Sunday, 04 January 2009

  • What's the Difference Between Buddhist and Taoist Temples?

    Guest post submitted by YQtravellingKK



    I've always thought of myself as a Buddhist, at least on paper I am. I go to temples and I ask for favors from robe-wearing gods and goddesses. It wasn't until I went to Taiwan that I found out I had been praying at both Taoist and Buddhist temples.

    What's the difference between these two? Buddhism came from India, while Taoism from China. (Using my imagined history, I tell the rest of the story.) The Chinese previously practiced Taoism, but when Buddhism came, they added both together. And then generations later,  people like me get stuff mixed up.
    My parents and I go to Putuo Temple on important days (therefore the "paper" Buddhism part). Putuo Temple is 90% a Buddhist temple.




    There is a large Guanyin outside.




    Colourful ceilings










    Lotus ponds seem to signify something. I took this with my phone's camera. Quite nice, don't you think so?




    Apart from Buddhism, we also go to 70% Taoist temples.






    Burning papers (not paper money)






    Have you ever seen a Buddhist or Taoist temple? Could you tell the difference between the two?

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Comments (6)

  • doahsdeer@xanga

    Before I go off on a long-winded comment about Asian theology, I am inclined to ask, Are you asking about differences in the temples themselves, or in the religions?  
  • survz@xanga

    ummmm, thanks for subscribing :D
  • methodElevated@xanga

    @doahsdeer@xanga - I was thinking the exact same thing.
  • splitmind@xanga

    My impression is that to really get a blending of the two, you can take a look at the Zen Buddhist sects which sprang up (as is my understanding) in Japan, where both Buddhism and its Taoist influences were imports from the more well-established Chinese culture.


    You get a lot of the more religious aspects of Buddhism with the more philosophical aspects of Taoism.  The latter being, to my mind, simply brilliant.  I'm a Christian myself, but I consider Chuang Tzu's inner chapters one of the most insightful books on human nature ever written.
  • MyFreedomWings@xanga

    Well, the religions have a good amount of things in common.
     Buddhism focuses alot on insight and enlightenment and doesn't have a worship system...whereas Taoism is mostly about finding balanced living in adherence to nature and tends to have more room for ancester spirits and deities.


    ...My explanation doesn't really do them justice, but...that's the simplest way I could put it.
  • black_lie@xanga

    haha i can never tell the difference... i always assumed they were all buddhist because they usually had a couple buddha statues. but now that i think of it the four great generals aren't exactly bodhisattvas or anything like that. lotuses are important in buddhism because one tale says that buddha was born from one. in a lot of statues you'll see him sitting on one.

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