The Gotama Buddha, the Fourth Buddha (Buddha) taught sangha (male: bhikkhu or Buddhist monk, female: bhikkhuni) in the way they should be. But, some monk might have changed some of Buddha's righteous teaching unto another way.

What are the problems in true Buddhism?

Buddha stated that before the coming of Metteyya (Pali: Buddha's teaching language) / Maitreya (Sanskrit), the holy religion will decline. How will it occur?  After my decease, first will be occurred the five disappearances. And what are the five disappearances?  The disappearance of the attainments, the disappearance of the method, the disappearance of learning, the disappearance of symbols, and the disappearances of relics. These are the five disappearances that are to occur.
Ref. Buddhism. Anagatavamsa.

It is true that these things are currently disappearing in Buddhism, just as Buddha stated.  Metteyya Buddha / Maitreya Buddha would correct the problem as stated by Buddha’s prophecy.  Some interesting point should be review as follows:

1. Should Metteyya Buddha or Maitreya Buddha and the Messiah be the same person?
He would be same person if existing time of their coming is the same at the present time. Regarding the sacret text studies of both Buddhism and the Bible (Old and New testaments) show that Metteya Budhha is the same as Messiah or the true Christ.

Is the Theravada Buddhism year is a far head of possible true year? (Thera = old, Vada = Doctrine)

Yes, it is provable fact that the Theravada Buddhism year as recorded in Buddhist history is to far away from the possible true year of the advent. Theravada Buddhism or Hinayana holds the belief that Buddha (Siddhāttha Gotama Buddha in Pali or Siddhārtha Gautama Buddha in Sanskrit) entered or attained nibbana (Pali) nirvana (Sanskrit) about 544 or 543 B.C. (B.C.E.: Before the Common (Christian) Era. Commonly used as B.C).  That event makes the present year of the Theravada Buddhism countries 2008 A.D. as 2551 B.C.*

The matter of fact as clearly indicated in history and Tipitaka or the three baskets of Buddhist texts which are Vinaya (rules for bhikkhu and bhikkhuni), sutta (Buddha's sermons and dialogues), and Abhidharma (analyze and classify all the constituents which was newly adding to the canon at the Third Buddhist Council). The Third Buddhist Council was convened under the patronage of Emperor Asoka. This event can be used to prove the possible truth, that Buddha did not enter nibbana during 544 or 543 B.C.

Different studies, Scholars, and The Cambridge and Oxford histories of India accept 483 B.C as the date of Buddha’s nibbana.

Therefore the Theravada Buddhism countries that held the celebrated honoring half of the Buddha's era in history, which was during the year of 2500 B.C.*, they celebrated half Buddha’s era approximately 60 years a head of time because they went by the incorrect B.C. time.  This fact should make it clear that Theravada Buddhism should have a traditional B.C. year rather than possible true Buddha attained nibbana year at approximately 483 B.C. 

The mistake should be counted as the West celebrated millennium 1 year ahead of supposed true Millennium.  

What is the purpose for discussing the possible true year that Buddha entered nibbana?
The purpose is to show that Buddha's prophecy indicated that the last Buddha, who is called by the name, Metteyya / Maitreya Buddha will exist during what is considered to be half of Buddha's era (2500 BC) which is the same period as the Messiah's existence. This should make it evident that the Metteyya Buddha or Maitreya Buddha and the Messiah should be the same person.

2. Not only did The First Great Rama king of Siam indicate in his memorandum to the sangha's council and his scholars, but, some monks and scholars at the present time also indicate that Tipitaka which is the Buddhist scripture has many anomalies.

Buddha taught sangha and lay Buddhist not to believe in anything including his own teaching according to the “Kalama sutta.” Buddha concluded his teaching about Kalama sutta was that if, after observing and analyzing the information they find out that something agrees with reason and is in good conduct for the benefit of one and others, and then they can accept it and live by it. This excellent Kalama sutta does not interest many Buddhist because they willingly choose to believe in their acceptance of a holy matter. Some may not clearly understand what Buddha's teaching; some have faith with Buddha, and having Kalama sutta as a forgotten Buddha's text on the shelf. This problem is an important part of the disappearance of learning.   

Is this true that many Buddhist pay respect to the Buddha image but they do not follow the Buddha’s teaching?

3. Buddha did not teach The Five Precepts (Panca-Sila). Monk might have added the fifth precept onto the 4 great sins of Buddha’s teaching in later years, after Buddha attained nibbana.  So the popular Five Precept's that are very popular to the lay Buddhist should be considered to be tradition rather than Buddha's truth.

What is the Sila? Sila means to keep oneself abstained from doing evil deeds.  The Five Precepts or Panca (Five) Sila which indicate in Tipitaka that constitutes the basic Buddhist code of ethics, undertaken by regular lay Buddhist devotional practices in the Theravada and Mahayana traditions. The Five Precepts are commitments to abstain from killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying and intoxicants (drinking).

Clarifying the provable truth that Buddha did not teach the Five Precepts can be initiated by two major questions as.

3.1 Five precepts as written in the Tipitaka indicated that by practicing the Five Precepts, it will lead one to heaven.

Question: As indicated in number 2, Buddhist scripture has many anomalies. Upon understanding this, how trustworthy can the Tipitaka be?

Please consider: Did Buddha teach one to practice in order to have a chance to go heaven? No!  Buddha absolutely did not either encourage one or guide one for heaven's destination. Buddha told the sangha about God, and that human should not interfere with God. “One must help oneself,” Buddha stated. Therefore the Five Precepts should be questioned about who set the Five Precepts!

3.2.  If Buddha taught the Five Precepts which are: to abstain from (1.) Killing (2.) Stealing (3.) Sexual Misconduct, (4.) Lying and (5.) Intoxicants (drinking) for Buddhist laity. Then, why did Buddha not add that one needs to abstain from gambling and intoxicant (smoking) in his Sila?  In order to get a clear judgment, please take a look at the statement of  fifth  of the Five Precepts which exactly as written in the Five Precepts which says, “I undertake the precept to abstain from taking distilled and fermented liquors that cause intoxication and heedlessness.”

If one strictly follows the Five Precepts, but he/she causes suffering to his/her family because of his/her gambling, then, should he/she be qualified for good Buddhist? Please consider that in some countries the law may allow drinking to be legal at a much younger age than what other countries allow, but in many places, inside many countries, it is illegal to gamble in unzoned gambling areas, but toxicant (smoking) is illegal.

Buddha achieved enlightenment, but not by learning.  Sangha know what Buddha clearly stated, and that Buddha knew what is true, untrue, useful, and useless from the past, in his present time, and in the future. 

Buddha taught only, that Buddha's teaching should be true and useful.  It should be clearly considered that, if Buddha included intoxicants (drinking) in his Sila, and then he would have included gambling in his Sila too.

Please recall that Buddha knew that toxicant (drinking) is a custom of the layman society, and Buddha knew that it would be difficult to stop their custom, and it is not Buddhist's righteous and practical way.

If one carefully reviews what Buddha’s teaching says about intoxicants (drinking) as long as one practices carefulness and mindfulness, one would see the benefit that Buddhist do not need the Five Precepts. The reasons are as follows:

a.   Buddha knew that the laity would go along with intoxicant (drinking).
Consuming of intoxicant drinks with carefulness and mindfulness would not harm the person drinking or other people. Is this true?


1. In many places, the law permits drinking intoxicants with mindfulness in the public. But they do not allow gambling or intoxicant (smoking).
   Did Buddha understand human life and laws to be like they are now in most countries?
2. Precepts are good for those of the laity, who are able to follow the rules, but intoxicant (drinking) can easily cause a layman to break away from the Five Precept's for many reasons.
   Please carefully consider that once a rule has been broken by the layman, he may then feel that since he has already broken a rule that he might as well go ahead and break other rule(s). Is this situation a possibility or not?
3. The occasion occurs for those who drink intoxicants for health benefits or use as a medicine as done in past history.  Is there any wrong in this if done moderately?
4. Is it true that a lot of people not favor drinking intoxicant.  But some occasion drink in social settings with carefulness and mindfulness, Are they doing any wrong? 
5. Buddha seriously prohibited sangha from recording his teaching by any means, but only by memorize the sutta(s) and the goal to understand them, and so sangha must practice to  memorize the sutta(s) and learn to understand them as well.
   It is true, that presently, a lot of sangha able to practice memorize the sutta(s) as Buddha had instructed the sangha to do, some monk capable to memorize the Patimokkha rules which is a part of the Vinaya.  Why do not let one compare any doubt of Pitaka with the sutta(s) that generally memorize by sangha?
6. The first committing of the entire Pali Canon to writing, which had previously been preserved by sangha's' memory.  The records of Tipitaka which are Vinaya, Sutta, and Abhidharma were done at the time of Fourth Buddhist Council (Recognized by many Buddhist school) which was held in the last century BCE, in Sri Lanka. This might be when the opportunity arose for the monk(s) to promote Buddhism in wrong judgment by adding anomalous information, such as, the Five Precept's or miraculous matter  to the Tipitaka.
   (Another Fourth Buddhist Council of Kashmir was around 100 Common Era / CE that were kept in Mahayana tradition, which has Sutra in Sanskrit. Theravada is not recognized this Mahayana tradition.)

Questions:
6.1 Tipitaka is combined with Buddha's suttas and other information that many sangha claimed to be the Buddha's teaching, that made Tipitaka has around 40 books or more, each book may has information approximately a size of Holy the Bible: KJV.
From #5 evidences that a lot of monk(s) capable to memorize the Buddha's suttas. Then, is it possible that human being able to memorize about 40 books or more? If they could not therefore; was it possible that Tipitaka might have recorded in writing before the Fourth Buddhist Council took place? If not, then a lot of unwanted information might be added at the Fourth Buddhist Council time alone or some in the later time.
6.2 Buddha's teaching is verifiable facts, how are there various unverifiable fact and miraculous information in the Tipitaka?
6.3 Buddha teaching was simplicity. But, how sangha's teaching such as the Five Precepts seem to be away from that Buddha's teaching?

b. Is it true that drinking alcohol such as red wine is health benefit? Studies have shown that ethanol can have a variety of positive effects on heart health such as raising HDL (the "good" cholesterol) levels, preventing dangerous blood clots, and allowing the blood to flow more smoothly throughout the body, which reduces the risk of heart attack and stroke.

The conclusion for how one should view intoxicant (drinking) is to consider that it should not be given any more serious consideration than one gives to gambling and intoxicant (smoking), if, one will follow the Buddha’s Mangala sutta.  There are many evidences available to support what is said above, and that will make it clear that, The Five Precept's are not any part of the Buddha’s teaching.

4. The truth about Buddha’s nibbana which is different nirvana in Sanskrit term and correcting the Tipitaka, which are problems associated to Buddhism, will  be resolved by the next fifth or final Buddha or the last Buddha, who is called by the name, Metteyya / Maitreya Buddha as the last Buddha or final Buddha or supreme Buddha. The Gotama Buddha’s prophecy indicated that the last Buddha will come during the time that can be considered as the halfway point of the Buddhist era (Approximately 2000 A.D.) which is the same time of the coming true Messiah of Judaism.

Conclusion: Buddha's teaching is considered to be a philosophy and can be verified without beliefs and any miraculous matter(s) such as what is written in the Four Noble Truth's and Kalama sutta.

Many wise monks take advantage of Buddha’s teaching and educate wise lay Buddhist.

But. Are there a lot of information in the Tipitaka that is anomalous?
And many monks and lay Buddhist blindly believe this anomalous information are the Word's of Buddha without using the Kalama sutta to analyze the anomalous information, which may or may not be Buddha's teaching.  

This is a similar problem to how many Christians blindly believe the words written in the New Testament without analyzing them to better understand if they are possibly true or untrue, even when the anomalous information is clearly seen.

Metteyya / Maitreya Buddha or the true Messiah has insight to know the truth of right Buddhism. He can verified scientifically truth of Nibbana and the Anatta (non-Self: life-soul are non-existence) of three marked of life existences.
The true Messiah is real and existence at present time {See: True Messiah: Qualification and the true Messiah at The Last Day: Event(s) }

Please note:

- Pali was an India ancient language, similarly with Prakrit and Magadhi. It was simplicity of dialect than   the ancient Sanskrit that having Buddha's one main reason in using Pali as his teaching.
- Buddha was not willing to have Bhikkhuni in his sangha. It was not sexual equality, but the
  environment difficulty.
- Bhikkhuni is rare and the minority group, but she has equal right with Bhikkhu.
- A Bhikkhuni is not a Buddhist's nun
- Messiah is used because of the well-known name.

B.C.*: Abbreviation of Buddhist Common year in Thailand.