Am I more of a Taoism or Buddhism (zen maybe even) ??? What am I?
My struggle is still on understanding Taoism and its difference between Buddhism, or zen Buddhism. Which is closer to my beliefs:
My fixed beliefs are this:
1. non-violence (almost like Janis but can eat meat)
2. desire leads to suffering, (non-selfishness like Buddhism)
3. there IS a god
4. There IS an afterlife (whereabouts are unknown)
5. God is nature/science and/or God is not a human, symbol or object (same with Sikhs and Muslims almost), god has no name, not even god itself.
6. Magic is real, but no rituals, or objects will get you to the 'divine'. Magic is nature, just haven't found by science yet.
7. There is evolution
My variable are:
1. I'm almost non-theist, or don't believe in organized religion
2. agnostic sounds great
3. Reincarnation and Patheist sounds great still unsure
4. Atheist makes lots of sense and reason.
So what Am I more like a Taoist or Buddhism (maybe zen) ID... Lil please kinda help it would work out fine.
If you have fixed beliefs, you are certainly not a Zen Buddhist.
Zen, as with all of Buddhism, has no belief system. Rather, Zen is a system of trainings (meditation, chanting, etc.) that leads to enlightenment. And there is no room for fixed beliefs in enlightenment.
If you do not engage in Taoist practice, you are also not a Taoist. While Taoism comes with a rich set of teachings and an appealing view of the world, it is fundamentally a practice tradition. To be a Taoist, you have to do something, not believe something.
Of course, if you'd like to apply a label to yourself, you can choose any label that you like - Zen or Taoist or anything else. Neither Zen Buddhists nor Taoist practitioners will mind.
A Buddhist tries very hard NOT to belief anything that lies outside of their personal realm of experience. Strong beliefs are another form of seeking-safety, of attachment, and as such work against finding enlightenment.
A Buddhist dedicates themselves to their Practice, both the specific rituals/meditation/practices done on the meditation cushion, and those that are done throughout the day. It is a way of life, a way of opening up. And over-intellectualism stifles movement along this path.
A Buddhist is most likely to say, "I don't really know" about most of the things you have identified. But it is true that as we start to get results from our practice, we start to develop a faith that the rest of it all "just might" be true, too. Yet, this is not quite the same thing as belief.
My advice is to just live by your beliefs. Don't try and label yourself and fit that label, it isn't necessary.
If you feel a pull towards Buddhism, look up on it, buy some books and read. Same with Taoism. I did just that a couple years ago. I felt Taoism was best fitting for me, and am now Theravadan Buddhist because I know that is best fitting for me. Buddhism does not have a doctrine like christians, etc. Trust needs to be given to the Buddha's Dhamma, then from there it is up to each practitioner.
Am I more of a Taoism or Buddhism (zen maybe even) ??? What am I?
