Analytic Analysis Of Buddhism And Taoism

Elisa Trojillo

PHIL 101 Honors

Dr. Mitchell

February 26, 2014

Analytic Paper

Over the course of history, individuals have questioned the universe in which we live in and searched for a purpose of our existence. The belief in a higher presence, other than our own, has existed since man can remember. From this belief, religion was established and can survive and flourish. Buddhism and Taoism are two great religious and philosophical traditions in Chinese history. For hundreds of years, these two have shaped Chinese lifestyle and thought. Readings from the Tao Te Ching, Buddhists scriptures, and Herman Hesse’s Siddharta explain the various aspects of Buddhism and Taoism, but in the end there is only one common belief, and that is the existence of a Supreme Being.

As stated in the first line of the Tao Te Ching, “The Tao we can speak of has already lost its wholeness.” This means that the Tao is a concept too large for humans to comprehend that it cannot be defined or perceived. This is very similar to the idea of Nirvana or Enlightenment that Buddhists believe. It is a state that cannot be understood by those who have not attainted it. An individual who has reached Nirvana can only help others reach it but is not able to describe it. In Herman Hesse’s Siddhartha, Govinda lived his life believing that he can achieve Nirvana through doctrines and teachers. However, through Siddhartha, he learns that Nirvana can be achieved not through doctrines, but through direct experience with the world. Siddhartha explains that he doesn’t believe in teachers and doctrines because wisdom must be learned on your own. It is something that can be influenced but not communicated. Similarly, Chapter 17 of the Tao Te Ching describes that the way of th...

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...e intellectual man eventually fails because he is out of touch with the natural wisdom of listening and non-doing that he cannot value what he learns.

Clearing one’s mind can result into every moment being an experience of enlightenment. The readings of The Tao Te Ching, Buddhists scriptures and Siddhartha all deal with different aspects of Buddhists and Taoist belief, but they also have certain points the connects one another. The goal of Buddhists and Taoists is to see things as they are and to reach Nirvana or be one with the Tao. In order to be able to accept things as they are means understanding that the world we live in are full of illusions therefore we should detach ourselves to the things in this world. Finally, one should realize that the path the enlightenment cannot be taught by others but can be found in the inner self of an individual.