In Reply to: The Vinegar Tasters -- Painting posted by Stephen Charest 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?
I just ordered a copy of "The Vinegar Tasters" online at PRS Bookstore. I read about it in "The Tao of Pooh" which compares Taoism to Winnie the Pooh. You may be interested in it.