What is the most essential difference between Buddhism and Taoism?

There is no essential difference between Buddhism and Taoism, because they are both religions and theories that tell people how to face death, and they have the same effect in solving people's ultimate spiritual care needs.

The biggest difference between Buddhism and Taoism lies in the way of ultimate care, that is, how people face death. In fact, people's greatest mental pain is facing death. Buddhism and Taoism solve this problem in their own ways.

Buddhism believes that life is a sea of suffering, and human life and death are also a sea of suffering. People have to face the cycle of life and death and suffer constantly. Only by reaching nirvana can they get rid of their suffering. Then Buddhism believes that only when people are conscious can they become Buddhas and get rid of their sufferings. Therefore, the way Buddhism treats death is that people can get rid of death as long as they become Buddhists. Buddhism tells you that this is how they solve problems.

Taoism's solution to the problem of how to face death is straightforward, that is, to live forever, to become an immortal, and to find a way not to die. Taoism tries to make people gain the ability of immortality physically and overcome death spiritually through inner alchemy and outer alchemy.

Generally speaking, Buddhism and Taoism have different ways of practicing because of their different understanding of how to face death, but they are both religions.

Frankly speaking, Taoism emphasizes self-cultivation and Buddhism is the vast practice of self-cultivation and cultivation. Taoism talks about practicing the world, Buddhism talks about practicing the world, the afterlife, the afterlife, transcending life and death, saving suffering, and finally reaching the other shore, Amitabha.