Cottleston Pie

Cottleston, Cottleston, Cottleston Pie,

A fly can’t bird, but a bird can fly.

Ask me a riddle and I reply:

“Cottleston, Cottleston, Cottleston Pie.”

Cottleston, Cottleston, Cottleston Pie,

A fish can’t whistle and neither can I.

Ask me a riddle and I reply:

“Cottleston, Cottleston, Cottleston Pie.”

Cottleston, Cottleston, Cottleston Pie,

Why does a chicken, I don’t know why.

Ask me a riddle and I reply:

“Cottleston, Cottleston, Cottleston Pie.”

The Tao of Pooh

Benjamin Hoff describes the Taoist philosophy of Things Are as They Are and Inner Nature, which refers to the innate being of people, places and things. According to Taoist philosophy, one must understand oneself  before understanding others...for this is true wisdom. When you don’t follow your Inner Nature or your Cottleston Pie, that is when things go amuck. Benjamin Hoff takes the song Cottleston Pie, which Pooh sings in Winnie-the-Pooh, and applies it to Inner Nature. The first stanza describes how a fly cannot act like a bird, though a bird can fly and be one with its inner nature. The second stanza shows that a fish cannot whistle and neither can the person who made this song. Why would a fish or a human need to whistle? The third stanza questions the actions of the chicken, but it is unknown. This is true for all life. Why does one person act different from another?...Cottleston Pie. Why does he enjoy wrestling while she prefers art?...Cottleston Pie. Why can I dance and he can write?...Cottleston Pie. Ask me a riddle and I’ll reply: “Cottleston, Cottleston, Cottleston Pie.” It is because of Cottleston Pie (Inner Nature) which explains the working of the earth, the personality of humans and animals, and the bond which connects us all. It is the basis of all understanding and happiness.

Hoff and Lao Tzu show a deep concern for humans in their writing. While Lao Tzu saw the strains of society causing anxiety and the creation of the Bisy Backson in Confucian China, Hoff is concerned with the conformity of American and Western society and the loss of one’s self:

“...everything has its own place and function. That applies to people, although many don’t seem to realize it, stuck as they are in the wrong job, the wrong marriage, or the wrong house. When you know and respect your own Inner Nature, you know where you belong.”

The Tao of Pooh

This quotation from The Tao of Pooh is, in my opinion the basis of the sadness and anxiety in the American lifestyle. When we feel insecure about our Inner Nature, our Cottleston Pie, we compare ourselves to others and feel the need to compete with them. But others have their own Cottleston Pie. They are happy in their own realm, content in their own life, and happy in their own body. We should have no need to compare ourselves to others, because we are all uniquely special. In addition, we should not go through life without understanding. Not understanding oneself makes one become lifeless, humanless...one without a head and heart telling the body what to do. Instead, ones that do not follow innate nature are dragged throughout the mix and make decisions based on others. This poisons life and causes it to be unhealthy...far worse than any economic blunder, illness, or struggle.

Author Christine Organ is quoted in The Hindu article “Be yourself”, “Deep down, people compare almost everything — who has more friends, who is happier, who is more laidback, who is more popular, who is more outgoing. There are also a lot of internal comparisons going on, when we compare our current situation to our expectations of ourselves (realistic or not) and what we would like our situation to be.” Shilpa Agarwal, author of this article, claims that, “Comparison stems from lack of self-esteem and acceptance.” From a young age, we are made to look up to role models, become like our parental role models, and be compared to fake celebrities. This is where humans and society have gone wrong. We become even more respected, even more liked, even more accepted, when we understand ourselves and live our lives as ourself.

If you enjoyed this blog post and others before it, please be on the lookout for my next blog post in two weeks. My next post will explain death, the acceptance of change, and the inability to change the future. Over the next two weeks, please ponder this quote:

If you realize that all things change,

there is nothing you will try to hold on to.

If you aren’t afraid of dying,

there is nothing you can’t achieve.

Trying to control the future

is like trying to take teh master carpenter’s place.

When you handle the master carpenter’s tools,

chances are that you’ll cut your hand.