What Is The Difference between Buddhism and Taoism?

What is the difference between Buddhism and Taoism? The main difference between Buddhism and Taoism is that Buddhism originated from the Indian subcontinent whereas Taoism originated from China.

Each country is associated with a certain religion. It is a clear indication that people tend to believe in a supreme being regardless of their race and country of origin.

20 Difference between Buddhism and Taoism (With Table)

Difference between Buddhism and Taoism (With Table)

Basic Terms	Buddhism	Taoism
Place of Origin	Indian subcontinent	China
Founder	Buddha	Lao Tzu
Practices	Meditation, eightfold path, right mindful	Philosophical maturity, virtuous conduct, internal alchemy
Literally Meaning	Buddhist are those people who follow the teachings of the Buddha	Tao means the way
Clergy	Compose of bhikkhus (male monks) and bhikkhunis (female nuns).	Lead by the daoshis, masters of the Tao, and followed by daojiaotus
Original Languages	Pali(Theravada tradition) and Sanskrit(Mahayana and Vajrayana tradition)	Old Chinese
Place of worship	Buddhist monasteries, temples, shrines.	Taoist monasteries, temples, shrines.
Followers	Buddhist	Taoist
Scriptures	Tripitaka	Daozang
Principle	Life is a suffering and the only way to escape the sufferings is to dispel one’s craving	Tao is the only principle and the rest is the manifestation
Goal of Philosophy	Eliminate mental sufferings	Gain balance in life
Time of origin	2500 years ago B.C.E	500 B.C.E
Holy Days	Vesak day	Chinese New Year, 3 Day Festival of the Dead, Ancestor Day.
Means of Salvation	Reaching enlightenment	By following the tao
Marriage	Not a religious duty	It is a social bond
Population	500-600 million	30-40 million
Symbols	The conch, endless knot, fish, lotus, parasol, vase, dharmachakra (Wheel of Dharma), and victory banner.	The Yin and Yang
Religious Laws	Dharma	Tao
Homosexuality	Accept both homosexuals and asexual	Tao believes homosexuality is a manifestation

What Is Buddhism?

It is a type of religion that is highly practiced in the Indian subcontinent and it believes in karma. Religion has unique spiritual, physical, and metaphysical beliefs.

The main branches of Buddhism are Theravada is the School of the Elders and Mahayana is the Great Vehicle.

The goal of religion is to attain enlightenment and be released from the cycle of rebirth and death.

What Is Taoism?

It is a type of religion that originated from China before finding its way to Korea, Vietnam, and Japan. Taoists do not believe in a personal God.

The ethics of Taoism lay stress on the three jewels of the Tao that include moderation, humility, and compassion.

The main branches of Taoism are philosophical Taoism, religious Taoism, and folk Taoism. The influential Taoist text is Tao Te Ching or Daodejing.

Main Difference between Buddhism and Taoism

Buddhism originated from the Indian subcontinent whereas Taoism originated from China
Buddhists are the followers of Buddha whereas Taoists are the followers of Tao
Buddhism has two main branches whereas Taoism has three main branches
Buddhism has no single central text whereas Taoism influential text is Tao Te Ching
Buddhism place of worship is Buddhist monasteries whereas that of Taoism is Taoist monasteries
Buddha is the highest teacher and founder of Buddhism whereas Taoist believe Buddha was a student of Lao Tzu
Buddha is the founder of Buddhism whereas Lao Tzu is the founder of Taoism
Buddhism practice meditation and eightfold path whereas Taoism practice the philosophy of maturity and virtuous conduct
Buddhism belief in a personal God whereas Taoism do not believe in a personal God
The original language of Buddhism is Pali and Sanskrit whereas that of Taoism is old Chinese.

Similarities between Buddhism and Taoism

Both use statue and pictures
Both have similar places of worship
Both consider men and women as a manifestation of God
Both allow an atheist to partake in their religion
Both religions have symbols
Both are compatible with scientific findings

Buddhism vs Taoism FAQs

Can You Be Buddhist and Taoist?

Yes. Buddhists can read Tao Te Ching since it has some excellent teachings and quite useful facts.

Which Is Older Buddhism or Taoism?

Buddhism started around 2500 years BC whereas Taoism started around 500 years BC.

What do Taoism and Buddhism Have In Common?

Both are peaceful religions. The use meditation to gain a peaceful mind and enlightenment. The goal of these religions is self-improvement.

Does Taoism have a God?

No. There is no omnipotent being beyond the cosmos, who created and controls the universe.

Does Buddhism believe in God?

Yes. Buddhist believe in a personal God. Buddhists believe that life is both endless and subject to impermanence, suffering, and uncertainty.

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Conclusion

Taoism is a religion and philosophical tradition that originated from China at around 500 BC. The philosophical idea of Taoism comes from Lao Tzu.

Buddhism is an ancient Indian religion that gets its foundation of the teachings of Siddhārtha Gautama. Keep in mind that Hinduism and Buddhism have some close similarities.

The core difference between Taoism and Buddhism is that Taoism originated from china whereas Buddhism originated from India.

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