While there are superficial similarities between Taoism and Zen Buddhism, their differences are fundamental. Taoism aims at the achievement of happiness on this earth, especially for the Taoist practitioner. In contrast, the main goal of Zen Buddhism is to reduce suffering, if necessary by withdrawing from the world and taking refuge inside one’s mind.
Geographically, Taoism was developed hundred percent in China. Its originator, Lao-Tzu, lived in the 6th century BC, and the other two principal ancient Taoist thinkers, Yang-Tzu and Chuang-Tzu, lived in the 4th and 3rd century BC respectively.
The Tao Te Ching and other ancient Taoist writings say that we will do better in life if we “align our actions with the Tao.” The term “Tao” means nature, the universe, or natural law. On the contrary, if our actions contradict the Tao, we can expect to suffer the negative consequences in the near future.
Chapter 27 of the Tao Te Ching defines wisdom as walking the path of virtue. Taoists take ethics very seriously and vow to live virtuously every day, but their virtues are asymmetric: they do not match the conceptions of virtue in other philosophies or religions.
While other philosophies or religions emphasise conformity and self-sacrifice, Taoists favour self-reliance, critical thinking, and realism. Instead of empathy and compassion, Taoists give priority to self-protection, modesty and inconspicuousness.
The origins of Zen Buddhism
Buddhism has its roots in India, but chronologically, it falls close to Taoism. According to tradition, Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism, was born in 563 BC. This means that his lifetime and Lao-Tzu’s must have roughly overlapped.
After an extended period of asceticism, Siddhartha Gautama attained enlightenment and became the Buddha. His reflections on how to reduce suffering led him to preach meditation and the elimination of personal desires. The goal, he explained, is to attain a mental status called “Nirvana,” that is, peacefulness.
Buddhism soon spread to the neighbouring countries and, as time went by, it split into variants. Some of them place more emphasis on meditation, the performance of certain rituals, and a minimalistic lifestyle.
The Chinese and Japanese variants of Buddhism are called respectively “Chan” and “Zen.” They took shape in the 5th and 6th century AD, that is, in the Middle Ages.
Zen Buddhists do seated meditation and engage in activities reminiscent of medieval monks: calligraphy, gardening and the tea ceremony. Their lifestyle, composed of repetitive activities, aims at attaining awakening, which is expected to happen all of a sudden, when the concerned person is ready.
The ancient Zen Buddhist lifestyle is somewhat similar to the “Regula Monachorum” written by Benedict of Nursia (480-547) to govern Christian monasticism, but of course, monks in Europe and the Middle East were not expected to perform the tea ceremony.
How Taoism influenced Zen Buddhism
The Chan or Zen variant of Buddhism incorporates many aspects drawn from Taoism. This is not surprising because, by the time Buddhism expanded into China, Taoism was already a growing philosophical movement.
However, the passage of time has distorted the Taoist ideas incorporated into Zen Buddhism. If Lao-Tzu returned from the grave and talked to Zen Buddhists, he might find it difficult to recognize his own ideas.
Zen Buddhists seek to attain awakening, which would place them in Buddha-like status. To seek awakening, they meditate on paradoxes that resemble Chuang-Tzu’s stories, except for a key difference: their lack of logic.
A Chuang-Tzu’s paradox is resolved at the end of the story, conveying a message that prompts readers to practise a specific Taoist virtue, for example, gentleness or moderation.
In contrast, Zen paradoxes can prove disconcerting, illogical and multifaceted. It is up to Zen practitioners to come up with answers and figure out if they are correct; and if they ask their master for guidance, they might instead get another paradox to wrestle with.
Different paths, different logic
While Taoists expect to lead better lives by practising Taoist virtues, Zen practitioners aim at attaining awakening, so that they can be Buddha-like. The Zen path is primarily spiritual.
The benefits of Zen Buddhism are invisible to the untrained observer. In fact, a person unfamiliar with Zen philosophy may find it hard to perceive any difference in the lifestyle of a Zen practitioner before and after he has attained awakening.
As a personal note, I must add that Zen Buddhism requires levels of patience and dedication that I am unable to muster. If I asked a Zen master to explain to me the path to awakening, I would not feel much advanced if he replies by asking me some cryptic question.
I have no problem with Chuang-Tzu’s paradoxes because, at the end of a story, they make sense. I get the message they’re trying to convey, and gain insights that I can put into practice in my own life.
On the contrary, I tend to dislike paradoxes and riddles for which there is no definite answer, or that allow many possible answers without ever saying which one is correct. It is a game for which I possess neither energy, nor time, nor inclination.
If Zen Buddhism is your choice, I wish you the best. May your awakening take place, fill your heart with peacefulness, and enable you to help other people find the right path.
Chapter 15 of the Tao Te Ching says that, to make muddy water clear, we need to let nature take its course. Indeed, there are things that cannot be rushed in life, and acquiring wisdom is one of them.
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