[DoterrFor]

A set of concrete guidelines cannot be called an "ism"?

I think not necesarly. Sometimes "ism" denotes an ideology or a doctrine that is beyond the scope of an instruction or a guideline. To follow a guideline do not necesarly means to hold an ideal or an "-ism".

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:

-ism

▶suffix
forming nouns.
1 denoting an action or its result: baptism.
■ denoting a state or quality: barbarism.

2 denoting a system, principle, or ideological movement: Anglicanism.
■ denoting a basis for prejudice or discrimination: racism.

3 denoting a peculiarity in language: colloquialism.
4 denoting a pathological condition: alcoholism.
– origin from Fr. -isme, via L. from Gk -ismos, -isma. Just as an example:

"Housefather, there are these four kinds of bliss to be won by the householder: ...the bliss of ownership, the bliss of wealth, the bliss of debtlessness, the bliss of blamelessness.

"... A man has wealth acquired by energetic striving, amassed by strength of arm, won by sweat, lawful and lawfully gotten. At the thought: 'Wealth is mine acquired by energetic striving...,' bliss comes to him, satisfaction comes to him. This, housefather, is called, 'the bliss of ownership.'

"... A man by means of wealth acquired by energetic striving... both enjoys his wealth and does meritorious deeds therewith. At the thought: 'By means of wealth acquired... I both enjoy my wealth and do meritorious deeds,' bliss comes to him, satisfaction comes to him. This, housefather, is called 'the bliss of wealth.'

"... A man owes no debt great or small to anyone. At the thought: 'I owe no debt, great or small, to anyone,' bliss comes to him, satisfaction comes to him. This, householder, is called 'the bliss of debtlessness.'

"... The noble disciple is blessed with blameless action of body, blameless action of speech, blameless action of mind. At the thought: 'I am blessed with blameless action of body, speech, and mind,' bliss comes to him, satisfaction comes to him. This is called 'the bliss of blamelessness.'

"Such, housefather, are the four kinds of bliss to be won by the householder..."

— AN 4.62 Now, returning to the original discussion: to say that Buddhism is about, near or similar to Communism we have to find in the teachings of the historical Buddha, and not in the different Buddh-isms, a consistent theoretical framework for an economical ideology and I think that the teachings of the historical Buddha do not have that purpose.

In the example of AN 4.62: Is there a kind of economical doctrine, a political ideology or a philosophical system? If this teaching is, it could be great to expose the reasons behind this idea, so to see in them an "ism" in the sense of an economic ideal-ism or doctrine. Also, it can happen that the teachings of the historical buddha are by themselves a economical doctrine and nothing to do with Socialisms, communisms and capitalisms.

I think that the case of AN 4.62 (and maybe in other similar teachings) has more to do with the conditions for a Right Livelihood in accordance to the Fourth Noble Truth than a political/economical ideal-ism. For a Right Livelihood there is no need to practice any sort of economical doctrine. Just to follow the teaching, clearly exposed by the historical Buddha; the handy and practical man of bone and flesh.