| TAO of 'BAO' (Fillings) |
| THE TAO OF "BAO" Tao can explain buns, better known as baos to Singaporeans, Tao is all encompassing. There are many types of baos; Char Siew(Roasted Meat) Bao, Tao Sa (Red Bean Paste) , Vegetable Bao, Yam Bao, Lian Rong (Almond Paste) Bao and Man Tou (a type of bao without fillings). RELATIVITY OF OPPOSITES Firstly, we can understand what baos with fillings are because of the existence of Man Tous. Since Man Tous have no fillings, it relates to the Tao concept of how the existence of contrasting pairs (The Relativity Of Opposites) help us understand they each exist. Man Tous having no fillings provide a contrast to baos with fillings. For example, some contrasting pairs are "Beautiful and Ugliness" and "Good and Evil". When the world knows what good is then there is evil, in the same way, we know Boas with fillings exist because there are Man Tous. 'YANG' AND 'YIN' The skin of baos, which is the outer layer made of flour, can be said to be "Yang" (the sunny side of the hill) since it looks strong and gives the bao a definitive shape. It is strong because this outer layer holds the fillings. Without the outer layer, the fillings cannot be sold individually. The inside of baos can be said to be the "Yin" (the shady side of the hill). These inner fillings are yielding and flexible. It is yielding because it follows the definitive shape of the Bao and flexible because the Bao can be filled with anything. The "Yin" and "Yang"come together in harmony to produce what is known as baos; they harmonize into Oneness. 'BEING PRODUCE NON-BEING' The concept of "Being produce Non-Being" can also be applied here. There is nothing outside the Bao; because of this a Bao can be defined. The inside of the Bao and its outer skin makes up a Bao (this is the Being), contrasting the outside environment which is the "non-being". 'POLYMORPHISM' Polymorphism is many forms of the same thing. The many types of baos (vegetable, lotus seed, red bean paste, meat, yam) are actually many forms of the bao with no fillings or Man Tous. Therefore this is a concept of "polymorphism". THE EXISTENCE OF CYCLES In Tao, there is a concept of the existence of cycles and a predictable sequence. Baos are either hand-made or made in factories. After the outer layer of one bao is made and they are filled, a next bao is made. The machines or workers internalize the process of making bao. Just like how day becomes night and night becomes day, boa is made from nothing and from there many baos are made. |