Across families
Philosophical Daoism and Zen (Chan) Buddhism
Different families with 10 axes in close agreement — the sort of pairing a quiz weighting only the divine axes would never surface. Mean distance across all seventeen axes: 0.16 (0 would be identical).
The Dao is the way things go, not a being who arranges them — so the move is to stop interfering and act in accord with it. Almost no ritual, almost no authority, and a naturalism that arrives at reverence rather than at disenchantment.
A special transmission outside the scriptures, pointing directly at the mind — the highest B1 value in the matrix. And yet lineage authority is real and the forms of practice are exacting, which is the tension the tradition lives in.
Where they agree
A4 Locus
Both sit at fully present within it — a gap of 0.03.
B2 Reading of sacred text
Both sit at leaning metaphorical, or no text at all — a gap of 0.03.
C1 Survival of the self
Both sit at leaning ends at death — a gap of 0.03.
E2 Origin of the cosmos
Both sit at beginningless or natural — a gap of 0.04.
A3 Plurality
Both sit at leaning strictly one — a gap of 0.05.
E3 Locus of belonging
Both sit at leaning an individual choice — a gap of 0.07.
A2 Personhood
Both sit at impersonal principle or order — a gap of 0.07.
C3 The human condition
Both sit at ignorant but fundamentally sound — a gap of 0.07.
C2 Shape of time
Both sit at leaning cyclical return — a gap of 0.08.
B1 Source of truth
Both sit at leaning reason and direct experience and reason and direct experience respectively — a gap of 0.10.
Where they part company
B3 Institutional authority
Philosophical Daoism: leaning individual conscience decides. Zen (Chan) Buddhism: leaning clergy and tradition decide. A gap of 0.54 on an axis running from “clergy and tradition decide” to “individual conscience decides”.
D2 Centrality of ritual
Philosophical Daoism: leaning optional or absent. Zen (Chan) Buddhism: leaning essential and prescribed. A gap of 0.54 on an axis running from “essential and prescribed” to “optional or absent”.
All seventeen axes
| Axis | Philosophical Daoism | Zen (Chan) Buddhism | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| A1 Divine reality | between nothing beyond the natural and a divine reality certainly exists | between nothing beyond the natural and a divine reality certainly exists | 0.17 |
| A2 Personhood | impersonal principle or order | impersonal principle or order | 0.07 |
| A3 Plurality | leaning strictly one | leaning strictly one | 0.05 |
| A4 Locus | fully present within it | fully present within it | 0.03 |
| B1 Source of truth | leaning reason and direct experience | reason and direct experience | 0.10 |
| B2 Reading of sacred text | leaning metaphorical, or no text at all | leaning metaphorical, or no text at all | 0.03 |
| B3 Institutional authority | leaning individual conscience decides | leaning clergy and tradition decide | 0.54 |
| C1 Survival of the self | leaning ends at death | leaning ends at death | 0.03 |
| C2 Shape of time | leaning cyclical return | leaning cyclical return | 0.08 |
| C3 The human condition | ignorant but fundamentally sound | ignorant but fundamentally sound | 0.07 |
| D1 Mechanism of the ultimate good | leaning achieved by effort or insight | achieved by effort or insight | 0.18 |
| D2 Centrality of ritual | leaning optional or absent | leaning essential and prescribed | 0.54 |
| D3 The body | between to be disciplined and to be celebrated | leaning to be disciplined | 0.30 |
| E1 Exclusivity | leaning many valid paths | between one true path and many valid paths | 0.20 |
| E2 Origin of the cosmos | beginningless or natural | beginningless or natural | 0.04 |
| E3 Locus of belonging | leaning an individual choice | leaning an individual choice | 0.07 |
| E4 Standing of nature | animate and itself sacred | leaning animate and itself sacred | 0.16 |
Positions for Philosophical Daoism rest principally on Daodejing and Zhuangzi; for Zen (Chan) Buddhism, on Dogen’s Shobogenzo and the Platform Sutra. Per-cell sources are listed on each tradition’s own page.
The questionnaire places your answers on these same axes and ranks all 65 traditions by how closely they match. Take it.