owl space to play until we become unsatisfied; then, we complain like Eeyore. This process leads to nothing useful.

If you want to be truly wise and happy, you must become Pooh, seeing the world through a childlike wonder. That attitude may be difficult to locate, but if you can, you will find your way through the forest.

Exercise: The Tao of You

Now that you’ve learned some of the principles of Taoism, how do they relate to your life?