[12Jasoumemoobia]

welcome Ash

core original Buddhism is about how suffering arises in the mind and about how it ends...namely, the four noble truths

core original Buddhism is also about the nature of reality, that is, the characteristics of natural things & their relationships

core original Buddhism is, in its purist aspects, very scientific

but as Buddhism expanded socially, from monks to the broader society, some schools started to emphasise teachings for the man in the street (rather than the devoted meditator); emphasis teachings about 'rebirth' and the like above all else; so they took certain Buddhist principles and created their own theories about rebirth & reincarnation

then as Buddhism was losing popularity in India, some monks decided to introduce Hindu love & healing deities into Buddhism and turn Buddha into a Jesus-like 'Love Being'

then as Buddhism travelled to other cultures, due to its non-aggressiveness, it often merged with the existing religions. thus in Tibet, it merged with the Bon shaman religion; in China with Taoism; in Thailand with ancestor worship, etc

thus, as Buddhism increased its spread & scope socially & culturally, the different schools arose

for example, in Japan, there is the Zen school, which focuses mostly on meditation rather than social teachings. this is because the existing Shinto religion remained predominant in Japan, and unlike during periods in India, Sri Lanka, Burma, Tibet, China, etc, Buddhism never rose to prominance as a social/cultural/political religion

thus, even today, such as in the USA, people create their unique forms of Buddhism

as Buddhism is generally open minded, these idiosyncratic changes occur with little resistance from Buddhists & Buddhism as a whole

the vast majority of Buddhists generally agree Buddhism is like one large family in which the members have many respectful disagreements

ok...that is my idiosyncratic history lesson

kind regards