The Tao of Pooh: An Introduction

"When you wake up in the morning, Pooh," said Piglet at last, "what's the first thing you say to yourself?"
"What's for breakfast?" said Pooh. "What do you say, Piglet?"
" I say, I wonder what's going to happen exciting today?" said Piglet
Pooh nodded thoughtfully.
"It's the same thing," he said.

"What's that?" the Unbeliever asked.
"Wisdom from the Western Taoist,"I said.
"It sounds like something from Winnie-the-Pooh ," he said.
"It is," I said.
"That's not about Taoism," he said.
"Oh, yes it is," I said.

• " ... but, no matter how he may seem to others, especially to those fooled by appearances, Pooh, the Uncarved Block, is able to accomplish what he does because he is simpleminded." (12)

• " From the state of the Uncarved Block comes the ability to enjoy the simple and the quiet, the natural and the plain. Along with that comes the ability to do things spontaneously and have them work, odd as that may appear to others at times. As Piglet put it in Winnie-the-Pooh, "Pooh hasn't much Brain, but he never comes to any harm. He does silly things and they turn out right." (21)

• " Not like Pooh, the most effortless Bear we've ever seen.
  "Just How do you do it, Pooh?"
  "Do What?" asked Pooh.
  "Become so Effortless."
  "I don't do much of anything," he saod.
  "But all those things of yours get done."
  "They just sort of happen," he said (70)

• " It's not surprisng, therefore, that the Backson thinks of progress in terms of fighting and overcoming. One of his little idiosyncrasies, you might say. Of course real progress involves growing and developing, which involves changing inside, but that's something the inflexible Backson is unwilling to do."
  

• "While Eeyore frets ...
  ... and Piglet hesitates
  ... and Rabbit calculates
  ... and Owl pontificates
  ...Pooh just is. (cover)