Which type of Buddhism is closest to what the Buddha actually taught?
Pre-sectarian Buddhism of course. There was only one Gotama Buddha and he had strong words against the schism of the Sangha. Common sense also tells us no religion would be happy to have schism into various sects. The existence of a sect means it only represents partially the original doctrines but rejects some parts of the Buddha’s teaching. In a way, they are indirectly claiming they are right and others are wrong, even the Buddha wasn’t completely right; which justify the adding of so many words into the mouth of the Buddha. If they sincerely want to preserve the truth, they would tell others: “Such is our faith, which deviates from the original teaching of the Buddha, but we knowingly wish to follow our own path.” (Discourse with Caṅkī, MN95)
Of course, every sect claims to be the “Big Brother”. The ego and arrogance defeat themselves and get them discredit. The Buddha taught us to see no self, no greed for sensual pleasure, no greed for existence, and no greed for non-existence; but here you have a sect which calls itself the greatest and calls other sects as inferior. The Buddha taught us to abandon attachment to self-identification, sensual objects, rules and rituals, views; but here you have so many new inventions of rules and rituals, and views, competition for self-identification and sensual objects.
The Buddha taught us to abandon greed, hatred and delusion; but here you have monks who teach the Dharma but don’t live in accordance with the Dharma and don’t practice what they preach. They are like people talking about wealth but couldn’t show any when asked to make donations.
The Buddha taught us to have faith but never pretend to have awakening to the truth, leaving alone attainment of the truth. But here you have monks who pretend to see the karmic process with their own eyes, pretending to have personal and direct knowledge about the truth. They proclaim “Only this is the truth and everything else which disagrees with it is falsehood.”
The Buddha is our one and only teacher. Everyone else can be our tutor or companion but never to pretend as our teacher. We must study the original Suttas ourselves and never rely on anyone. Find refuge in yourself with no one else as the refuge. Find refuge in Dharma with nothing else as the refuge.
If a person holds the faith that “My personal knowledge alone is the truth and all else are false”, he is grasping at the egoistic self (执于我) which is simply empty boasting. If a person holds the faith that “My collection of Sutras alone is the truth and all else are false”, he is grasping at the impermanent material (执于法) but falsely seeing it as a permanent thing. It is like mistaking the finger as the moon itself when the finger is simply pointing at the moon. It is like mistaking the boat as the other shore itself when the boat is only temporarily keeping him afloat. If a person holds the faith that “Nothing is acceptable as the truth and all are false”, he is grasping at the empty self (执于空) but falsely thought that he is free and liberated. A truly empty thing cannot possibly grasp or be grasped. “Buddhists” who only do meditation but don’t care about Dana (charity), Sila (moral conduct) and Bhavana (self-cultivation to change their characters); ignorant of the Four Noble Truths and not walking the Noble Eightfold Path; they will not be able to find true happiness and equanimity because meditation alone does not lead to abandonment of greed, hatred and delusion. The presence of Five Aggregates of Attachment is proof that he has not attained the truth of selflessness or emptiness of self. The Five Hindrances (sensual desire, ill will and anger, restlessness and remorse, sloth and torpor, and doubt) are yet to be abandoned.
Don’t insist you are right (不执于我). Don’t insist a particular Sutta is right (不执于法). Don’t insist that nothing is acceptable (不执于空). Self-confidence is essential, original Suttas are essential, and meditation which can help to reduce and abandon the Five Hindrances is also essential. Use all these tools to help you achieve awakening to the truth, and attainment of the truth. Don’t be limited by rules. Rules are meant to be broken; yet the rules need to be made (勿被法轉心，執空即頑空). Having no rules at all can make us bewilder, but strongly upholding the rules can make us brainless (不生知見法不明，若生知見障心靈). If we hold strongly the stand that no rules should ever be made, that means the rule of “having no rules at all” should also be abolished. It will be self-contradictory.
There are cankers that should be got rid of by vision,
there are cankers that should be got rid of by control,
there are cankers that should be got rid of by use,
there are cankers that should be got rid of by endurance,
there are cankers that should be got rid of by avoidance,
there are cankers that should be got rid of by elimination,
there are cankers that should be got rid of by development.
— Discourse on All the Cankers (Asavas), MN2
Under different circumstances, different tools must be used to get rid of the cankers or asavas.
RESILIENT KID 