Concept of Eternal Life

Taoists believe in eternal life. They believe that death is not an end but a transition. When one
dies, any contact with them is done through an alchemist (Sharma and Katherine 168). Death is seen as
the beginning of another phase in life. Many people that believe in Taoism have made attempts to achieve
immortality. There is the belief that if people live virtuously and do what they are supposed to, they will
be granted immortality. Most Taoists aim to achieve immortality instead of entering the afterlife.
They believe in eternity according to Taoism differs from the Christian view. Christians believe
in life after death as outlined in the Apostles Creed. As testified in the Creed, eternal life will commence
upon the second coming of Jesus Christ. Thus, unlike in Taoism, the afterlife does not begin when one
dies. On the contrary, Christians believe that their promise of eternal life will only be fulfilled when Jesus
returns. The promise will only be achieved by those that believed in Jesus when they were alive and
followed God’s commandments (Sharma and Katherine 214). They will have everlasting life in heaven.
On the contrary, those that did not follow the commandments will go to hell, where they will be punished
for their wrongdoings.
On the contrary, Buddhists do not believe in eternal life. Unlike Taoism and Christianity,
Buddhists believe in letting go of the self. Thus, when people die, their energy is reborn and not their
souls. There is no permanence in the souls, according to Buddhists. Buddhists do not hold onto their
souls, and they do so through meditation, prayer, chanting, and sutras study (Sharma and Katherine 87).
Overall, Taoism’s belief in eternal life differs significantly from that of Buddhism and Christianity.

Surname 2
Taoists believe in eternal life after death, Christians believe in eternal life commencing when Jesus
returns a second time, and Buddhists do not believe in the permanence of the soul.

Surname 3

Works Cited

Sharma, Arvind, and Katherine K. Young, eds. Feminism and world religions. SUNY Press, 1998.