Especially to those interested in the notion that an entire culture could in fact be psychotic.
The older I get the more interested I am in fredom FROM religion.[/quote]
True. It’s not uncommon to see people chanting Buddhist sutras in Taoist temples.
It’s too bad both of them became religions. I don’t believe there’s mention of Gods in the Tao Te Ching.
And many people have eventually gone to worshiping Buddha as a god. Buddha is merely a person who has attained enlightenment; the “official buddha” is certainly not recognized as the first person who did it; and anyone can. Though most practicing buddhists could be considered bodhisattvas, those who delay enlightenment for the benefit of others.
Many of the pure Buddhist temples are less ornate than the Daoist ones, and seem to have some Japanese stylistic influences.
On the general topic of Buddhism: many Westerners misunderstand the important role of devotion. (This is partly due to early western scholarship.) Devotion may look like worshipping external gods, but of course there is no creator god and ultimately no external gods in Buddhism. On a popular level people may think of Buddhist deities as external beings in the way that we conceive of other people as external beings. Buddhist practitioners with more sophisticated understanding realise that they are not worshipping external beings, but this in no way dilutes their devotion. If anything they are even more committed to their devotional practices as well as to study.
This morning at the gym, I had a short discussion about this topic with a Christian pastor I see about everyday there.
He is Taiwanese, his Father is Daoist, his mother is Buddhist and in his late 20’s he decided to follow the Christian theology and later decided to become a Christian Pastor. Quite an interesting guy.
I asked him the question posed on this thread and it brought a big smile to his face.
After some consideration he came to the conclusion posted here previously: Buddhists do not worship a god-being, Daoists worship a lot of god-beings.
He also mentioned the blending that has occuured here on Taiwan. His take on it was that the Taiwanese needed to have a god-being to be a focus of their devotion. He feels they truly needed the statues and what the represent for their religious devotions to make sense to them.
He also mentioned the “pure” Buddhist no god factor as being somewhat rare here on Taiwan.
Interesting Q, thanks to the OP for posting this thread.
Not sure if anyone mentioned this or not, but there is a good book you can by at Caves called Private Prayers and Public Parades written by a Scottish guy, Mark Caltonhill. It covers all the bases for Taiwan worship. It is published by Taipei City govt and cost only $150 or $200NT.
Wanting a visible deity or any type of leader to follow is very human. It is a crazy world out there; Gods make it easy to understand for many.
I wonder about the role of Gods in Taoism. The Tao Te Ching doesn’t seem to reference them a lot from what I remember. The Tao seems mostly concerned with the nameless, innumerable aspect of the world. It seems to have some relationship with the original meaning of our word religion.
If you are referring to philosophical Daoism, the answer is extremely minimal, at most.
If you are referring to philosophical Daoism, the answer is extremely minimal, at most.[/quote]
of course. 
Like I ever think of average people who have never read the original Daoist books?
The I Ching is interesting too. I think for many it’s become a sort of fortune teller. The importance as a book of a change, reducing life situations to 64 typical situations and various ways of dealing with them, seems to have been lost. A while back, my old girlfriend and I were looking at I Ching books at Eslite. Even in chinese, there were very few with even decent interpretations.
This is such an important point I thought I’d repeat it. Of course Tiger’s point that there exists a Daoist philosophy distinct from the mumbo jumbo is important too.
[quote=“4nr”]Not sure if anyone mentioned this or not, but there is a good book you can by at Caves called Private Prayers and Public Parades written by a Scottish guy, Mark Caltonhill. It covers all the bases for Taiwan worship. It is published by Taipei City govt and cost only $150 or $200NT.
[/quote]4nr -
That book looks interesting. Is it in English?
Might try to find that one. Thanks.
[quote=“Tainan Cowboy”]Interesting Q, thanks to the OP for posting this thread.[/quote]Yes, thanks for that. I’ve been here three years and I didn’t know the distinction between the two yet. Very interesting. :bravo:
bobepine
Of course there’s also the distinction that Buddhism derives from the teachings of an Indian prince who went on a quest to discover enlightenment, at which he eventually suceeded, whereas Taoism derives from the writings of a Chinese ____________ who_________________. Someone who knows more than me can fill in the blanks.
That won’t help one distinguish between temples and practices in Taiwan, but as much as they may (or may not be) mixed up here in Taiwan, I believe they have very different origins.
… whereas Taoism derives from the writings of Laozi who lived in China during the sixth century BC and worked as a sort of glorified librarian, or in the parlance of those times, keeper of sacred texts. Apparently he also knew a thing or two about astrology and divination. He wrote “The Infinite Way” in only three days somewhere towards the end of his life and only because he was urged to do so by a guard as he was leaving China in disgust over the way society was changing. Laozi is also credited with influencing the thinking of Confusius.
[quote]
The Infinite Way
1
The Way that can be described is not the absolute Way;
the name that can be given is not the absolute name.
Nameless it is the source of heaven and earth;
named it is the mother of all things.
…[/quote]
(No link provided)
Post edited by moderator based on then following rule:
[quote=“4nr”]Not sure if anyone mentioned this or not, but there is a good book you can by at Caves called Private Prayers and Public Parades written by a Scottish guy, Mark Caltonhill. It covers all the bases for Taiwan worship. It is published by Taipei City govt and cost only $150 or $200NT.
[/quote]I have that book. It’s quite good. IIRC it does perpetuate some of the popular misconceptions about Buddhism but it does have some good details about religious practice and temples. I think it’s that book that explains the “algal well” the somewhat water-like square spiral roof design just inside the door of a lot of Daoist temples. Apparently the purpose is to confuse the evil spirits and stop them getting in.
I am no expert on Taoism but I believe “buddism” is a newer religion originating on the west coast of British Columbia…
I am no expert on Taoism but I believe “buddism” is a newer religion originating on the west coast of British Columbia…[/quote]
Taoism and Daoism have nothing to do with the cultural interpretrations of both which are seen here and elsewhere.
(Just as karma exists only in the minds of Californians and those who listen to them.)
[quote=“mildsevenlights”]Taoism and Daoism have nothing to do with the cultural interpretrations of both which are seen here and elsewhere.
(Just as karma exists only in the minds of Californians and those who listen to them.)[/quote]
MSL, you’re posting too much. Slow down. 
Good point.
[quote=“seeker4”]
MSL, you’re posting too much. Slow down.
Good point.[/quote]
Yes, posting far too much.
As Lao-zi reminds us:
The post which can be posted,
Is not the true post.