Topic > Comparison of Chinese Religions: Taoism and Buddhism

Taoism and Buddhism are the two main religious beliefs that influence the artworks of the past and shape the concept of afterlife and diyu. As mentioned above, the concept of life and death first emerges during the Chun Qiu Zhan Guo period with the notion of Huang Quan. Later, Taoism was officially introduced to China during the Han Dynasty. Taoists believe that the dao is invisible but circumscribes everything. In another sense, dao goes beyond the realm of human understanding and requires people to pursue it throughout their lives. Followers believe that both Heaven and Earth are timeless, while human life is momentary. They view death as a natural progression of returning to the eternal world. Since Taoism does not believe in an immaterial soul and treats death as the transformation of life, it suggests that Taoism does not have a distinct concept of diyu. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay In comparison, Buddhism describes a graphic illustration of the formulation of diyu. Buddhists uphold the doctrine of karma and rebirth, which means that every living being reaps the fruits of their actions, and therefore is entirely responsible for their own encounters and judgments in life. Buddhism states that diyu is an ever-recurring motif that reflects karma in life. Diyu is an infinite region, each of which has a particular purpose in the punishment of evildoers. Furthermore, some Buddhists believe that Chinese Buddhism is the integration of Taoism and Buddhism, in which the Buddha will enlighten his followers through teachings and encourage them to pay homage to their ancestors. With this in mind, it gradually influences Chinese perception and artwork on diyu, as well as their concept of the afterlife. In most artworks, the diyu is depicted as a dark, underground palace with various types of punishments. Buddhist guidance of reincarnation leads to repeated drawings and descriptions of karmic retribution, by which people's souls will ultimately be reborn to a new determinate life in the Ten Realms of Being. The illustration of karma teachings in works of art continually attracts people to perform good deeds to avoid bad karma in the afterlife. The frightening visions of the diyu are used to give people an idea of ​​what the underworld is like and to convince them to adopt the necessary rituals to avoid suffering in the afterlife. Further on, the representation in Diyu Bian Xiang on the walls of the temple narrates the passage of the spirits together with the various courts of the diyu. The levels of diyu reigned by Tai Shan Wang describe the different punishments that people suffer from after death, for example, people's tongue will be pulled and removed in ba she chuan sai diyu, to punish those who offend others with their words. Images of brutal punishment, therefore, construct diyu as a place of vast dark power and hierarchy, along with an inescapable atmosphere as punishment of the dead. Incorporating the beliefs of both Taoism and Buddhism, they help shape and develop the popular concept of the afterlife. and diyu in China. Taoists believe that Taishan Fujun is the ruler of the underworld who has excellent power and is responsible for the yin and yang worlds. In this sense, yin represents diyu, while yang refers to the earthly place. We can see that the frame for diyu appeared in the Han Dynasty. With the influence of the causal concept of Buddhism, the perception of diyu becomes clearer. Yanluo Wang (The King of Diyu) rules Diyu, where he will record the death and examine their human behavior. Judgments are made in accordance with the doctrine of karma, which is seen as.