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Comparing confucianism and daoism
Comparing daoism, hinduism and confucianism
Relationship between buddhism confucianism daoism
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Daoism and Buddhism; Purposes and Distorted Conceptions A number of different, unique philosophies emerged out of Asia in the distant past. Two such philosophies are Buddhism and Daoism. As philosophies of thought, there are general similarities in relation to characteristics such as the purposes of the philosophies and the misconceptions which hinder one on the path to ultimate reality. However, although similar, they also exhibit markedly different qualities which set them apart from one another. In the end, as a result of these differences, Daoism seems like a more practical and plausible philosophy in which to ultimately reap its rewards.
As philosophies, Buddhism and Daoism alike aim to cultivate the well-being of humankind. This is
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For example, Buddhism’s purpose goes beyond simply creating harmony and ending the concept of duality. Instead of having just the individual realize true nature, or enlightenment, Buddhism seeks to create enlightenment among all sentient beings. This includes the noble goal of freeing all beings from suffering, which could be done by eliminating the misconception of duality and ignorance which plague the beings. Although noble, this is further complicated by Buddhist terms such as Bodhisattva, which is one who has achieved enlightenment yet still desires to free all beings from suffering. On the other hand, according to Daoism, any form of desire influences one’s experience of reality, and as a result one who desires to free all beings from suffering would be cut off from the Buddhist path towards enlightenment. Daoism advocates more for “let[ting] everything go as it goes” as a way to resolve conflicts and mistakes in conceptions (Suzuki 33). For example, one excerpt from the Daodejing remarks that “[i]n ancient times, those good at practicing the Way did not use it to enlighten the people, but rather to keep them in the dark” (Ivanhoe 195). In the end, the purpose of Daoism and Buddhism is exceptionally similar, however there is a remarkably larger focus in Buddhism in freeing all beings from ignorance and allowing all beings to become enlightened while Daoism focuses primarily on simply acting naturally and according to one’s true nature, a term Daoists call
Buddhism’s approach to ethics and practices are centred upon the principal beliefs of; the Four Noble Truths, the Noble Eightfold Path and the Five Precepts. By adhering to these guidelines, Buddhists are ensured that they are taking a step closer to escaping Samsara, and attaining the revered state of Nirvana,
Although the Han Dynasty used Confucianism mainly as a practical philosophy and moral code by which they should live, Daoism was also practiced at the same time as a religion as well. Also, later in the Han Dynasty, Buddhism came to flower in China, which came from India. Daoism entails the concept of all things at equilibrium, as well as being one with a basic life force or nature. The Gupta Empire favored the usage of Hinduism, although Buddhism was still practiced at that time by the people. Hinduism is a polytheistic religion that entails the concepts of the caste system, reincarnation, karma, dharma, and the goal of being one with Brahman, which is called moksha. Buddhism is similar in most aspects except in the belief of the necessity of the caste system. The Han Dynasty and the Gupta Empire are similar in their religion in that both brought about the renewal of an old way of life that used to be more prevalent. The Han Dynasty brought back the usage of Confucian principles and the Gupta Empire revived the Hindu religion in India. Concerning the religions themselves, Hinduism and Buddhism are similar to Daoism in the fact the there is an end goal, which is to join together to unite with a universal force. They also are obviously different from each other, contrasting in many different
Throughout history, family events that occur the same time from generation to generation are considered convictions or religions. Religions are developed from all areas of the world with specific guidelines and values to lead a balanced spiritual life. Included in the world of events is religion the primary foundation of the life of an individual. According to the textbook, all religions share the goal of reconciliation, tying people back to something behind the surface of life (Fisher, 2014). The purpose of this paper is to present the similarities and differences between the two religions, Daoism and Jainism. The cultural origin and geographical origin are also presented, along with the description of three (3) particular religious practices of both religions. The final instruction is provide an example of how the religions are practiced today in various locations of the world.
It was created in China And Lao-Tzu was a person who showed and experienced it. Tao Te Ching is the primary text of Daoism. It includes philosophy, mysticism, consideration and lyrics. Daoism focusses in detail on the connection between the humankind and the world. The essential idea of Chinese philosophy, Dao, can be literally translated as “path”, “way”, “road” or “method”. It has the three meanings: the way of ultimate reality, the way of the universe and the way of human life. People cannot perceive Dao in its first concept. It even cannot be obviously comprehended, as its idea is too enormous and vast for human’s mind. In Dao’s next perspective, it is the way of the universe, the standard, the tempo, the power in everything. In the third sense, it signifies the manner of people’s lives. These paths of Daoism are joined. Daoists cannot practice one of them without experiencing all three. There are three approaches to Daoism. The first one is philosophical. It tries to keep ch’e by consuming it efficiently. It is more an approach to life so it can be used widely. The next one is psychophysical. Following it, Daoists try not only to consume, but also to increase the amount of ch’e. It can be done with the help of a diet (a wide range of Chinese foods and herbs), martial arts (psychophysical disciplines) and meditation (yoga). The last approach is religious Daoism. It is mostly based on Chinese folk religions. This approach was greatly influenced with Buddhism. Lao-Tzu was accepted as a deity by its followers. The main idea of Philosophical Daoism is to live life flowing slowly and making no efforts. Life’s goal is stated in Tao Te Ching’ s idea, "The way to do is to be" (Smith 198). In this meaning, no action is needed. Human life is compared to the stream of water. It adjusts itself to its surrounding and tries to find the
Throughout time religion has been changed and justified by man. But some old religions have stayed the same since they have been written in their sacred texts. Throughout decades these beliefs have been compared numerous times, people have found that not only is Hinduism and Confucianism been vaguely similar they’re actually quite different by comparing their basic belief system and impact on societies.
This paper is a comparison between two very different religions. Specifically Christianity and Buddhism. Coming from opposite sides of the globe these two religions could not be any farther apart in any aspect. I will discuss who Christ is for Christians and who Buddha is for Buddhists. I will also get into the aspects of charity, love, and compassion in both religions and I will be looking at the individual self and how christians see resurrection where the buddhists feel about the afterlife. One thing to keep in mind is that the two religions are very different but they seem to have a very similar underlying pattern. Both believe that there was a savior of their people, Buddha and Christ, and both believe that there is something good that happens to us when our time is done here on earth. This is a very generalized summarization but in order to go in to depth I need to explain the two religions more to fully convey this theory.
While Nirvana is the ultimate spiritual attainment, most ordinary Buddhists show their commitment to the Buddha through several religious practices. The basic motives behind Buddhist practices mirror with those behind the Catholic tradition (Seay (2001,p.58). Both traditions aim to create togetherness within their community by developing a sense of communion with all present through a group activity. Some of these activities include group prayer/meditation and group singing/chanting. Another motive behind some Buddhist and Catholic practices is the principle of suffering, a significant element of religious tradition. This principle was formed on the basis of the suffering endured by Saddartha Gutama and Jesus Christ and is put into practice through traditions like achieving Nirvana and Le...
Daoism is a Chinese philosophy that focuses on Dao, or, "the way". Daoists believe in the supernatural, nature, and hope to understand the natural principles that governed the world and how we could learn to live in harmony with them. Judge Dee relies heavily on spiritual inspiration when all else fails. When Judge Dee was having a hard time solving the Bee Hsun case, he decided to go to the city temple, and pray. Judge Dee thought that begging to the "Powers on High" (79) would show him to the way of this case. This suggests that the magistrate depends on spiritual forces in times of need. After, he tries to meditate, which is also a Daoist idea. "He sat down on the cushion, with crossed legs and his body erect. Closing his eyes, he tried to achieve a tranquil state of mind." (79) Judge Dee was using meditation, which is to reach a level of spiritual peace by becoming one with your surroundings, which is very Daoist. This shows that Judge Dee uses Daoist qualities in attempt to be a more effective
The well being of people in Ancient China were affected by the philosophies of Confucianism, Taoism, and Legalism. According to the graphic organizer, “Confucius taught people to be kind and love mankind. Taoism teaches you to live in harmony and leave nature alone.” This excerpt shows that you should help yourself before others, and live in harmony with nature. The people of India we also affected by the teachings of the Buddha. The Buddha, or Siddhartha Gautama, taught that one should live life to a medium, and live on the middle path, a path not
Taoism and Buddhism were born in the same century. Siddhartha reached enlightenment in approximately 535 B.C. and Lao Tzu’s teachings were recorded around 500 B.C. There are many similarities in the basics of these two religions. Some of the similarities can be seen clearly when examining the three meaning of Tao.
Although Buddhism and Christianity show several parallels, their three key differences are that Buddhists do not believe in one divine being, and have different views about both the purpose of life and the concept of afterlife. Buddhists do not believe in a Supreme Being, God or Creator, though many Buddhists today worship the Buddha - the central figure of Buddhism - and his teachings. They view him as someone with a universal spirit, an essence that can be attained by everyone rather than only a higher deity that rules over the world (Brown). Especially in Mahayana Buddhism, the concept of the Buddha nature is fundamental (“Pure Land”).... ...
One of the most difficult tasks for humans is figuring out how to live the best life possible. A good life is arguably one of our biggest desires, but being able to reach that type of life is extremely difficult because we do not know how to get there. The famous philosopher, Socrates, and Buddhist teachings help us get to our goal by addressing the way a human life should be lived; although each have very different mindsets. Socrates is focused heavily on ethics and discovery of truth within all aspects of knowledge. In Buddhism, the main purpose of life is to end human suffering. To choose one lifestyle over the other would be very difficult, as they have various strengths and weaknesses which just about balance one out from the other.
All Buddhist final and ultimate goals are to reach Nirvana. Nirvana is a state of being perfect, ending the process of reincarnation and beginning re-birth. There is a significant difference in the way Buddhist and Hindus view re-birth. The Buddhist believe in re-birth meaning that neither the soul nor the person gets transferred, while Hindus believe in reincarnation where the soul would travel from one body to another (the same person but in different bodies). However both believe in Samsara along with their views on suffering and that everyone will even...
Although Daoism and Hinduism are two completely separate religions with the former indigenous to China and the latter to India, both of them encompass striking similarities that undeniably make it seem that one influenced the other. However, no known relations between the two religions exist. Comparing the small, but contextually vital part of the Hindu epic Mahabharata known as Bhagavad Gita with the central text to Daoism, Tao Te Ching offers an unparalleled journey of knowledge and understanding. Tao Te Ching emphasizes the crucial concept of Dao, which is translated as the “Way” while Bhagavad Gita stresses the all-encompassing Brahman. Since no sufficient language can express the full meaning of Dao, the most suitable example that shows its operations is the movement of water (TTC 8). Water simply flows with unity with nature – it can transform itself into whatever form is needed to flow. Dao is essentially an indescribable eternal energy and origin of the entire universe. Fully arriving at the Dao is the main goal of Daoism. Similarly, Brahman is the ultimate end to everything in the universe. In the Bhagavad Gita, Brahman is described as the source from which all beings originate from and eventually return. The fundamental principle of both concepts is, therefore, one and the same. I will specifically focus on vital parts of the two concepts in order to illustrate the parallelism of the eventual goal of the Dao and the Brahman. The emphasis on action with no desire for the “fruit” of the action, Dao and Brahman’s inexpressible essence, and following one’s own duty in order to complement the movement of the universe. These concepts illustrate the similarity between Dao and Brahman and ultimately demonstrate that they are ide...
In both Hindu and Buddhist philosophies, they follow and focus on similar yet different concepts of liberating themselves from ‘Samsara’ and the suffering that comes with it. Samsara in both Hindu and Buddhist philosophies is the endless cycle of death and rebirth. So, the end goal is to work towards the enlightenment from this cycle. Though the two concepts are similar in that the goal is the same, the two have distinctive and important differences on how they view this “release” from the rebirth-death cycle; they both follow different paths to reach that end goal which, in basic terms, is to live a happy life.