Buddhism and Taoism in Singapore have two totally different origins and do not meet at any point in history. Buddhism is considered to have its basis in Hinduism and has its origin in the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama. Where as Taoism originated from the philosophical concepts of Lao Tzu.
According to Buddhism, a human being is a combination of five basic and non-physical elements of life: the physical form, feelings, ideations, dispositions, and consciousness.
Buddhism believes that there is no self or soul and human existence is just a composition that contains the elements mentioned above.
Where as Taoism believes that humans originated from nature and are a pure segment of it. But as life continues after birth, human nature is polluted by society’s cultivated beliefs, which has led to human beings becoming destructive for themselves and others.
Another important concept of any traditional religion is the concept of God, a higher being that created humans, who control their lives and the rest of the universe and judge them on the concept of good and evil.
Both Buddhism and Taoism reject the idea of the presence of any higher power that controls their lives, which adds to the confusion.
Buddhists believe in a concept of Devas that are an equivalent of gods. However they believe that the devas are not eternal and will eventually face death, but they serve the purpose of a guiding light and works for the betterment of humanity.
Taoists reject the idea of the presence of any superior being entirely and consider Tao to be the ultimate power. Tao is a natural sequence that exists under the apparent layers of the universe and controls how everything works.
Both Buddhism and Taoism in Singapore believe that death is not permanent. After a human dies, he gets a rebirth into a new life as a new person.
The Buddhists believe that life is suffering and reincarnation is the continuation of this suffering. They believe that the conclusion to this cycle is breaking the samsara, which is only possible by achieving the state of Nirvana.
According to Taoism, the end goal is going back to the origin, i.e., Tao. They believe that the cycle of reincarnation continues until one becomes pure, and that's when the process of reincarnation ends, and one is allowed to fulfill his purpose.
The different beliefs have constructed the system for Buddhist funeral and Taoist funeral Singapore. Both of them include certain religious practices. It is advised to consult professional funeral service providers in Singapore.
