Pooh the wise bear

I picked up a book this morning before going to work. It's called the Toa of Pooh, and in easy terms it sets out to describe Taoism. In comparison to Buddhism, Taoism is barely mentioned today in Eastern religeons. In the first chapter it describes a picture called the Vinegar Tasters. Where three wise old men representing three different eastern religeons or ways of living, (I say this because Toaism is more of a way of life than a religeon as such) stand and each having put a finger in the wine vat and sucked it have a different expression on their face. One has the typical sour look (Confucius), another bitter (Buddha) and the last representing Toaism has a smile (Loa Tze). The author then goes on to describe to Pooh the meaning of the picture and why Pooh is such a good character to use also in describing Taoism.

It's odd but in reading this chapter it plays side by side with something I been thinking about on and off. The view of human nature playing out quite naturally the way it does, it is all predictable and expected. Even actions other's may not think are predictable they are when you look closely at them. When you take it from the view point of the actor rather than the observer. At which you can only smile. For if three wise persons, whether male or female or of any mixed religious persuasions were to actually examine the taste of vinegar I'm sure they would all have a sour face. But the picture described was allegorical rather than factual. The thing is, vinegar will always taste sour and like vinegar and nothing else. It is, as it should be and not nectar. So knowing this, and knowing the taste will be sour you can either react with a sour face or actually smile. Because it tastes as it should taste. This is the funny side and what makes me laugh.

Pooh is unquestionably one of the most lovable characters ever in Children's literature. And what does he have which I find so comforting? A nice small rounded pot belly. It's amazing, no wonder I'm smiling.