instrumental in spreading and propagating the teachings of this religion.

For a comparison of Confucian, Buddhist, and Taoist beliefs in China, watch the video below.

Underlying Concept

The Vinegar Tasters, a traditional Asian allegorical painting where Buddha, Confucius and Laozi are gathered around a vat of vinegar. , a traditional Asian allegorical painting where Buddha, Confucius and Laozi are gathered around a vat of vinegar.

Buddhism as a religion believes in Karma and has unique spiritual, physical and metaphysical beliefs which are well grounded in logic, belief and meditation.

Taoism is a philosophy of harmony with nature by way of use of principles like acceptance, simplicity, compassion, relying on experience, wu wei, living in the moment beside others.

The classic Chinese painting Vinegar Tasters shows three men around a vat of vinegar—Confucius, Buddha, andLaozi, author of the oldest existing book of Taoism. Confucius has a sour look on his face, the Buddha wears a bitter expression, and Laozi is smiling.

In his book The Tao of Pooh, Benjamin Hoff writes about the painting and the men in it:

Each has dipped his finger into the vinegar and has tasted it. The expression on each man's face shows his individual reaction. Since the painting is allegorical, we are to understand that these are no ordinary vinegar tasters, but are instead representatives of the "Three Teachings" of China, and that the vinegar they are sampling represents the Essence of Life.

To Buddha, life on earth was bitter, filled with attachments and desires that led to suffering. The world was seen as a setter of traps, a