Fascinating point boleo, I've been toying with some thoughts along those lines for a little while. I'm in the Mahayana/Japanese contingent, have been for 28 years but somehow the 12-step work seems to be more specific & (to me) productive. The Buddhist material tends to be abstract or metaphorical sometimes to such an extent that its unclear what the point is. I'm inclined to think some of that is due to issues around translation but there seems to be a fetish over doctrinal differences with other sects- all the "One True Way" business that so many religions of different stripes fall into. To my mind its the usual religious focus on teaching doctrine to which I've generally been resistant. I see the Christian doctrine here and the Buddhist there, they contradict and both insist they are true, leaving me thinking "wtf".
So I've found the 12-step work brings a great deal of the Buddhist doctrine into more direct action. My higher power is still Myoho but I conceive a much more nuanced view of it. I think that counts as starting to transform my concept of a higher power like so many others do. At the moment I don't spend effort now in pursuing understanding more Buddhist doctrine, but instead focus on interpreting the fundamental principles that are taught to a newcomer wherever and however I can in the context of daily life.
So I wonder why the Buddhist doctrine and practice was not reaching me well because I'f found the basic principles to be in good accord. The 12-step introspective work has been tremendously more productive than the Buddhist study meetings I've attended. I see the value of the service work in both areas, at the moment I'm chairing my alanon home group and have done other service work on the Buddhist side- no problem with the doctrine there.
My friends on the Buddhist side seem to have a lot of respect for the 12-step transformation concepts.. theres a local leader who's been "in program" for narcotics & food addictions. I would not be surprised if my difficulties with the practice could be cleanly explained by more Buddhist doctrine but the more I'm working the 12 steps the less I care on that front.