Buddhism Vs Taoism

Posted: September 26th, 2022

The word ‘Taosism’ has its origins in China, where it was originally spelled ‘Daojia’ while referring to the philosophical doctrine created by Laozi. Later on, when Buddhism was introduced into China, it went through several transformations until an established Buddhist school of thought emerged. During this transformation period, the original Daojia transformed to Daojiao (religions based on Tao). Nowadays, however, because of historical reasons and political correctness, there are no longer any references to religion under the term “Daojiao”, which is why modern translations have simply changed that term back to Daojia. This way the religion-based philosophy came to be known as Daojia once again.

        Buddism is an eastern religion that has spread throughout the world. It was founded approximately 2500 years ago by Siddhartha Gautama, or as most know him “The Buddha”.The idea of releasing oneself from suffering is at the center of Buddist philosophy.  By following certain teachings and taking refuge in a community under a monastic precept, one may be able to reach enlightenment; which can help free them from desire, ignorance, and hatred; the source of all worldly suffering. This is phrased as “the middle way”, avoiding both self-mortification and excessive self-indulgence.

How do Taoism and Buddhism differentiate from each other?

Primary differences between Buddhism and Taoism:

-Taoism is more of a philosophy and a way of life while Buddhism is a religion.

It has the concept of karma, nirvana, and reincarnation. Buddhists believe that suffering is caused by desire. This is where the eightfold path comes in to help end suffering. The eightfold path helps us control our desires through meditation and mindfulness. They also believe that they are on their own journey for enlightenment with no real deities guiding them.

-Taoism is based on the idea of Yin and Yang while Buddhism isn’t.

Buddhism is a philosophy and religion practiced by about 360 million people worldwide. It is based upon the teachings of Gautama Buddha, born as Siddartha Guatama, who lived and taught mostly in eastern India sometime between the sixth and fourth centuries BC. Buddhists believe that enlightenment (Nirvana) can be attained by following the Noble Eightfold Path. Nirvana means “blowing out” or “quenching.”

Taoism was founded around 500 BCE by Lao Tzu as a philosophy and religious tradition similar to Buddhism. The word “tao” literally translates as “way,” but Taoism does think it’s important for one to realize their own individual nature before they will begin to follow the Tao.

One of the most important concepts in Taoism is Yin and Yang, which represent two primal forces that are always in dynamic interaction with each other. This concept is similar to the idea of duality present in Hindu philosophy, but it evolved into a more complex system where everything has both yin and yang aspects.

-Buddhism was founded by Siddhartha Gautama while Taoism had many founders, Laozi being one of them.

Buddhism was founded in Nepal around 563 B.C. Siddhartha Gautama, also known as the Buddha, preached for over forty years before his death. His original teachings were passed down verbally until they were first documented on palm leaves in the 1st Century B.C., which later became known as the Pali Canon.

Gautama attained enlightenment sitting under a pipal tree near Gaya, India. After his death at the age of 80, his body was cremated and the relics were placed in monuments or stupas, which became objects of veneration.

Taoism is native to China and dates back as far as 800 B.C. It was based on the teachings of Laozi and texts that had been written centuries after his death in 5th Century B.C. The philosophy is also known as “Daoism,” but this term is generally not preferred by Chinese speakers, who find it repetitious to say “the Dao” (“dao”).

-Laozi wrote “Tao Te Ching”, which has been passed on orally long before it was ever written down.

 Buddha didn’t write anything, instead, people compiled his teachings after his death in a document called “The Pali Canon”.  Also, Buddhists rely heavily on the Buddha’s teachings rather than a text like Taoists do with Laozi’s writings.  There are no Buddhist sacred texts per se that would warrant special reverence, instead, all Buddhist teachings are considered equally valid and true.  Where as Taoism’s sacred text is the only text that Laozi wrote and it has been passed down throughout time by word of mouth.

-Taoism believes in having a good balance between life and death whereas Buddhism is focused on ending suffering.

Taoism is a belief system similar to Buddhism that also incorporates the teachings of Laozi. Taoists believe in a natural balance between opposing forces, such as life and death. Rather than being focused on avoiding suffering completely, they strive for a good balance between pleasure and pain.

Buddhism teaches people how to end sufferings by following the Noble Eightfold Path. This path allows them to control their desires through meditation and mindfulness which will help them break free from samsara, or an endless cycle of death/rebirth which stems from ignorance about the real nature of things. They believe that there is no deity guiding you on your journey for enlightenment but rather it’s something you must accomplish with hard work on your own.

-Buddhists believe in reincarnation where Taoists don’t.

Buddhists believe in several forms of reincarnation based on the moral choices made by the individual in their current life. These options include being reborn as a human, an animal, or even several types of supernatural beings.

The goal of every person is to reach enlightenment by breaking free from the endless cycle of birth and rebirth. Maintaining order within the universe requires balance, so the good deeds performed by humans are rewarded with karma that can be used to improve one’s position after death, while bad deeds lead to future reincarnations as lower forms of life. Difficulties reaching enlightenment can come from other ghosts who may try steal one’s luck ( 逆鱗 ) instead of helping them towards their goal. China has many ghost-themed stories as well as practices intended to protect individuals from bad luck or unhappy ghosts.

A Buddhist monk starts the ritual of releasing caged birds in order to thank Buddha for his help in dispelling negative energy at Lianhu Park in Shanghai, China. Buddhists believe that freeing captive creatures offers them a chance to be reborn into higher forms and escape suffering.

Conversely, Taoism teaches that humans are born with an immortal soul which is eventually transformed into “energy upon exiting the mortal body.” After death, this energy can transform into another living being but it also has the potential to linger on earth causing trouble unless properly honored during religious ceremonies. People who die prematurely or through suicide are believed not likely to receive proper respect and may turn into hungry ghosts or may even possess the living.

Taoist worshippers present religious officials with offerings of food to honor their ancestors during a ceremony intended to keep them at peace. Taoism teaches that death is not final and there are several different planes of existence after one dies. Souls leave the body after three years, though it can take up to 49 days for them to be reborn under certain conditions.

The souls of those who died prematurely are believed able to linger on earth because they lack enough “energy” due to irregular burials or other factors preventing their departure from their physical bodies. Taoists believe these spirits become vengeful entities capable of possessing people until placated by religious rituals involving paper-mache models made in their image.

Conclusion

there are many similarities between Taoism and Buddhism. They both have similar origins, teachings, philosophies, ethics, and spiritual practices. However, there are also significant differences in their beliefs about reality and the way to enlightenment. Buddhists believe in the principle of causality while Taoists believe in fate at work in order to balance nature. Buddhists focus on practice through meditation which helps them reach enlightenment while Taoists follow an everyday path that is more selfless in nature. While Buddhists seek to end desire in themselves in order to become one with the universe without pain or suffering, Taoists accept desire as a natural part of life that should be enjoyed by following “the way” taught by Lao Tzu. To get an essay on Taoism and Buddhism, you can order directly from our essay writing service which will be done by a professional essay writer.