Chapter 1 begins with a parable to explain the philosophy of Taoism. Hoff tells the story of the three Chinese vinegar tasters, depicted in a painting titled The Vinegar Tasters. The three men represent the “Three Teachings of China”: K'ung Fu-tse (also known as Confucius), Buddha, and Lao-tse. Lao-tse is the author of the oldest known writings on Taoism. The first man in the painting is shown experiencing a sour taste from the vinegar. The second man’s expression is bitter, but the third man is smiling.

K'ung Fu-tse is the sour man, dissatisfied with the present. Because he believes the past is preferable to the present, K’ung Fu-tse advocates ancestor worship. This reverence is also evidenced in Confucians’ emphasis on ritual. K'ung Fu-tse views earthly government as out-of-step with heavenly government, and favors the emperor acting as mediator between the two realms. In contrast, Buddha viewed earthly desires as obstacles to Nirvana.

Lao-tse, however, believes humans brought about their own misery by living in discord with universal laws. Hoff summarizes Lao-tse’s philosophy by explaining how this discord occurs: “Whether heavy or light, wet or dry, fast or slow, everything had its own nature already within it, which could not be violated without causing difficulties” (4).