How can you get very far, If you don't know who you are? How can you do what you ought, If you don't know what you've got? And if you don't know which to do Of all the things in front of you, Then what you'll have when you are through Is just a mess without a clue Of all the best that can come true If you know What and Which and Who.

Benjamin Hoff

Categorized in : Justice Tao Of Pooh Clue

Treat gain and loss the same.' Don't be Intimidated. Don't make a Big Deal of anything - just accept things as they come to you.

Benjamin Hoff

gains accepting loss

The play-it-safe pessimists of the world never accomplish much of anything, because they don't look clearly and objectively at situations, they don't recognize or believe in their own abilities to overcome even the smallest amount of risk.

Benjamin Hoff

risk play believe

Life itself, when understood and utilized for what it is, is sweet.

Benjamin Hoff

new-home tao-of-pooh sweet

Now, scholars can be very useful and necessary, in their own dull and unamusing way. They provide a lot of information. It's just that there is Something More, and that Something More is what life is really all about.

Benjamin Hoff

information dull way

Many people are afraid of Emptiness, however, because it reminds them of Loneliness. Everything has to be filled in, it seems-appointment books, hillsides, vacant lots-but when all the spaces are filled, the Loneliness really begins. Then the Groups are joined, the Classes are signed up for, and the Gift-to-Yourself items are bought. When the Loneliness starts creeping in the door, the Television Set is turned on to make it go away. But it doesn't go away. So some of us do instead, and after discarding the emptiness of the Big Congested Mess, we discover the fullness of Nothing.

Benjamin Hoff

loneliness class book

Whether many people realize it yet or not, man, the Inferior Animal, has by now proved himself incapable of keeping his own species - and others - alive for very much longer. So the earth has begun its own plan to set things right.

Benjamin Hoff

animal men people

As our planet takes action to cast out its manmade poisons and heal its man-caused wounds, many human inhabitants will no doubt give way to fear. Many will cling to seemingly powerful we're-God's-chosen-people religions, hoping that by so doing they will be saved from the wrath of a Vengeful God (not recognizing that the approaching "vengeance" will in reality be man's own actions coming back at him - and not recognizing that the Infinite Universal Power is far more than the narrow-minded gatekeeper of an exclusive Spiritual Country Club).

Benjamin Hoff

powerful spiritual country

Well, it takes all kinds to make a mess.

Benjamin Hoff

wells kind order

Modern man's difficulties, dangerous beliefs and feelings of loneliness, spiritual emptiness,and personal weakness are caused by his illusions about, and separation from, the natural world.

Benjamin Hoff

loneliness spiritual men

When we give up our images of self-importance and our ideas of what should be, we can help things become what they need to be.

Benjamin Hoff

giving-up self ideas

I think, therefore I am confused.

Benjamin Hoff

i-am-confused confused thinking

From the Taoist point of view, the natural result of this harmonious way of living is happiness.

Benjamin Hoff

views tao-of-pooh way

No matter how useful we may be, sometimes it takes us a while to recognize our own value.

Benjamin Hoff

matter may sometimes

There is more to knowing than just being correct

Benjamin Hoff

just-being knowing

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.

Benjamin Hoff

sight way needs

In the Age of Perfect Virtue, men lived among the animals and birds as members of one large family. There were no distinctions between superior and inferior to separate one man or species from another. All retained their natural Virtue and lived in a state of pure simplicity.

Benjamin Hoff

perfect animal men

The Infinite Universal Power is more than just a narrow-minded gatekeeper to a spiritual County Club.

Benjamin Hoff

clubs infinite spiritual

Knowledge and Experience do not necessarily speak the same language.

Benjamin Hoff

knowledge-and-experience language speak

It is very hard to be brave," said Piglet, sniffing slightly, "when you're only a Very Small Animal." Rabbit, who had begun to write very busily, looked up and said: "It is because you are a very small animal that you will be Useful in the adventure before us.

Benjamin Hoff

writing animal adventure

Unfortunately complaining is one thing Eeyores are not afraid to do. They grudgingly carry their thimbles to the Fountain of Life, then mumble and grumble that they weren't given enough.

Benjamin Hoff

fountain enough complaining