Question

Why has Buddhism changed?

Answer 1

The earliest Buddhism of which we have any record is known today as Therevada, which still flourishes in Sri Lanka, Vietnam, and other countries. It is a strict form of Buddhism, separating lay from monk and emphasizing study of the early writings along with begging and meditation.

When Buddhism reached Tibet, however, it found a existing and hugely rich tradition of gods and stories, and Buddhism absorbed it, creating Tibetan Buddhism. Again, there is strict separation between monk and lay, but there is much more ritual and a very formal hierarchy of monks by educational attainment.

When Buddhism got to China and Japan, it encountered a more austere approach to things, and it changed into what we know today as Zen (which is popularly believed to be from Japan, but was born in China). Zen completely refigured Buddhism, emphasizing sitting in "zazen" rather than study of scriptures, and the use of koans and other means of kicking the mind out of its accustomed ruts and achieving enlightenment suddenly, or in some schools gradually, but always as a result of retraining the mind with shocks and long meditation. Zen says that any mundane daily event can be a door into enlightenment.

Answer 2

In some religions, sin is the origin of human suffering. In Buddhism there is no sin; the root cause of human suffering is avidyā “ignorance”. After Siddhartha Gautama passed away, the community he founded slowly evolved into a religion-like movement and the teachings of Siddhartha became the basis of Buddhism.