Taoism vs Buddhism

Taoism and Buddhism are two religions which have, more often than not, been confused with one another. This is because there are many elements that you can find in one which is also present in the other. But they would not have had different names had they been one and the same, and if you look at the main underlying concepts of both religions you will find some subtle yet meaningful differences.

For one thing, you will find the concept of suffering in the religion of Buddhism. The Buddhists like suffering because they believe this is what life is designed for. On the flip side, Taoism believes that life, when lived purely and well enough, is all about goodness. This is also reflected in the way that they see the cycle of life, where additional differences may be found.

For example, the Buddhists believe that Nirvana, or what is also known as Enlightenment may be attained once you overcome the Dukkha, which is suffering. When you are unselfish and you follow their Eight-Fold path, you thereby halt the cycle of rebirth. They believe that for as long as you continue to do bad things, you will keep coming back to life into something that will represent the life that you have lived in the previous one. When you stop this and live a pure life, you will go back to the nothingness, which is also where everything stems forth.

On the other hand, the Taoist beliefs are rooted into the concept of Ultimate Transformation. While it may also mimic the cycle which you will find in the Buddhist belief about life and how it ought to be lived, the Taoist difference lies in the fact that your soul will survive after its death and it will venture forth into the universe of the immortals. Instead of going back to the material world, your soul will transcend time and space.

These two things – sufferings versus goodness and rebirth versus heavenly dimensions, are the differences of these two religions.