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The Essence Of Buddhism

I'm often asked why there are so many different traditions of Buddhism, and which one is the best. The answer is simple; the best one is the path that connects you with your own heart - whether it is the Theravadin path in the Thai tradition, the Mahayana in the Japanese, or Vajrayana in the Balinese. The different "vehicles" (Skt. yana) in Buddhism are just that; modes of transport to take you to your ultimate destination, whether you prefer a sports car, a family station wagon, or a winged horse. It's your choice and an expression of your individuality.

That being said, to truly practice dharma can be difficult and whichever vehicle you choose, you should apply yourself with 100% effort to master driving it. Otherwise one can become a "spiritual materialist" and the teachings can very quickly become dogma and another ego game that clouds one's awareness, which is the antithesis of Buddhist practice.

On a similar note, it is important to understand that when Lord Buddha was teaching there was no such thing as "Buddhism". Everything was just dharma, or the truth/path. It is said that Lord Buddha taught 84,000 different methods to attain the ultimate happiness of enlightenment. It was only centuries later that people began to codify the teachings, when scholars sought to differentiate the different paths.

Here's a great explanation on the Essence of Buddhism from Sogyal Rinpoche.