Taoist and Buddhist philosophies are the same in one major aspect: Neither of them mentions a patriarchal God that punishes people according to how obedient they are to God’s commands. There are other similarities as well, such as non-violent, peaceful living.
Buddhism concerns itself more with human suffering than does Taoism. Buddha discovered that all all life is suffering. And this suffering is the result of wanting thing to be the way they didn’t turn out to be according to our desires. He tells us how to alleviate our suffering and that of others by following the Noble 8-Fold Path.
Taoism is more about the cosmic forces underlying everything that exists. It is the Eternal Way. It could be called God if you wanted to but it is not the old man in the sky doling out punishment and gifts because we performed certain rituals. It is an energy field in which all else has its being. Tapping into this field allows us to live a life of inner peace, no matter what is going on around us.
Both of these systems are excellent for the lay person who wants answers to who we really are, apart from the disappearing body. They require practices of a different kind than the explicitly religious ceremonies. The practices are about mindfulness and appreciation of what is, rather than wanting things to be different. The last thing Buddha said to his disciples when he crossed over was, “Be a light unto yourselves.”
Neither Taoism or Buddhism require the lay person to do penances to God. Instead they both encourage observation of how beautifully nature flows and how destructive the untrained human mind can be to happiness and well-being. But you have to discover it for yourself.
Buddhism concerns itself more with human suffering than does Taoism. Buddha discovered that all all life is suffering. And this suffering is the result of wanting thing to be the way they didn’t turn out to be according to our desires. He tells us how to alleviate our suffering and that of others by following the Noble 8-Fold Path.
Taoism is more about the cosmic forces underlying everything that exists. It is the Eternal Way. It could be called God if you wanted to but it is not the old man in the sky doling out punishment and gifts because we performed certain rituals. It is an energy field in which all else has its being. Tapping into this field allows us to live a life of inner peace, no matter what is going on around us.
Both of these systems are excellent for the lay person who wants answers to who we really are, apart from the disappearing body. They require practices of a different kind than the explicitly religious ceremonies. The practices are about mindfulness and appreciation of what is, rather than wanting things to be different. The last thing Buddha said to his disciples when he crossed over was, “Be a light unto yourselves.”
Neither Taoism or Buddhism require the lay person to do penances to God. Instead they both encourage observation of how beautifully nature flows and how destructive the untrained human mind can be to happiness and well-being. But you have to discover it for yourself.
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