Comparing The Three Fruits Of Zen Buddhism And Taoism

Many people strive to attain an aspect of life known as success that of which can be obtained through Zen Buddhism. Success is when one’s hard work results in the accomplishment of being enlightened, which one cannot be received from Taoism due to the fact that the philosophy’s main goal is to be one with the Tao or the Way. Both philosophies, Zen Buddhism and Taoism, originated in China. There are Three Fruits of Zen Buddhism, which occurs once a person is able to pay attention and open a new thought into each present moment to allow for stillness on a daily basis to listen. The Three Fruits of Zen Buddhism are principles that occur in one’s life when a person is able to master the art of Zen in a sustained way. Ultimately, Zen Buddhism is
As stated by Habito, “Those who know the trajectory of Merton’s life see that that glimpse of non-separateness enabled to really engage himself in the world, outpouring with love for the world in a way that sought to transform the world towards its betterment” (Habito). Thomas Merton, “the most influential American Catholic author of the twentieth century” (Scarecrow Press) was able to connect himself with the world in a way that made him feel a special love for the world.. This allows for a person to feel a sense of belonging in the universe due to knowing how every single thing in the universe is related to each other in a way like a chain of locks that cannot be disassembled. Once a person understands the true meaning of non-separateness, the person will lose the feeling of being anxious and insecure by “realizing that the mountains, the trees, the heavens, everyone on earth, is no other than me!...In that realization, he saw through that separateness, and realized precisely that we are one” (Habito). It also means a person can embrace the unconditional love that emits from the whole universe; thus, resulting in having a good outlook in life. The third fruit, unlimited love, can appear on a day to day basis. Habito explained that love as something that leads a person “to a life of compassion, whereby our life is no
This point of view makes sense because it allows an individual to restrict oneself from changing the nature of life, which can result in not fully living through certain events that were originally supposed to occur. However, it does not enable a person to achieve something that is not within the flow. For instance, one can never achieve anything greater than others by going with the flow because it indicates someone who does the same things as others. This forces a person to be trapped in the “average” category of people in the world. Whereas, in Zen Buddhism, as stated by BBC, “The first step is to control our minds through meditation…” (“Zen Buddhism”). This quote implies that a person has to learn to control one’s mind to enable oneself to make alterations to certain events happening in life if it is not on the right course to success. Therefore, a person who chooses to follow Taoism will be incapable of achieving greater desires outside the flow of