I feel that Benjamin Hoff did an excellent job of explaining Taoism in the book the Tao of Pooh. The book was able to explain Taoism by breaking it down into small, clearly defined bits of information. Most books discussing religious ideas provide large amounts of complex information to the reader, but they do not explain it or provide direct examples as does Hoff. Although I do not agree with all of the Taoist concepts, I at least have a clear understanding of them due to the information in this book.
The Tao of Pooh refers to the American culture as Bisy Backsons, meaning that we are busy bodies who have to be on the go constantly. Its hard to argue against this description of the American lifestyle, but I do not totally agree with this classification. For example, I agree with the Taoist philosophy on time. "You cannot save time, You can only spend it," and it can be spent either foolishly or wisely (pg. 108). No matter what you do there are only 24 hours in a day, its all about how you choose to use it.
However, I do not agree when they say, "Bisy Backson is always going somewhere, somewhere he hasn't been. Anywhere, but where he is (pg. 97). Yes there are some American's who are constantly going and going, but it is not all Americans. I know plenty of people who like to just sit back and relax when they get free time. My other issue with that statement is that you will find people like that in every culture so I believe that it's unfair to direct that statement towards only Americans.
Alothough I agree with some of the principles of Taoism, I don't think it's the "solution" to the "problems" of Americans. To be honest, I don't even believe that there is a problem with the American culture. The concepts of Taoism come from Ancient Chinese culture which is nothing like the modern world that we live in today. The American culture as well as most Western cultures, are fast paced due largely impart to all the technological advancements of the 19th century. These technological advancements require us to live a fast paced lifestyle and nothing is going to change that.
I agree that The Tao of Pooh was different from most books discussing religious ideas because Hoff broke it down little by little and gave examples that most people would be able to relate to. I like how you point out that there are “Bisy Backsons” in other cultures, not just Americans.
ReplyDeleteIt is true, the advancement of technology is inevitable. But, I do think we could do better. Technology is supposed to provide convenience. Yet, more advancement equals more responsibility and stress. I think there are Taoist principles that American culture can learn from, to help balance out our lifestyles.
ReplyDeleteI really like how you said "My other issue with that statement is that you will find people like that in every culture so I believe that it's unfair to direct that statement towards only Americans." I feel that that is so true and Hoff definitely aimed that at Americans and really shot us down. I also think that the technological advancement are great, but they are making it easier for us to live and also lazier.
ReplyDeleteI felt exactly like you did about the Tao of Pooh in the sense that it was easy to grasp the ideas since they were presented in such a basic manner, but I didn't agree will all the Taoist theories.
ReplyDeleteAmericans are running around a lot, filling our schedules up, but I don't think that is necessarily a bad thing. Yes, it would be nice to have some more time to just relax, but at the end of the day I typically feel happy and satisfied with what I've done. Everyone takes time out of their hectic schedule to include their hobbies, whether that be reading a book or going hiking. I like how you pointed out there are Bisy Backson's in each culture, and its unreasonable that ours is singled out.
Again, I agree with you when saying I don't see a problem in America's culture. Every culture is different and one religion or culture has no right to tell another its wrong.