Buddhism, Taoism and Conquering Uncertainty

I write this after remembering a conversation I had a few nights ago when I attempted to explain the parallels between Taoism, originated by Lao Tsu from China, and Buddhism, originated by Siddhartha Gautama of India. I may not end up stating things 100% correctly because this is my own interpretation of Taoism and Buddhism based on memory, but here goes.

Because of the interaction of these two religious philosophies in the early years of their establishment, some would say that Taoism and Buddhism grew to be more or less the same thing. It is true that there are subtle differences, but it is also common for people to practice both without conflict. One of the major parallels is the assertion that much of human misery is caused by people's discomfort with uncertainty and change.

Buddhism asserts that the nature of the world is to be transient, meaning things are always changing and everything is temporary. It is an illusion to think that anything lasts in its current state, including oneself and other human beings. Change is also unpredictable, so uncertainty is another unavoidable quality. Because of this, one can only be certain that he or she will eventually die, but even then one can't be sure of when that will happen. Buddhism asserts that one key to conquering human misery is to take this issue on headlong, and become completely comfortable with the transience and uncertainty of the world instead of dodging the issue like most people do, which is to live in an illusion that can and does break down continually.

Taoism approaches the same thing from a different angle. Taoism asks what the best way is to live an optimal life. The world is perpetually in a state of flux and transience, and as such any method of living that resists change would be continually difficult and frustrating. It would be like swimming upriver, Lao Tsu writes, it is going against the current of the world so that each stroke is met with harsh resistance. The best way to live is to go with the flow, then: in embracing the world's flux and learning to adapt quickly and easily to change. The way to do this is to reach a taoist state of relaxed but alert awareness, similar to the Buddhist zen state, which allows one to continually adjust to the changes life throws at you. By being aware of change and acting in accordance with it instead of against it, one ends up accomplishing much more and it will seem relatively effortless: this is often said to be "doing without doing". To live optimally is to, again, become completely comfortable with the transience and uncertainty of the world.