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Buddhism Vs Confucianism Essay

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“In many ways, while Confucianism might not, properly speaking, be considered a religion in the traditional sense, it nevertheless provided ideas that better “prepared” China and the Far East for the coming of Buddhism than Taoism.” According to this claim, Confucianism paved the way for the new and upcoming belief of Buddhism. But it also stated that Confucianism better prepared China and the Far East for Buddhism better than Taoism. This statement is essentially correct due to the shared similarities of Confucianism and Buddhism, as well as the stark differences between Taoism and Buddhism.
One of the most important aspects of Confucianism is the human relationship. Every member of the family has a role, or roles, that they must follow…show more content…
Among the common Chinese, as well as the Taoist, they believe that spirits are active in both nature and the human world. There are good and bad spirits that contribute to the events and happenings of the world around them, such as natural disasters or good health and fertility. Harmony can be brought to life through rituals and sacrifices. (Molloy, 207) On the contrary, Buddhists do not believe in spirits nor any higher being, but an eternal state of being called enlightenment in a state of mind called nirvana. Although Confucians may believe in spirits as well, they focus more on relationships with one another. Because of this concept, China and the Far East may have been better prepared for the concepts of Buddhism.
Although Taoism and Confucianism are similar, there are those few differences, as mentioned before, that make a big enough difference to make the transition to Buddhism easier and more comprehensible. I still had a difficult time choosing one over the other because they are so similar, but I eventually chose to support the claim in saying Confucianism better prepared China and the Far East for Buddhism than Taoism. Taoism helped in preparation for Buddhism as well, yet Confucianism was an important stepping-stone in the introduction and settlement of this new religion of
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