I think it's folly to try to essentialize "the Buddha", when it's likely that Siddhartha Gautama never even existed. My point in bringing up Ugra was to show t

I think it's folly to try to essentialize "the Buddha", when it's likely that Siddhartha Gautama never even existed. My point in bringing up Ugra was to show that many/most sects of Buddhism have been predominantly focused on monasticism. In the sutras, advanced lay people are the exception, not the rule. And the surrounding societies understand that there's a difference. But in the west, lay people have higher expectations for spiritual attainment...