Keely's review

The Tao of Pooh (The Wisdom of Pooh)
by Benjamin Hoff

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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48757.The_Tao_of_Pooh?utm_medium=api&amp;utm_source=blog_review" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="The Tao of Pooh (The Wisdom of Pooh)" border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/212ZM1FEEHL._SL160_.jpg" /></a> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48757.The_Tao_of_Pooh?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review">The Tao of Pooh</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/27397.Benjamin_Hoff">Benjamin Hoff</a> 
 <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/8299764?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review"><h3>My review</h3></a>
 rating: 2 of 5 stars If Nietzsche is considered the West's strongest opponent of Buddhism, it must be through a thorough misunderstanding of both Nietzsche and Buddhism, which should come as shocking to no westerner who bears an affinity for either. Though at first observation we may think that his ideal of utter selfishness would conflict with the Buddhist ideal of utter selflessness, this marks our confusion at the fact that a Buddhist would consider them both to be the same state.
 
 Indeed, Nietzsche is not only cited as a critic of the faith but of the first great importer of Buddhist thought into modern philosophy. In the early stages of coming to an understanding with such culturally disparate philosophies, it is not surprising that he should have some misconceptions of his own regarding it, and that even today, our understanding of it cannot be whole. As a westerner, it would take long and careful study to understand even a single concept like 'iki', and how it would represent something as being 'improvised, restrained, romantic, and inconspicuous'.
 
 It is this same sort of misunderstanding which brings this parallel between the 'Merrie England' ideals of Milne and the calm and prescient sublimation of Buddhism. Indeed, it is the modern love of romanticism and recreation of mythology which the popularity of both Buddhism and Pooh in this country are largely based.
 
 It is interesting to look at the views and ideals of earlier artistic and intellectual movements, especially the role they played in the creation of Existentialism, Egalitarianism, and the birth of the dream of the American politic. These ideals came from an attempt to deconstruct historical and traditional roles and to place something reasonable and useful in their place.
 
 Unfortunately, as Moorcock points out in his 'Epic Pooh', it seems that mankind is incapable of living without escapist myths, beyond the wild hopes of certain well-meaning intellectuals; I would like to meet the man whose pain was ever cured by denying it.
 
 So, here we have a symptom of the mythic recreation of our culture, which may be visualized as one branch of New Agism; itself being only an aspect of the idealistic and charismatic movement which also includes Christian Fundamentalism. Of course, two enemies never recognize that the conflict lies in that their differences are too similar.
 
 The Buddhist ideals of suffering and selflessness may appear to be mirrored in Milne's representations, but this is only a cursory effect. The 'suffering' in Pooh is a sense of the pitiful and despondent, coming from a child's exploration of these concepts by playing them out in representation on his toys. It also has a certain factor of humor to it, as all humor is, in some sense, Schadenfreude. The overwhelming sadness of pooh has always been a sense of the ephemeral and of the counted days until childhood ends. Of course, this acts in contrary to Buddhist ideal, which bears no such resigned sadness towards transition, and indeed, holds that change is to be hoped for (though also never really achieved).
 
 The 'joy' in these books is also a romanticized invention of childhood, especially when viewed by adults. The joy of Buddhism is more sublime and not based on the self-centered ignorance of childhood, but in a rejection of all the irrational fears and desires which childhood imparts. Indeed, the attempt at Romanticism is against Buddhist ideals, and is not saved by the fact that the Romanticism is subverted by Milne's own Tory idealism.
 
 I suppose that, in the end, Pooh may be as mindless as any Buddhist could wish, but lacks any intention or understanding of his state. The difference being that of a man who wins the lottery and the man who builds his own company from the ground up. 
 
 It is, in the end, too simple a thing to imagine that Buddhism is really a childlike state, or that our own over-romanticization of the abject confusion of childhood could represent a resigned sense of peace. It is true that we are always confused and mystified; always children, or at least never so far removed from them as we may think.
 
 If we took the knowledge of a child and of a wise man, they would still both be miniscule compared to knowledge itself. The Pooh books do not recognize the permanence of this unknowning state, and in romanticizing it as a 'loss', become as foolish as the myth of virginity.
 
 Perhaps it is not surprising that, in a western view which takes tries to combine Buddhism with idealized romanticism, that something which seems both romantic, joyful, and ultimately sad should seem Buddhist in a western understanding, but onlin insofar as Buddhism is mysterious and conflicted in their minds.
 
 <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/84023?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review">View all my reviews.</a>

Keely's review
rating:

bookshelves: non-fiction, philosophy

If Nietzsche is considered the West's strongest opponent of Buddhism, it must be through a thorough misunderstanding of both Nietzsche and Buddhism, which should come as shocking to no westerner who bears an affinity for either. Though at first observation we may think that his ideal of utter selfishness would conflict with the Buddhist ideal of utter selflessness, this marks our confusion at the fact that a Buddhist would consider them both to be the same state.

Indeed, Nietzsche is not only cited as a critic of the faith but of the first great importer of Buddhist thought into modern philosophy. In the early stages of coming to an understanding with such culturally disparate philosophies, it is not surprising that he should have some misconceptions of his own regarding it, and that even today, our understanding of it cannot be whole. As a westerner, it would take long and careful study to understand even a single concept like 'iki', and how it would represent something as being 'i...more If Nietzsche is considered the West's strongest opponent of Buddhism, it must be through a thorough misunderstanding of both Nietzsche and Buddhism, which should come as shocking to no westerner who bears an affinity for either. Though at first observation we may think that his ideal of utter selfishness would conflict with the Buddhist ideal of utter selflessness, this marks our confusion at the fact that a Buddhist would consider them both to be the same state.

Indeed, Nietzsche is not only cited as a critic of the faith but of the first great importer of Buddhist thought into modern philosophy. In the early stages of coming to an understanding with such culturally disparate philosophies, it is not surprising that he should have some misconceptions of his own regarding it, and that even today, our understanding of it cannot be whole. As a westerner, it would take long and careful study to understand even a single concept like 'iki', and how it would represent something as being 'improvised, restrained, romantic, and inconspicuous'.

It is this same sort of misunderstanding which brings this parallel between the 'Merrie England' ideals of Milne and the calm and prescient sublimation of Buddhism. Indeed, it is the modern love of romanticism and recreation of mythology which the popularity of both Buddhism and Pooh in this country are largely based.

It is interesting to look at the views and ideals of earlier artistic and intellectual movements, especially the role they played in the creation of Existentialism, Egalitarianism, and the birth of the dream of the American politic. These ideals came from an attempt to deconstruct historical and traditional roles and to place something reasonable and useful in their place.

Unfortunately, as Moorcock points out in his 'Epic Pooh', it seems that mankind is incapable of living without escapist myths, beyond the wild hopes of certain well-meaning intellectuals; I would like to meet the man whose pain was ever cured by denying it.

So, here we have a symptom of the mythic recreation of our culture, which may be visualized as one branch of New Agism; itself being only an aspect of the idealistic and charismatic movement which also includes Christian Fundamentalism. Of course, two enemies never recognize that the conflict lies in that their differences are too similar.

The Buddhist ideals of suffering and selflessness may appear to be mirrored in Milne's representations, but this is only a cursory effect. The 'suffering' in Pooh is a sense of the pitiful and despondent, coming from a child's exploration of these concepts by playing them out in representation on his toys. It also has a certain factor of humor to it, as all humor is, in some sense, Schadenfreude. The overwhelming sadness of pooh has always been a sense of the ephemeral and of the counted days until childhood ends. Of course, this acts in contrary to Buddhist ideal, which bears no such resigned sadness towards transition, and indeed, holds that change is to be hoped for (though also never really achieved).

The 'joy' in these books is also a romanticized invention of childhood, especially when viewed by adults. The joy of Buddhism is more sublime and not based on the self-centered ignorance of childhood, but in a rejection of all the irrational fears and desires which childhood imparts. Indeed, the attempt at Romanticism is against Buddhist ideals, and is not saved by the fact that the Romanticism is subverted by Milne's own Tory idealism.

I suppose that, in the end, Pooh may be as mindless as any Buddhist could wish, but lacks any intention or understanding of his state. The difference being that of a man who wins the lottery and the man who builds his own company from the ground up.

It is, in the end, too simple a thing to imagine that Buddhism is really a childlike state, or that our own over-romanticization of the abject confusion of childhood could represent a resigned sense of peace. It is true that we are always confused and mystified; always children, or at least never so far removed from them as we may think.

If we took the knowledge of a child and of a wise man, they would still both be miniscule compared to knowledge itself. The Pooh books do not recognize the permanence of this unknowning state, and in romanticizing it as a 'loss', become as foolish as the myth of virginity.

Perhaps it is not surprising that, in a western view which takes tries to combine Buddhism with idealized romanticism, that something which seems both romantic, joyful, and ultimately sad should seem Buddhist in a western understanding, but onlin insofar as Buddhism is mysterious and conflicted in their minds.
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