[Pinkman]

Just dipping into the waters on this topic with my superstition Mahayana view. I am reminded of something Gendun Chophel (the infamous "mad monk" who was active in the early to mid 20th century in Tibet) said regarding superstition.

He said (and I paraphrase here liberally as I don't have and can't find the quote) "If the Buddha were Tibetan you can be sure that he would always be depicted in heavy boots and coat and with heavy turqoise and silver jewelry and instead of auspicious cows in need of no milking there would be wish fulfilling yaks".

The fact that when we close our eyes and imagine "Buddha" we generate this exotic looking Indian/Nepalese dude with funny hair is purely a cultural artifact.

This can easily be generalized to cosmology, and, of course it was ALSO the same Genden Chophel who told a very high lama on his way to China, who believed that the earth was flat that "not even a dog will receive you if you hold to such views".

So, it's no stretch at all to say that, were the Buddha born in, say, New Jersey 35 years ago and teaching now he'd certainly not be spending (wasting) time describing the arrangement of realms, heavens, nor would he be discussing the various realms in the same terms, nor would nagas be found slithering on a stash of liberative teachings. His presentation would be relevant to people living in New Jersey in 2011; it would address their concerns, their anxieties, their needs, the possiblity of ultimate happiness for them.