Well the Buddhist teachings are for us in our relative world. So - some people need hardly any teachings, just a few works or a koan. Others need many teachings, and complex intricate concepts. So the variety of teachings - and the flaws in them - they are due to our own complexities
As this is a flawed world with many issues and difficulties, of course the Buddhist teachings are also flawed, if you look for the flaws.
For instance, teaching on not killing. It is impossible to live in this world without killing living beings all the time. With modern understanding we realize that this happens just through breathing, and drinking and walking, all the time.
So how can you practice with the aim to lead all beings to be free from suffering and to find happiness in whatever form is appropriate for them - when you are also killing numerous beings all the time?
Well - that might seem a flaw. But it is not possible to save the lives of all the tiny creatures in the world. They will all die anyway. No matter how hard you might try, and how much effort you put into it, you couldn't save the life of a tiny fly with a lifetime of days, or a butterfly. And even if you could, their lives would still have many problems, in their tiny worlds.
Yet, Buddha taught that all beings can be free from suffering and reach happiness - and that they can be totally free from Samsara.
So - it depends - are you inspired by that and feel that you think, in some way, that he is telling the truth there? Then you follow the path, although not expecting that this can be accomplished in an immediate and ordinary sense by going around saving the lives of creatures in our world, or that in any ordinary sense you can act in such a way that your actions never cause any suffering and only happiness for all beings. Still, you may believe that in some sense this is something that it makes sense to have as your aim and wish.
Or if not, then you can follow some other path. And nobody can say that you are right or wrong, just follow whatever path you are inspired by, many great religions and philosophies to be inspired by. Also many harmful ideas and philosophies also. And none of them can be perfect in our imperfect world, or we would be enlightened already, all of us.
And the Buddha taught particularly - that we need to investigate things for ourselves. So - any teachings he gives - they are just ideas and hints for us to follow, to find out the truth for ourselves and to waken our own inner wisdom. And on the path we gradually learn to respond appropriately to the situations we find ourselves in. And all the teachings, except for the vows - they are guidelines.
Even the Buddhist vows - if you take them - there are circumstances where you might need to break them, out of compassion, and then you have to hand back the vows. Which doesn't make the vows flawed particularly, or at least, no more so than any other teachings. It just isn't possible to reduce all appropriate conduct to a programmed set of rules which you follow like a robot or a programmed rule following artificial intelligence.
As this is a flawed world with many issues and difficulties, of course the Buddhist teachings are also flawed, if you look for the flaws.
For instance, teaching on not killing. It is impossible to live in this world without killing living beings all the time. With modern understanding we realize that this happens just through breathing, and drinking and walking, all the time.
So how can you practice with the aim to lead all beings to be free from suffering and to find happiness in whatever form is appropriate for them - when you are also killing numerous beings all the time?
Well - that might seem a flaw. But it is not possible to save the lives of all the tiny creatures in the world. They will all die anyway. No matter how hard you might try, and how much effort you put into it, you couldn't save the life of a tiny fly with a lifetime of days, or a butterfly. And even if you could, their lives would still have many problems, in their tiny worlds.
Yet, Buddha taught that all beings can be free from suffering and reach happiness - and that they can be totally free from Samsara.
So - it depends - are you inspired by that and feel that you think, in some way, that he is telling the truth there? Then you follow the path, although not expecting that this can be accomplished in an immediate and ordinary sense by going around saving the lives of creatures in our world, or that in any ordinary sense you can act in such a way that your actions never cause any suffering and only happiness for all beings. Still, you may believe that in some sense this is something that it makes sense to have as your aim and wish.
Or if not, then you can follow some other path. And nobody can say that you are right or wrong, just follow whatever path you are inspired by, many great religions and philosophies to be inspired by. Also many harmful ideas and philosophies also. And none of them can be perfect in our imperfect world, or we would be enlightened already, all of us.
And the Buddha taught particularly - that we need to investigate things for ourselves. So - any teachings he gives - they are just ideas and hints for us to follow, to find out the truth for ourselves and to waken our own inner wisdom. And on the path we gradually learn to respond appropriately to the situations we find ourselves in. And all the teachings, except for the vows - they are guidelines.
Even the Buddhist vows - if you take them - there are circumstances where you might need to break them, out of compassion, and then you have to hand back the vows. Which doesn't make the vows flawed particularly, or at least, no more so than any other teachings. It just isn't possible to reduce all appropriate conduct to a programmed set of rules which you follow like a robot or a programmed rule following artificial intelligence.
About the Author
Robert Walker
Writer of articles on Mars and Space issues - Software Developer of Tune Smithy, Bounce Metronome etc.Studied at Wolfson College, Oxford
Lives in Isle of Mull
4.8m answer views110.4k this month
Top Writer2017, 2016, and 2015
Published WriterHuffPost, Slate, and 4 moreHuffPost, Slate, Forbes, Newsweek, Business Insider, and Science 2.0