Do you feel as if Buddhism has been shrouded in unnecessary complexities?

I'm no buddhist master however I've been looking into eastern philosophy for a while and one of the conclusions I came to is that Buddhism has been shrouded in complexities. I thought Buddhism was only to be based on the words of the Buddha? (the Eightfold path and the Four Noble Truths) What was the purpose of the precepts? The Dalai Lama? The several speculated meanings of the number 108? Mala's? and Other ideas that have been created after the death of the Buddha? I see so many "Buddhist" following these ideas which in my opinion creates unnecessary complications instead of following the source(the Buddha) even when the enlightened one said himself to live simple life.

I'm not trying to argue or disrespect anyone's belief. I'm just trying to get a better perspective of this. Maybe I'm ignorant. Opinions?

[psychoslice]

Yes I feel that buddhism has become like christianity, with all of its rituals and dogma, but still its far better than most belief systems.

[Shantyaikya]

Well, not everyone is awakened and as the sangha grew the Buddha recognized "rules" that needed to be put in place to help the monks grow. Each rule was based on something that happened and thats where you get the long list of all the things a monk can and can not do. Yes it's complicated, but I dont see it as shrouded. When you enter Buddhism, what are you presented with? The Four Noble Truths and then the Eightfold Path. The core of the Buddhism is right there from the beginning. That's all you need from Buddhism. If you get caught up in all of the other things, that's fine, but then you'll start to get your view of things being shrouded. If you wish to follow the precepts thats good too. If you break a precept, then you should resolve what arises from your action. Be mindful always.

These are just my own opinions and thoughts. Others may not agree.

Like any religion / doctrine Buddhism does have different factions & in house squabbling at times. The very core of the practice though is as simple as it gets...with a attitude of tolerance & a middle way approach.
The Dalai Lama has copped stick over the years for his formal approach...like anything it is a matter of finding your own way with it........Buddhism has never struck me as something 'to be good at' you do what you can from where you are at ......

[Samana]

Originally Posted by Francesco

I'm no buddhist master however I've been looking into eastern philosophy for a while and one of the conclusions I came to is that Buddhism has been shrouded in complexities. I thought Buddhism was only to be based on the words of the Buddha? (the Eightfold path and the Four Noble Truths) What was the purpose of the precepts? The Dalai Lama? The several speculated meanings of the number 108? Mala's? and Other ideas that have been created after the death of the Buddha? I see so many "Buddhist" following these ideas which in my opinion creates unnecessary complications instead of following the source(the Buddha) even when the enlightened one said himself to live simple life.

I'm not trying to argue or disrespect anyone's belief. I'm just trying to get a better perspective of this. Maybe I'm ignorant. Opinions?

I agree. The core teachings of the Buddha in the Pali Canon are complete in themselves and don't need any of the later add-ons which occured after the death of the Buddha.

In my opinion, the Buddhist tradition in the present day which seems to be the purest and without superstition and add-ons, is the western branch of the Theravada Forest Tradition of the lineage of Ajahn Chah.

Zen is unique in that it has no add-ons, but is Buddhism (actually any -ism) with subtract-ons.

[quote=Francesco]I'm no buddhist master however I've been looking into eastern philosophy for a while and one of the conclusions I came to is that Buddhism has been shrouded in complexities. I thought Buddhism was only to be based on the words of the Buddha? (the Eightfold path and the Four Noble Truths) What was the purpose of the precepts? The Dalai Lama? The several speculated meanings of the number 108? Mala's? and Other ideas that have been created after the death of the Buddha? I see so many "Buddhist" following these ideas which in my opinion creates unnecessary complications instead of following the source(the Buddha) even when the enlightened one said himself to live simple life.

I'm not trying to argue or disrespect anyone's belief. I'm just trying to get a better perspective of this. Maybe I'm ignorant. Opinions?[/Q

When or if you are enlightened to what appears to be the best kept secret of all time a lot will make more sense.to help you on this quest i will tell you one word wasted.look at this word what it means all the possibilities it is a key to life it self.

People on the Buddhist path simply recognized that on the way to non-attachment there may be some good attachments. Good in the sense that they may make us go further along the way.

All religions have grown & developed since their origins millennia ago. This is not only natural, but healthy. Change is the constant in the Universe. If a religion remained static & didn’t grow, this would be problematic.

Buddhism has some useful tidbits, but it is still an organized religion. All organized religions are problematic. Some more than others. Having the freedom to take from any/all religions or belief systems what works & declining what doesn't can make for a well-rounded spirituality. Having the flexibility to change & update this as one grows is very useful.

[Samana]

Originally Posted by mattie

Buddhism has some useful tidbits, but it is still an organized religion. All organized religions are problematic. Some more than others. Having the freedom to take from any/all religions or belief systems what works & declining what doesn't can make for a well-rounded spirituality. Having the flexibility to change & update this as one grows is very useful.

It's really not a good idea to mix and match Buddhism with other belief systems because the core teachings of the Buddha are complete in themselves. If one reads the instructions of the Buddha in suttas of the Pali Canon Nikayas -which have been properly traslated into English in the last 10 years or so - there's no need to be part of anything that's 'organised.' They can be purchased, or some of them can be read online at the Access to Insight website.