The Difference Between Buddhist Meditation Practice and Daoist Meditation Practice

Cultivating meditative concentration (samādhi) in Buddhist practice differs to some extent from cultivating it in Daoist practice, because the purposes of cultivation are different, and thus the methods must also differ to a certain degree. The goal of Daoist cultivation is the health and longevity of the physical body; they have no intention of liberating themselves from the suffering of birth-and-death in saṃsāra. Therefore, when they cultivate samādhi, they pay great attention to the physical body, directing all their attention to it and caring nothing for the wisdom of liberation. Buddhist practitioners, on the basis of cultivating samādhi, should put more effort into wisdom. When cultivating samādhi, one should not focus too much on the body; it is enough to have just a little contact with those Daoist theories of refining the body. We Buddhists cultivate samādhi in order to gain wisdom and attain liberation. As long as the body does not create obstructions and does not interfere with contemplation and investigating Chan, we need not concern ourselves with it. It is hardly worthwhile to spend too much energy on the physical body.