The Tao of Christopher Robin.

Christopher Robin (left) & The Tao of Pooh (right).

The 2018 film Christopher Robin is a wonderful expression of Taoist philosophy through the art of cinema. The film captures the childlike innocence and timeless principles of Taoism through the milieu and character of Winnie the Pooh. By doing nothing and being himself, Winnie the Pooh helps an adult Christopher Robin reconnect with what he lost and, in the process, with those he loves. This essay will examine the Taoist philosophy contained in the film and how these principles can help humanity reach a greater sense of peace and understanding.

To understand the key concepts in Christopher Robin, it is essential to outline what Taoism is and who founded it. Taoism is an ancient Chinese philosophy founded by Lao Tzu during the sixth century BCE. According to ancient Chinese accounts, Lao Tzu worked as an archivist at the Zhou city of Luoyang during the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BCE) and personally knew the philosopher Confucius (551-479 BCE). In 520 BCE, disillusioned with the constant warfare between states, Lao Tzu left China and rode westward into the desert. At the Hanku Pass, a gatekeeper named Yin Hsi, knowing of Lao Tzu’s reputation for wisdom, begged him to record the essence of his teachings before he left China. The result was the Tao Te Ching, translated as “The Book of the Way and Power.” After this, Lao Tzu departed China and was never seen again.

Two principles form the basis of Taoism: Tao and Te. Tao translates as “Way” and refers to the organising principle of harmony underlying the universe. Lao Tzu taught that the Tao could not be adequately described in words, although its nature could be understood by those who sought to live in harmony with it. Indeed, Lao Tzu said in the first chapter of the Tao Te Ching, “The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao. The name that can be named is not the eternal name” (Dyer, 2008, p.5). The second principle, Te, translates as “Power” or “Virtue” and refers, not simply to the English-language equivalent of good behaviour, but rather to “a quality of special character, spiritual strength, or hidden potential unique to the individual – something that comes from the Inner Nature of things” (Hoff, 2015, p.200). It is essentially virtue in action and is usually expressed by individuals who may be unaware of it themselves.

From the writings of Lao Tzu and his successor Chuang Tzu (369-298 BCE) have come two branches of Taoism: religious and philosophical. Religious Taoism mainly seeks help from various gods, goddesses and spirits to ward off evil and attain immortality. Religious Taoists “also use ritual and magic to capture the Te (power) that brings enlightenment and…immortality” (Adams, 2007, p.164). In contrast, philosophical Taoism is more peaceful and aligned with Lao Tzu’s teachings. Philosophical Taoists emphasise living in harmony with the Tao and that inner peace and harmony can be found by not resisting or controlling the flow of life. In the Tao Te Ching, Lao Tzu summarises this teaching by saying, “The Tao does nothing, but leaves nothing undone” (Dyer, 2008, p.77). Benjamin Hoff explains in The Tao of Pooh that the “Tao doesn’t force or interfere with things, but lets them work in their own way to produce results naturally. Then whatever needs to be done is done” (Hoff, 2015, p.82). This is known as Wu Wei (Effortless Action) and helps explain why the laws governing the natural world rarely make mistakes.

Now that Taoism’s fundamental principles have been explained, it is essential to summarise the plot of Christopher Robin so we can place everything into its proper context. The film begins with Christopher Robin leaving the Hundred Acre Wood to attend a boarding school. During his time there, he is discouraged from expressing creativity and learns that his father has passed away. Upon becoming an adult, Christopher Robin (Ewan McGregor) meets and falls in love with Evelyn (Hayley Atwell), with whom they have a daughter named Madeline (Bronte Carmichael). After fighting in the Second World War, Christopher Robin is employed as an efficiency manager at Winslow Luggage Company, where he is told by Giles Winslow (Mark Gatiss) that unless expenditures can be decreased by 20%, the company will be forced to shut down. Robin subsequently stays home for work, while his wife and daughter travel to Sussex for the weekend. Meanwhile, Winnie the Pooh inadvertently goes through Christopher Robin’s door in the Hundred Acre Wood to look for his friends. The door leads him to London, where he is reunited with Christopher Robin, and they both take a train to Sussex.

After helping Pooh find his friends and pretending to save them from a Heffalump, Christopher Robin returns to London but inadvertently leaves his work papers behind. Pooh, Piglet, Tigger and Eeyore decide to return Robin’s papers and meet Madeline, who agrees to join them on their expedition to London to persuade her father not to send her to boarding school. They take a train to London and catch a taxi to the Winslow Luggage Company, only for Madeline to lose all but one of his papers. After reuniting with his daughter and wife, Christopher Robin realises that his family and friends are more important than his work and confronts the Winslows, telling them that “the answer to all your problems is nothing” (Forster, 2018). He explains that Winslow's Luggage Company can solve its financial problems by making luggage cheaper and giving everyone paid holidays. Giles Winslow dismisses the idea, but his father agrees after it is revealed that Giles contributed nothing to the plan and played golf during the weekend. The film ends with Christopher Robin taking his family to the Hundred Acre Wood for a picnic with Winnie the Pooh and his friends.

Many of the ideas and philosophies in Christopher Robin were most likely inspired by Benjamin Hoff’s books The Tao of Pooh and The Te of Piglet. First published in 1982 and 1992, respectively, Hoff wrote these books to communicate Taoist philosophy through A.A. Milne’s stories since academic scholars “seemed more interested in cataloguing and bickering over Minute Particulars than in communicating the practical wisdom of Taoist principles” (Hoff, 2015, p.180). While those same scholars ridiculed the idea, Hoff was unconvinced by their arguments and sought to “release Taoist wisdom from the grip of the Overacademics and restore to it the childlike awareness and sense of humor [sic] that they had taken away” (Hoff, 2015, p.181). He succeeded in making Taoist philosophy mainstream in the Western world. Both books were bestsellers, and Taoist principles were incorporated into areas ranging from business, science, psychology, health, sports, music, art, writing, and computer programming.

The adventures of Winnie the Pooh and Christopher Robin take place in the Hundred Acre Wood. In a way, the Hundred Acre Wood is a perfect allegory for the Age of Perfect Virtue described by the Taoist philosopher Chuang Tzu. According to him, during that time:

   “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 the state of pure simplicity” (Hoff, 2015, p.198).

In other cultures, the Age of Perfect Virtue was known by many names. In Greek mythology, it was called the Golden Age, while in the Bible, it was known as the Garden of Eden. Almost all ancient cultures believed that humanity had fallen from a more harmonious, peaceful age and called it the “Great Separation.” However, while civilisations like Greece and Egypt thought this decline was irreversible, the Taoists believed that the original state of harmony could be reattained by anyone who put aside their ego and lived in harmony with natural laws. Indeed, the end of Christopher Robin could represent the return to the Age of Perfect Virtue, symbolised by the Hundred Acre Wood.

The Tao Te Ching also references the Great Mother and the mysterious feminine that existed during the Age of Perfect Virtue. For example, Lao Tzu writes, “All under heaven have a common beginning. This beginning is the Mother of the World” (Dyer, 2008, p.107). This refers to the Goddess revered by our prehistoric ancestors and the anima, or feminine component, in men and women. Lao Tzu refers to this when he writes, “The spirit that never dies is called the mysterious feminine. Although she becomes the whole universe, her immaculate purity is never lost. Although she assumes countless forms, her true identity remains intact” (Dyer, 2008, p.15). In many spiritual and indigenous traditions, prophecies speak about the return of the feminine in partnership with the masculine. The Incan shamans of Peru say we must make our prayers to the feminine and the heart because, “Without the gifts of the heart, we’re not going to be able to think our way out of the problems we have created” (Rose, 2008). In essence, Taoism is the way of the heart.

In Christopher Robin, Winnie the Pooh tells Christopher Robin, who has fallen into a Heffalump trap, “Sometimes the thing to do is nothing” (Forster, 2018). This statement can be interpreted in two ways. First, in the Tao Te Ching, Lao Tzu writes, “the muddiest water clears as it is stilled. And out of that stillness life arises” (Dyer, 2008, p.33). This means that if one does not interfere with the natural flow of life, circumstances will eventually return to the way one wants them to. This is represented symbolically by the rainwater bringing Christopher Robin to the surface and out of the Heffalump trap. Second, it is crucial to recognise what is within our control and what is beyond it. If something is within our control, we can change it, but there is no point in worrying about it if it is beyond our control (Ripley, 2023, p.10). As Eeyore tells Christopher Robin, “Just got to go with the flow. Can’t change the inevitable” (Forster, 2018). When we release our desire to control and go with the flow of life, things almost always work out for us.

Many people often put their faith in clever plans to reach a goal or reward in life. In Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne, Rabbit represents this archetype and is described as someone who “hasn’t Learnt in Books, but he can always Think of a Clever Plan” (Milne, 2020, p.120). In The Tao of Pooh, Benjamin Hoff points out that cleverness has limitations because clever plans do not always work out in real life. Indeed, while cleverness often takes all the credit when things work out, the mind that follows the nature of things and sees things as they are is responsible for the outcome. As Hoff explains, “Wu Wei doesn’t try. It doesn’t think about it. It just does it” (Hoff, 2015, p.87). This is why Winnie the Pooh, not Rabbit or Owl, is the unsung hero of the Hundred Acre Wood: he does nothing, but leaves nothing undone, and in the process, things work out for him.

This brings us to one of the great secrets of Taoism. When Winnie the Pooh asks Christopher Robin how do you do nothing, Robin replies, “It’s when people call out, ‘What are you going to do, Christopher Robin?’ And you say, ‘Oh, nothing.’ And then you go ahead and do it” (Forster, 2018). This secret unlocks the doors to wisdom, happiness, and truth because when our minds are clear, we often get our best ideas from that state of emptiness. In the words of Benjamin Hoff, “The power of a clear mind is beyond description. But it can be attained by anyone who can appreciate and utilize the value of Nothing” (Hoff, 2015, p.162). For many, this starts when we are children, dependent but able to enjoy what is around us. However, as we grow from adolescence into adulthood, we outgrow this stage and become independent and responsible, although this is not the highest state of development. The highest state of development is the independent, clear-minded, all-seeing Child. This is the transformation that Christopher Robin goes through during the 2018 film, and is what Lao Tzu refers to when he says, “One will become like a child again” (Dyer, 2008, p.59). In other words, the wise are children who know and are filled with the wisdom of the Great Nothing.

In Winnie-the-Pooh, when asked if he remembers a story by Christopher Robin, Pooh replies, “I do remember, and then when I try to remember, I forget” (Milne, 2020, p.17). Many people share this statement, as they tend to overthink things and become stuck in the process. Lao Tzu says in the Tao Te Ching, “Trying to control leads to ruin. Trying to grasp, we lose” (Dyer, 2008, p.61). He advises readers to allow their lives to unfold naturally and trust that things will work out. Indeed, many of the most incredible ideas and discoveries came from people who did not try too hard to solve problems. For example, Isaac Newton received insight into the Law of Gravity by observing an apple fall from a tree. In Christopher Robin, Pooh says, “Sometimes when I am going somewhere and I wait, somewhere comes to me” (Forster, 2018). The principle of Wu Wei allows Christopher Robin to gain the insights needed to find himself again and reconnect with his friends and family.

One of the overarching themes of Christopher Robin is how the title character becomes disconnected from his childhood and, in the process of becoming an adult, neglects and alienates those he loves. In her book Funny Little Human, Fiona Lukeis explains how many relationships become overcomplicated due to overthinking, a key attribute of the modern world. According to her, the trick is to let your thoughts come and go naturally to experience more emotional bandwidth in yourself and your relationships. She says, “When someone is comfortable in their own skin, they have more capacity for compassion, kindness and understanding. They’re more playful, loving and lighthearted” (Lukeis, 2025, p.20). Winnie the Pooh refers to this when he says, “Doing nothing leads to the very best something” (Forster, 2018). In truth, we all have the potential to be good in relationships because we are hardwired for love and connection.

As mentioned, overthinking is responsible for many of our problems, mainly due to the conditioning we are exposed to in the education system. Mainstream education is based on the idea that left brain thinking should be the sole arbitrator of reality. In other words, logical and rational thinking is more highly valued than emotional and intuitive thinking, which are attributes of the right brain. In Winnie-the-Pooh, this way of thinking is embodied in the character of Owl, who represents the scholar and academic. While the academic scholar can read, write and spell complex and abstract concepts, he often cannot put what he has learned into practice. As Lao Tzu said in the Tao Te Ching, “When they think they know the answers, people are difficult to guide. When they know they do not know, people can find their own way” (Dyer, 2008, p.133). To put it another way, when we are free from abstract and arbitrary rules and ideas about what we “think” is correct about something, then we are free to experience what is real and desirable. In other words, there is a difference between knowing the path and walking the path.

Mainstream education can also suppress creativity and imagination, attributes of the right brain. A study by Kyung Hee Kim, a Professor of Education at the College of William and Mary, focused on the level of creativity among school children from kindergarten to 12th grade using a measurement known as the Torrance test of creative thinking. Kim found a massive decline in creative thinking and expression the longer children progressed through the school system, as children:

   “Have become less emotionally expressive, less energetic, less talkative and verbally expressive, less humorous, less imaginative, less unconventional, less lively and passionate, less perceptive, less apt to connect seemingly irrelevant things, less synthesizing, and less likely to see things from a different angle” (Kim, 2011, p.292).

The study also showed how the amount of time children are allowed to play freely has been reduced due to hurried lifestyles and a focus on academic success. This is expressed in Christopher Robin as Madeline is pressured by her father to study all the time and not take time to play and be imaginative. As David Icke points out:

   “The system of what we call education has been structured from the start to programme the students’ perception of reality for the rest of their lives. The fact that it doesn’t always work is a testament to the power of consciousness over programming” (Icke, 2013, p.11).

This insight is also shared in the Tao Te Ching, where Lao Tzu tells the reader:

   “Give up learning and you will be free from all your cares. What is the difference between yes and no? What is the difference between good and evil? Must I fear what others fear? Should I fear desolation when there is abundance? Should I fear darkness when that light is shining everywhere?” (Dyer, 2008, p.43).

Benjamin Hoff gives the following analogy in The Tao of Pooh: There are those who “educate” themselves by listening to the radio or the television about world events and those who look around them and go outside into nature to know the world. While most people are distracted by adverse events in the world, those who observe their immediate surroundings live in the present moment and see the beauty in everyday things (Hoff, 2015, p.115-16). As Rhonda Byrne says in The Secret:

   “You cannot help the world by focusing on the negative things. As you focus on the negative events of the world, you not only add to them, but you bring more negative things into your own life at the same time” (Byrne, 2006, p.144).

This is why people are always busy and stressed: They are so distracted by what is happening in the outer world that they cannot slow down and find peace within themselves.

In a sense, today's dry academic scholars are like the Confucians who competed with Taoism throughout most of China’s history. Unlike Taoism, Confucianism is concerned with the human world of political rules and hierarchies, emphasising conformity and abstract values. Benjamin Hoff expresses this difference in The Te of Piglet: “The most easily noticed difference between Confucianism and Taoism is emotional, a difference in feeling: Confucianism is stern, regimented, patriarchal, often severe; Taoism is happy, gentle, childlike, and serene” (Hoff, 2015, p.197). In Christopher Robin, this difference is symbolised during the scene where Robin and Pooh are on the train. While Robin is busy trying to work things out, Pooh plays a game called “name what you can see” while looking through the window.

In The Tao of Pooh, Benjamin Hoff refers to those constantly working and chasing after some great reward as “Bisy Backsons.” Hoff uses the Puritans, a Christian sect that settled North America in 1607, as an example of Bisy Backsons. The Puritans spent so much time pursuing the “Great Reward” that they failed to appreciate the beauty and wonder of the natural world around them. They only saw nature and the indigenous peoples who lived in it as some obstacle to fulfilling the Great Reward promised to them by their religion. Hoff says:

   “Our Bisy Backson religions, sciences, and business ethics have tried their hardest to convince us that there is a Great Reward waiting for us somewhere, and that what we have to do is spend our lives working like lunatics to catch up with it” (Hoff, 2015, p.111).

The ancients taught that the process and enjoyment of achieving one’s goals were more important than the actual attainment. As Sharron Rose asked in her film Timewave 2013, “How many humans have drawn their last breath, never realising that it is the present moment that is important? Not the projection of a fantasy that may never be fulfilled” (Rose, 2008). In other words, you cannot save time: you can only spend it in the moment.

As we approach the end of this essay, it is pertinent to explain the Taoist outlook on life. In The Vinegar Tasters, the three figures of Chinese philosophy – Confucius, Buddha and Lao Tzu – stand around a vat of vinegar. Their expressions after tasting the vinegar represent their different outlooks on life: Confucius thought it was sour and needed to be improved; Buddha thought it was bitter and needed to be escaped from; and Lao Tzu thought it was sweet and was meant to be enjoyed. In other words, while the Confucian and Buddhist viewpoints were pessimistic, the Taoist viewpoint was optimistic, which, as Benjamin Hoff explains, “From the Taoist point of view, sourness and bitterness come from the interfering and unappreciative mind. Life itself, when understood and utilized for what it is, is sweet” (Hoff, 2015, p.18). This sums up the message of Christopher Robin and Taoism: that life is meant to be enjoyed and spent with the people we love.

Christopher Robin is an excellent example of how a film can express philosophical principles. It captures Taoism's perennial wisdom through the world of Winnie the Pooh. Pooh's example of living in harmony with the Tao helps an adult Christopher Robin reconnect with his childhood, family, and friends. In summary, Christopher Robin shows how we can return to our true nature and make the world happier and more harmonious.

Bibliography

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Forster, Marc. Christopher Robin. USA, Walt Disney, 2018. BD.

Hoff, Benjamin. The Tao of Pooh and the Te of Piglet: The principles of Taoism demonstrated by Winnie-the-Pooh and Piglet. London, Egmont, 2015.

Icke, David. “Education: Paying to be Programmed.” New Dawn. March-April 2013.

Kim, Kyung Hee. “The Creativity Crisis: The Decrease in Creative Thinking Scores on the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking.” Creativity Research Journal, 23:4, (2011): 285-295. DOI: 10.1080/10400419.2011.62780.

Lukeis, Fiona. Funny Little Human: Transform the way you see yourself and the ones you love. Las Vegas, Inspirational Book Writers, 2025.

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Rose, Sharron. Timewave 2013: The Odyssey II. USA, Sacred Mysteries Productions, 2008. DVD.