Buddhist Diversity

Buddhism is classified as a prominent religion that exists in the world. It is cultural and traditional, and can be found quite readily in most countries. It is calculated that ten percent of the global population claim to be Buddhist (500,000,000) and so the understanding and application of the teachings and principles expounded by its founder, Siddhattha Gotoma will naturally be different from country to country, culture to culture and tradition to tradition.
The teachings themselves are pure, testable, ultimately simple and lead to enlightenment, freedom from the delusion of 'self, 'and a natural sense of peace and harmony in life. They can always be expressed in a few words such as 'live with love and be aware,' the essence of the Metta Sutta and the Maha Satipatthana Sutta, but are however, difficult to apply as often that very simplicity becomes an obstacle to understanding. Because of this, techniques, ceremonies and observances are created until a new religious practice is established. However, as the mind presents nothing new, these practices are merely variations of previous religious, social and cultural forms.
 So, Buddhist practice in Japan for example, is very different from Buddhist practice in Sri Lanka. However, from a Dhamma point of view, the outward form itself means very little provided it leads to the inner form of the liberation from self identity. So, diversity in Buddhism begins with geography, and culture. It is also greatly informed by the natural structure of the language of any particular region and this has a strong influence how the practice is understood. To say that the First Noble Truth (Dukkha Ariya Sacca) is: Life is suffering, is a nonsense, even if widely accepted by European Buddhists. If we investigate we can see that in Europe our first introduction to Buddhism came from Christian missionaries travelling or residing in Asia who interpreted what they saw and heard from their own cultural and religious background. They saw men and women in plain robes following a simple community life, and identified them as monks and nuns, again another Christian concept. However, Dukkha does not mean suffering and Bhikkhu and Bhikkhuni does not mean monk and nun in the Christian sense, therefore when Buddhism, specifically Theravada Buddhism arrived in Europe it was already tainted by the misunderstanding and religious baggage that had preceded it. Western Buddhism still needs to develop past simple belief and acceptance and actually penetrate the original language spoken by the great and original teacher.
What does Dukkha really mean, what does Bhikkhu really mean? Short cuts in language are useful only when we understand the true meaning of the word we are sidestepping. Now we come to the individual mind itself. If there are a thousand people in a room, all from the same country and social background, all speaking the same language and claiming to be a 'Buddhist', there will be a thousand different interpretations of what that claim actually means. This essential teaching of 'the world we experience is unique and personal to each one of us;' is crucial to our deeper understanding, and points to Kamma, Vipaka and their manifestation in our life. In other words, we do not see the world, or anything in it as it is, we see the world and everything in it as we are. Therefore even if we are committed Buddhists, practising meditation and making long regular meditation retreats, our individual understanding will still be different from that of our colleagues doing exactly the same thing. Perhaps you will argue for veganism and supporting animal equality, quoting the Dhammapada;

All beings fear pain and death.

Remembering that we are one of them,

we will neither hurt nor kill.

(verse 129)

Whereas someone else does not see the eating of animal flesh as contrary to the teachings of the Buddha provided it conforms to the three conditions that monks and nuns must follow regarding the accepting of alms food. The world that we experience is the one we create by empowering the mind of this being we call self. In this way we individually follow our sense desires or not, depending upon our own kammic disposition.
Even if Buddhism is a term used globally to define a particular approach to life, it is eroneous to say that any two beings understand it in exactly the same way. When I say, 'live with love and be aware,' what do you hear? And there you have it! The reason then for the global diversity of Buddhism and its 500,000,000 practitioners, is nothing more than the mind of its individual practitioners.
Buddhism is a religion that exists in the world. It is historic, cultural and traditional, and can be found in almost all countries. It differs from place to place because of the diverse nature of beings. Buddha Dhamma is the teachings of an enlightened being that are shared and freely offered to disciples everywhere in the world to help them realise their own awakening. The difference between the two is enormous! In the end, picking up a new identity is not important, awakening is. In this place we are all the same.

May all beings be happy.