Confucians like to attack Daoism by claiming the religion Daoism founded by Zhang Daoling has little to do with the philosophy of Daoism founded by Li Er (Laozi). Religious Daoism claims that Li Er came back as a deity to appoint Zhang Daoling as Heavenly Master and his
Btw Daoists themselves study Confucian texts and proclaim themselves to be Confucians, it’s the actual orthodox Confucians who attack Daoism and view it with disdain. Pretty much no one can criticize Confucianism - Buddhists and Daoists did not attack or criticize Confucius because his school is ingrained in Chinese culture while orthodox Confucians can freely insult, attack and criticize the other two.
Notice how neither Buddhists or Daoists insulted or attack Confucianism in the religions debates, neither made any remarks insulting Confucius or called him names or said he got eaten by a snake while Confucians say Buddha was a barbarian and Zhang Daoling got eaten by a snake (they don’t attack Laozi (Li Er) though).
Zhu Xi appreciating Buddhists
विस्तारः (द्रष्टुं नोद्यम्)
Although Zhu Xi savagely attacked the teachings of Buddhism, here he makes the case that they at least put their own teachings into practice…
Zhu Xi, Complete Works, Volume 1: Elementary Learning.
The Buddhist tradition has always focused on removing many concerns and concentrating on self-cultivation. Although it is not the intention of the teachings, they do still emphasize self-cultivation. As a result, in the Buddhist community, there are always people working on cultivating themselves, but this is less prevalent in our own Confucian community.
In this era, Confucian scholars who can uphold the classics merely explain and interpret them, while those who study history only weigh the pros and cons. There is a need for people who are truly focused on cultivating themselves, starting from within. Without cultivating oneself, one cannot speak about the strengths and weaknesses of others.
If we, as Confucians, thoroughly understand the principles and apply them to our own minds and bodies, we can also attain our essence like the Zen Buddhism school. By engaging in discussions, debates, and explanations, we can grasp the essence of the Teachings. By following rules and principles, we can understand the essence of the Precepts.
In everything, it is essential for us to cultivate ourselves. If we can cultivate our minds and grasp the essence, everything will be transformed. If we fail to cultivate our minds, even the smallest tasks will be flawed.