Week 2: The Tao of Pooh

To know the Way,

We go the Way;

We do the Way

The way we do

The things we do

It's all there in front of you,

But if you try too hard to see it,

You'll only become Confused.

 

I am me,

And you are you,

As you can see;

But when you do

The things that you can do,

You will find the Way,

And the Way will follow you.

 

I read this book in middle school about a decade ago. Obviously at that time I got literally no benefit from the content. I found this book extremely enjoyable. It was a very easy read about the principles of Taoism using the characters of Milne's Winnie the Pooh as the backdrop. I truly extracted a lot of wisdom from this book. The message can essentially be summed up in the poem above. It is a little cryptic but if you read it word by word, you'll figure it out. Everything has an inner nature. The quickest way to peace is to understand that inner nature and be aware and accepting of it. Do not try to force the ways of nature. They must be allowed to flow in their own natural ways.