Neo-Confucianism emerged in China during the Tang and Song Dynasties as a combination of Confucian, Daoist, and Buddhist ideals. Most Chinese today follow Confucian principles publicly, embrace Daoist spirituality privately, and turn to Buddhism for guidance late in life and near death. Buddhism teaches that life involves suffering caused by desire, and the path to end suffering is to overcome desire through following the Eightfold Path of moderate living, correct thought and action, prayer, and meditation - which can lead one to better reincarnation or ultimate nirvana by escaping the cycle of reincarnation.