Similarities Between Confucianism And Buddhism

Confucianism and Buddhism Compared The belief systems of Confucianism and Buddhism share compelling commonalities such as the very factors upon which they were founded, as well as many of the obligations and requirements for followers of the philosophy of Confucianism and the Buddhist religion. Nonetheless, Confucianism and Buddhism diverge greatly when it comes to women’s rights and gender roles. At around 500 B.C.E both Confucianism and Buddhism were created by Confucius, and Siddhartha Gautama, respectively who were both experiencing similar situations which factored into the creation of their popular belief systems. Just years before Siddhartha Gautama created Buddhism, he was feeling the intense burden of suffering throughout society. To seek the root of this suffering, Siddhartha became an ascetic. When he became displeased with asceticism, and the unnecessary suffering it caused, Gautama created Buddhism; the middle way. Around the same time, Confucius, feeling the weight of a similar burden caused by an unending state political turmoil and the suffering it caused, sought to bring peace, order,

While Buddhists believed in Nirvana, an afterlife, Confucianists spent little to no time worrying about the afterlife. that being the case, both systems were primarily targeted toward organizing life into an efficient and harmonious society. Confucianists followed a system that described five key relationships that must always be respected. Similarly, Buddhists followed The Eightfold Path. Both of these systems, if followed correctly, harbored an efficient society. Followers of Buddha would also write down Buddha’s teachings in order to preserve them for generations to come. These requirements were the force that molded the political systems, social systems and Asian history as we know it