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More
from and about
Benjamin Hoff
(biographical info at bottom of page) |
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When
you discard arrogance, complexity, and a few
other things that get in the way, sooner or later you
will discover that simple, childlike, and mysterious secret
known to those of the Uncarved Block: Life is Fun. |
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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. -The Tao of
Pooh
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Thousands of years ago, man
lived in harmony with the rest
of the natural world. Through what we would today call
Telepathy, he communicated with animals, plants, and other
forms of life-none of which he considered "beneath" himself,
only different, with different jobs to perform. He worked
side by side with earth angels and nature spirits, with
whom he shared responsibility for taking care of the world. -The Te of Piglet
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But isn't the
knowledge that comes from experience more valuable
than the knowledge that doesn't? It seems fairly obvious to
some
of us that a lot of scholars need to go outside and sniff
around--walk through the grass, talk to the animals. That sort of
thing.
The surest way
to become Tense, Awkward, and Confused is to develop a mind
that tries too hard - one that thinks too much.
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In
the story of Ugly Duckling, when did the Ugly Duckling stop
feeling Ugly? When he realized that he was a Swan. Each of us has something
Special, a
swan of some sort, hidden inside somewhere. But until we recognize
that it's
there, what can we do but splash around, treading water? The Wise
are Who
They Are. They work with what they've got and do what they can do.
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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. |
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Cleverness,
after all, has its limitations. Its mechanical judgments
and clever remarks tend to prove inaccurate with passing time,
because it doesn't look very deeply into things to begin with. |
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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. |
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A
way of life that keeps saying 'Around the next corner,
above the next step,' works against the natural order of
things and makes it so difficult to be happy and good. |
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| Benjamin
Hoff (born 1946) is an author based in the United States. Two of
his books on Taoism, The Tao of Pooh and The Te of
Piglet, were on best seller lists. Hoff grew up in Sylvan,
Oregon, where he acquired a fondness of the natural world that has
been highly influential in his writing.
Hoff obtained a
B.A. in Asian Art from The Evergreen State College in 1973. Prior
to his career in writing, he worked as a tree pruner, antiques
restorer, hospital orderly, investigative reporter,
photojournalist, recording musician, singer, and songwriter. In
his spare time, he practices Taoist yoga and Tai Chi Chuan.
Hoff has recently
published an essay online denouncing the publishing industry and
announcing his resignation from book-writing. It can be found at
benjaminhoffauthor.com.
This is the only website he has officially endorsed or been
involved with.
Hoff was awarded
the American Book Award in 1988 for The Singing Creek Where the
Willows Grow: The Rediscovered Diary of Opal Whiteley.
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