Why are there so many different types of Buddhism?

There are many different types of sugar - brown sugar, white sugar, rock sugar, syrup and icing sugar - but it is all sugar and it all tastes sweet. It is produced in different forms so that it can be used in different ways. Buddhism is the same: there is Theravada Buddhism, Zen Buddhism, Pure Land Buddhism, Yogacara Buddhism, Vajrayana Buddhism and Nichiren Buddhism but it is all the teaching of the Buddha and it all has the same taste - taste of freedom. Buddhism has evolved into different forms so that it can be relevent to different cultures in which it exists. It has been reinterpreted over the centuries so that it can remain relevant to each new generation. Outwardly, the types of Buddhism may seem very different but at the center of all of them are the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold path. All major religions, Buddhism included, have split into schools and sects. Perhaps the difference between Buddhism and some other religions is that the various school have generally been very tolerant and friendly towards each other.


* Reference to S.Dhammika