Posted by Stephen Charest (65.31.228.196) on January 12, 2002 at 13:15:43:
Once when reading about Daoism, I found a reference to a painting called, "The Vinegar Tasters." It was an allegory which showed Laozi, Kongfuzi, and the Buddha all tasting vinegar, with each characterizing his views by his expression.
Kongfuzi frowned because the bad taste of the vinegar offended his belief that the world should be well-ordered.
The Buddha frowned because the bad taste offended his belief that the world should be beautiful.
Laozi smiled because he admired the vinegar's excellence in tasting bad.
Does such a painting really exist? If so, where might it be found?