LAO TZU AND TAOISM

Taoist Principles

Tao (or Dao) “The Way” or “The Flow of the Universe”

The natural rules that everything abides by Yin and Yang- both are inextricably linked

and even each other out, harmony is achieved by both Dark and Light- like the day and the night Male and Female Up and Down- like the ripple of a stone

dropped in water

Taoist Principles

Wei Wu Wei- action without acting Be like water/river seemingly yielding to a

boulder in its path Do not try to assert your will upon nature

Naturalness Value the simplicity of life Pu- “wood uncut” or the uncarved block The world imprints itself on us, but we

should return ourselves to our natural state; this is harmony

Knowing vs. Being

Taoist teaching emphasize that one cannot know the Dao without experiencing the Dao The learned person who studies Taoism

cannot know what the Dao is Which is why it is so difficult to talk about

Taoist principles Instead, we learn about it through

experience and the experience of others, i.e. through stories

The Tao of Pooh

Who are the characters in Winnie the Pooh?

And what are their characteristics?

And who is the hero or protagonist of the stories?

Why is Pooh Bear the hero?

Benjamin Hoff makes the case that it is because he embodies the values of Taoism He is simple-minded without being stupid He sees the beauty in everything

(‘Celebrate Thursday!”) He enjoys the simple pleasures of life

(Honey) He is the Pu, i.e. the uncarved block

Activity

Take your can of Play-Doh Before playing, notice that it is an

“uncarved block” Full of potential and possibility What will you do with it?

Now play Enjoy the simplicity of Play-Doh Create something, smoosh it, make impressions

of interesting things or patterns in the room Now Reflect

How does Play-Doh reflect Taoist principles?