Comparison Of Taoism, Confucianism And Buddhism

Taoism, Confucianism and Buddhism are the three primary systems of thought that have saturated Chinese Philosophy and Asian culture and served as a tool of reform in every social life (Chen & Holt, 2002). Taoism defines life as an organic, interconnected oneness that constantly changes and is based upon the philosophies of the Tao Te Ching. The Transformation Theory of the Tao applies on a scale of the macrocosm, viewing the Tao (universe) as the root of creation where change is viewed as symphonic and holistic. The efficacy of wu wei is a basic tenet of Chinese philosophy that is emphasized in the teachings of Tao. Kardash (1998) described the wu-wei as a reference to behavior “that stems from a sense of self as connected to other individuals

The Twofold Mystery derives from a passage in chapter 1 of the Dao De Jing that alludes to a ‘mystery beyond mysteries’ as the gateway to all subtleties. Sharf (2005) alluded to the phrase as “to render it as mysterious as to extend beyond attachment to being or nonbeing, and again to render it as the mysterious as an abandonment of attachment to the mysterious”. Tao Tzu’s Twofold Mystery is a guiding principle that integrates Bhuddist teachings into Taoism (Assandri, 2009). The first chapter of the Daodejing alludes to a ‘mystery upon mystery’, which is believed to be the first reference to the Twofold Mystery. It is possible that Cheng Xuanying 成玄英 was the founder of the Twofold Mystery and a translator of the Daodejing, along with Sun Deng 孫登 in the 4th century (Assandri, 2009). 2. Contrast and

Confucius asserted that if the people are “led by regulations and maintain order through punishment, the people will evade the process with no sense of shamefulness; but if they are led by moral force and order is maintained through rites (li), the people will develop a sense of shame and self correction” (Analects, 2:3; Eno, 2015). Confucius also supported that laws are a necessary component of society. It is here that rationality is awarded to Confucius.Kuo Hsiang asserted that “upon hearing the theory of wu-wei, some individuals believe that it is better to lie down than to walk”( Creel, 1982, p.54). Historian of the Chin dynasty, Sun Sheng opposed the teachings of Lao Tzu, alluding to Tzu’s mysteries as contradictory (Chow, 2003). Confucianism remained grounded in practicality, while the wu-wei addressed the universal and non-conformity. Confucius highly valued time and age, while Lao Tzu fought for a strategy to erase memories on a journey toward nothingness. Tan (2015) agreed that li is the highest embodiment of Jun zi as it is found in the Lun yu and that li is necessary in order to find the manifestation and expression of ren.Both li and wu wei addressed issues of appropriate behavior and politics with a gentleness that would easily encourage many people to follow