ThirstyFish

This was a hard shot to take without being noticed.

The Vinegar Tasters is a recurring subject of traditional Chinese religious painting. The three men represent Confucius, Buddha and Lao Tzu. After they taste the vinegar, Confucius reacts with a sour expression, Buddha with a bitter expression and Lao Tzu with a sweet expression. Their reactions are an allegory of their teachings, Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism respectively. The theme is interpreted as favoring Taoism over the other two. Confucianism is an ethical and philosophical system that stresses the need for rules to correct the degeneration of people. Buddhism on the other hand, assumes that life is dominated by pain and suffering, which can be only eradicated through the Noble Eightfold Path. Taoism sees life as fundamentally good, that one must flow creatively through.

So, which one of these chefs is Taoist, which one is Buddhist, which one is Confucian?



Song of the Day: Three Little Birds - Bob Marley & The Wailers (1977)