“Do you really want to be happy? You can begin by being appreciative of who you are and what you've got.” -Benjamin Hoff, The Tao of Pooh
If you have yet to read The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff, I highly recommend it. It is a beautifully written book about the principles of Tao expressed through the characters of Winnie the Pooh. Taoism- for those of you who know only a little about it-is one of the indigenous religions of China, along with Confucianism.
Summing up the main principles of Taoism is no easy task, but I shall attempt to do so in the next few lines. Mind you, I have studied Taoism for quite a few years now, so a scholarly bias is always present when I explain such philosophical concepts. That is why I recommend reading The Tao of Pooh, whereas Taoism concepts are simply yet profoundly explained.
Lao Tzu is considered the patriarch of Taoism and his enlightening words explain the concept of Tao. Simply put, Taoism is basically the belief that with action-less action (wu-wei) the self and nature will naturally align.
A quote from The Tao of Pooh elucidates this naturally aligning of the inner-self and nature:
“There are things about ourselves that we need to get rid of; there are things we need to change. But at the same time, we do not need to be too desperate, too ruthless, too combative. Along the way to usefulness and happiness, many of those things will change themselves, and the others can be worked on as we go. The first thing we need to do is recognize and trust our own Inner Nature, and not lose sight of it.”
A proverb by Lao Tzu goes: Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Do not resist them--that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.
What the above proverb means is that the more and more we resist change, the more lost we become. We therefore need to let things naturally flow. Taoism is a way of life that stresses the importance of the relationship of man (the self) and nature. Sadly, in this interconnected world we are becoming desensitized through social media and technology; a world where emoticons have taken the place of actual smiles, laughs, and the menagerie of facial expressions.
So when the world is weighing heavy on you, don't text, email, Facebook, tweet, or call people you want and need to converse with, rather schedule an in-person meeting. Physical human connection is so important because we are naturally empathetic beings.
Let the beauty of your inner-self permeate outwards for all to see; this is the true journey of the self.
