Buddhism is a philosophy, or at least that's the closest Western equivalent, but often its tenets are held as dogma. For example, my friend's Buddhist mother told her that if she violated such rules, angry spirits would haunt her.

I do not generally disagree to the principles of Buddhism, and actually abide by most of them, albeit independently. However, no tenants of any Eastern religion should be followed distinctively, rigorously, and most especially, uncritically. If Buddhism is a philosophy, then we can modify it. A Zen Master, Lin Chi, is attributed to saying, "If you meet the Buddha, kill the Buddha." In one's own particular path to enlightenment, whether it be spiritual, or intellectual, sometimes you have to break the rules, and "kill" your patriarchs.