Any essential differences between Buddhism and Taoism? (rituals, tradition, beliefs)

[Ozzie]

Are there any? I haven't come across any in the spirit of the message of these two religions/philosophies.

[Engyo]

I haven't studied taoism to any great extent, but the differences I perceive are procedural. Buddhism teaches actively working towards attainment of enlightenment, and helping others to do so as well (at least in the Mahayana traditions). Taosm seems (at the very superficial understanding I currently have) more of a way of existing within the world, rather than a path to attainment of something. I could certainly be way off-base here, and I apologize to any Taoists who I have mischaracterized.

[PureX]

Originally Posted by Ozzie

Are there any? I haven't come across any in the spirit of the message of these two religions/philosophies.

"Buddha" would be the difference. Buddhism is based on taoist principals, but views and practices those principals through the religious mechanisms of myth and tradition (stories and rituals). Taoism itself, on the other hand, is not a religion, and does not use myths or traditional behavior modifications to attain any "spiritual goal". However, taoism also doesn't shun religious expressions, and so has inadvertently spawned many forms of philosophical, religious, and superstition-based practices and beliefs, some of which are still referred to as "taoism", but aren't really.

It's no wonder that there is a lot of confusion about taoism. *smile*

The Tao doesn't take sides;
it gives birth to both good and evil.
The Master doesn't take sides;
she welcomes both saints and sinners.

The Tao is like a bellows:
it is empty yet infinitely capable.
The more you use it, the more it produces;
the more you talk of it, the less you understand.

Hold on to the center.

- from the Tao Te Ching

[Random]

Originally Posted by PureX

It's no wonder that there is a lot of confusion about taoism. *smile*

The Tao doesn't take sides;
it gives birth to both good and evil.
The Master doesn't take sides;
she welcomes both saints and sinners.

The Tao is like a bellows:
it is empty yet infinitely capable.
The more you use it, the more it produces;
the more you talk of it, the less you understand.

Hold on to the center.

- from the Tao Te Ching

Who is the "she" in this verse referred to as Master, PureX? Is it Wisdom, or a Goddess? Curious...

[Pardus]

Putting it short and sweet.

Taoism keeps it nose out of other people's business.

Of course there is more to it, but most of that is about point of view, like how almost every religion has "the golden rule" just that some are more dogmatic about it.

[PureX]

Originally Posted by Godlike

Who is the "she" in this verse referred to as Master, PureX? Is it Wisdom, or a Goddess? Curious...

In the original Chinese text, the pronoun has no gender. Unfortunately, in English, we have no genderless pronoun. So when the Tao Te Ching is translated into English, some translators alternated the pronouns from one poem to the next. So that the "master" is referred to as "he" in poem 5, and as "she" in poem 6, etc.

The "master" referred to in the Tao Te Ching is anyone who embodies the tao, and is aware of it. Technically speaking, we all embody the tao, but we are not all aware of this, and so in our ignorance, we may act against our own nature.

Look, and it can't be seen.
Listen, and it can't be heard.
Reach, and it can't be grasped.

Above, it isn't bright.
Below, it isn't dark.
Seamless, unnamable,
it returns to the realm of nothing.
Form that includes all forms,
image without an image,
subtle, beyond all conception.

Approach it and there is no beginning;
follow it and there is no end.
You can't know it, but you can be it,
at ease in your own life.
Just realize where you come from:
this is the essence of wisdom.

- from the Tao Te Ching

[lilithu]

Originally Posted by Godlike

Who is the "she" in this verse referred to as Master, PureX? Is it Wisdom, or a Goddess? Curious...

The Master a person who is a master of the Tao. Someone who has learned to live in accord with the Tao. PureX is using a modern translation, which refers to the Master as a 'she' rather than a 'he' because traditional translations always used 'he' and gave the impression that only males could be masters of the Tao. The more modern translations tend to swith between 'he' and 'she' in different verses. Technically speaking, they're both correct, since Chinese uses a pronoun that is gender neutral.

I like it.

[Pardus]

"They" is genderless.

The word Man used to be genderless.

Wereman and Woman were the original gender terms.

[d.]

Originally Posted by Ozzie

in the spirit of the message

to answer this question one would have to know what you perceive as 'the spirit of the message'.

i could think of a rather long list of differences off the top of my head...

[PureX]

Originally Posted by Pardus

"They" is genderless.

But "they" is plurel. It can work in some instances, but not when we need a singular genderless pronoun.

Originally Posted by Pardus

The word Man used to be genderless.

Actually, it was never intended to be genderless. It just became so habitual in male-dominant societies that it was sometimes viewed as genderless. I suspect that men saw it as genderless a lot more that women did. *smile*