Why Is There Such Diversity Among The World's Religions?

Now, we may ask, "Why is this so? Why is there such metaphysical and philosophical diversity among the world's religions?" Such diversity can be found not only among different religions but also within religions as well. Even withing Buddhism—even within the teachings of Buddha Shakyamuni himself—there is a great diversity of teachings. In Buddha's more philosophical teachings, we find this diversity to be most pronounced; in some cases, the teachings seem to even contradict each other!

This points, I think, to one of the most important truths about spiritual teachings: spiritual teachings must be appropriate to the individual taught. The Buddha recognized among his followers a diversity of mental dispositions, spiritual inclinations, and interests, and saw in order to suit this diversity he had to teach differently in different contexts. No matter how powerful a particular teaching may be or how "correct" a philosophical view may be, if it is not suitable to the individual hearing it, it has no value. A skillful spiritual teacher will thus judge the appropriateness of a given teaching for a given individual and teach accordingly.

---His Holiness the Dalai Lama---

To repeat:  No matter how powerful a particular teaching may be or how "correct" a philosophical view may be, if it is not suitable to the individual hearing it, it has no value.