user8811: Buddhism has been evolving dramatically since Buddha created it. Somehow it spawned into many different 'sects' across the world. There are numerous sutra and books on Buddhism. As a beginner, it's really hard to know what to start, but I had a feeling that I need to understand the original dogma/meaning of Buddhism when it was invented. However I heard that most sutra were written by Buddha's disciples, or disciples' disciples, or even laymen; Some of the recordings are contradict each other when interpreting Buddha's true meaning; Some original meaning was lost or probably altered since then. 
Anyone has suggestion how I should start and what to read?

user8044: What Original Buddhist Sources say is very true.  

”The Dhamma possesses multiple forms and levels. It is incumbent upon the interpreter to seek the internal coherence and consistency within a text in order to understand it. If the method of interpretation must be based on the inherent structure and intention of the Dhamma, interpretation must mirror the Dhamma itself. This means, for instance, that any interpretation that contradicts the three marks of existence (that is, all life is suffering, everything is impermanent, and non-self) is incorrect. The nature of the Dhamma necessarily requires interpreting the Dhamma in terms of itself. This suggests that the Buddha becomes the interpreter of his own teachings. More specifically, the meaning of the Dhamma points to the purpose or goal of Nibbana, and demonstrates the way that the teaching is interrelated with other parts.”

If you have an interest in learning the Dhamma, start with the Majjhima Nikaya.  Reading Faithfully
Building a relationship with the suttas tells you why.
If you are interested in building a Sutta Library go to this link. It gives a list of Cannonical Collections, Sutta Anthologies, and Sources.  Use this list to build a basic collection of the discourses of Gotama Buddha that is readable, accurate, and nearly complete. Use this list to build a basic collection of the discourses of Buddha.

user8395: First, your use of the term dogma indicates a profound ignorance of Buddhism. As Alan Watts (an adherent of the Zen Buddhist school(NOT sect http://www.catholic.com/encyclopedia/sect-and-sects-etymology-and-meaning ) said, Buddhism is the religion of no religion. Buddhism shares a lot in common with clinical psychology. You learn best by direct face to face contact with a competent teacher. Rather than waste a lot of time trying to understand on your own with your head(left brain , language, analytic) I suggest you would benefit most from direct contact with a Buddhist teacher. Finding the right one for you is a lot like finding a potential mate or a clinical psychologist. I hope I haven't discouraged you by my blunt reference to your ignorance. A really good teacher is like a good psychotherapist who will be able to reach you where you are at now and help you on your self learning process. Buddhism is not dogma but a tool box for self exploration. The different schools vary on whether enlightenment is slow or sudden or another difference is how to understand consciousness(Madhyamika vs Yogacara). There is almost universal agreement on the non-concept of emptiness(Pure Land Buddhism is a school that abdicates responsibility of learning or teaching emptiness and instead advocates a life of chanting Amitabha Buddha in order to be reborn into a Pure Land similar to Christians' concept of heaven). A koan of sorts, for me, was the question "What is the difference between death and transformation?". A serious practice of Buddhism leads to a shedding of the false ego that might be perceived by the ego as no different than death but in actual fact it is through ego death that you can really begin to live life fully. Not only that, it is a lot more fun, kinda like what Tom Robbins says that it is never too late to have a happy childhood. Have fun!!! Oh, BTW, all I have said is a gross oversimplification and therefore false(partially). It is up to you to take responsibility for your search for truth. In this respect it might be worth your while to read the very short Kalama Sutta ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalama_Sutta ). As usual, Wikipedia is where you begin to search, not the end of your exploration. If you do a search on "find a good Buddhist teacher" (with or without the quotes) you should be able to find some good tips on locating a teacher.

user14564: Buddhism has evolved indeed ever since it was created by Buddha Sakyamuni. Traditional Buddhism is the teachings of the Buddha who taught us the truth of life and the universe, and taught us how to acquire the ultimate and perfect wisdom that all of us sentient beings innately possess. This is the goal of Buddhism--to enable sentient beings to attain this same self-nature Buddhahood level of wisdom. In essence, Buddhism is an education of wisdom.
To better understand the Buddhist original dogma, one may start with reading the following 5 key guidelines that serve as the crucial foundation for practice:

The Three Conditions
The Six Principles of Harmony
The Three Learnings
The Six Paramitas
The Ten Great Vows

More importantly, Buddhist practitioners strive to sever all afflictions and try to develop a pure and quiet heart. This is the first step in learning Buddhism. Once developed a pure and quiet mind and have attained wisdom, we learn to remain unmoved by surroundings which will enhance our deep concentration. Developing a clear and understanding mind will enhance wisdom. 
In regards to the various sects of Buddhism around the world, they are all spawned from the teachings of Buddha Sakyamuni that arose from the self-nature. All methods are thus equal. Practitioners should choose a method that works well or suits himself or herself to focus in their daily lives. There is this one school, Pure Land Buddhism, that was particularly mentioned numerous times by the Buddha in various sutras throughout his teachings. The Buddha encouraged all in the Dharma-Ending Age (our present days) to understand and learn the Pure Land practice of Buddha-name Chanting (Chanting of "Namo Amitabha Buddha"). This would seem the most suitable for the majority of us for several reasons.
First, Buddha-name Chanting is relatively easy to practice in almost any environment: alone, with other practitioners, or even amid the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Second, there are no difficult prerequisites of one's capabilities. Even if one's abilities and knowledge are modest, one can achieve with belief, vows, and practice, and one will be reborn in the Pure Land at the end of one's lifetime. Therefore, the practice of Buddha-name Chanting is highly recommended for all of us to give it a try.
For more info on the Pure Land School, the Pure Land principles page explained well about the meaning of Amitabha, what the Western Pure Land is and why Amitabha Buddha created it.

user8157: The Pali scriptures are mostly consistent; without contradiction. The primary themes are non-harming (morality), non-sensual happiness (concentration) & non-attachment (wisdom). 
However, there are certainly some notable contradictions in them (for example, the Maha-Nidana Sutta), which I speculate were later attempts to introduce ideas about 'reincarnation' into the scriptures so a 'social religion' attracting a broader audience could be developed. 
I would speculate this ultimately lead to the demise of Buddhism in India, making Buddhism indifferentiatible from Hinduism. 
The foundation for a proper understanding of the Pali teachings is to embrace the principle that is chanted everyday in Theravada Buddhist countries about the Dhamma or Teachings, namely: 

Svākkhāto Bhagavatā dhammo, sandiṭṭhiko, akāliko, ehipassiko, opaneyyiko paccattaṃ veditabbo viññūhī ’ti.
Well taught is the Dhamma of the Blessed One, visible here and now, not involving time, inviting investigation, leading onwards, to be
  experienced by the wise.

If a doctrine is believed or adhered to that cannot be experienced in the here & now by an ordinary mind, this is not the original doctrine. 
Therefore, any translations of the Pali Canon that do not make sense to the ordinary reader are not the original doctrine (since the Dhamma is 'well taught', plain & straightforward, as stated in the scriptures).
The greatest problem is that of language & translations. There are many crucial translated words, such as 'birth', 'death', 'cessation', 'body', etc, which are interpreted in ways that result in not being able to experience the interpretation in the here & now. 
Fortunately, all of these crucial words are well-defined in the scriptures therefore those searching for a meaning that can be 'experienced in the here-&-now' can find it.
If you want to read something for beginners that accords with my explanation above, these links:
Two Kinds of Language
Buddha-Dhamma For Students

user8809: I like The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching by Thich Nhat Hanh as a beginning book on the core of the Buddhist teaching. It is well written and modern in style, and covers essentials such as the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path as well as slightly deeper topics. It will give you a grounding and a place from which to appreciate the sutra's. 
There are various web based repositories of sutra's which you can explore, I found http://www.accesstoinsight.org to be pleasant and good. The book includes many references to sutra's which you can look up online. 
One thing to be aware of in Buddhism is that the different schools hold differing opinions on the words of the Buddha. There is a doctrine called the Three Turnings of the Wheel of Dharma, which sets out the Mahayana view on the Buddha's teaching, while the Theravadan view is that the Pali Cannon which constitutes much of the Mahayana tradition's First Turning is authoritative by itself.
The Tibetan tradition has composed a series of texts called lamrims, of which there have been many following on from Atiśa's 11th-century original text A Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment. These aspire to order the sutra's in a logical order of progression for actual practice.

8811: <p>Buddhism has been evolving dramatically since Buddha created it. Somehow it spawned into many different 'sects' across the world. There are numerous sutra and books on Buddhism. As a beginner, it's really hard to know what to start, but I had a feeling that I need to understand the original dogma/meaning of Buddhism when it was invented. However I heard that most sutra were written by Buddha's disciples, or disciples' disciples, or even laymen; Some of the recordings are contradict each other when interpreting Buddha's true meaning; Some original meaning was lost or probably altered since then. </p>

<p>Anyone has suggestion how I should start and what to read?</p>
 8044: <p>What <a href="https://books.google.ca/books?id=9VcZttQMhMAC&amp;pg=PA6&amp;lpg=PA6&amp;dq=original+buddhist+dhamma&amp;source=bl&amp;ots=okg4Rwbdnt&amp;sig=o1LVe8Qi4Sgz3iagZG3oVo-Db5M&amp;hl=en&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=0ahUKEwjm-tmOuKbOAhXFDxoKHViyD8U4ChDoAQghMAA#v=onepage&amp;q=original%20buddhist%20dhamma&amp;f=false" rel="nofollow">Original Buddhist Sources</a> say is very true.  </p>

<blockquote>
  <p>”The Dhamma possesses multiple forms and levels. It is incumbent upon the interpreter to seek the internal coherence and consistency within a text in order to understand it. If the method of interpretation must be based on the inherent structure and intention of the Dhamma, interpretation must mirror the Dhamma itself. This means, for instance, that any interpretation that contradicts the three marks of existence (that is, all life is suffering, everything is impermanent, and non-self) is incorrect. The nature of the Dhamma necessarily requires interpreting the Dhamma in terms of itself. This suggests that the Buddha becomes the interpreter of his own teachings. More specifically, the meaning of the Dhamma points to the purpose or goal of Nibbana, and demonstrates the way that the teaching is interrelated with other parts.”</p>
</blockquote>

<p>If you have an interest in learning the Dhamma, start with the Majjhima Nikaya.  <a href="https://readingfaithfully.org/majjhima-nikaya-as-daily-practice/" rel="nofollow">Reading Faithfully
Building a relationship with the suttas</a> tells you why.</p>

<p>If you are interested in <a href="http://www.mahamevnawasaskatoon.com/uploads/5/4/5/0/54508875/building_a_sutta_library.pdf" rel="nofollow">building a Sutta Library</a> go to this link. It gives a list of Cannonical Collections, Sutta Anthologies, and Sources.  Use this list to build a basic collection of the discourses of Gotama Buddha that is readable, accurate, and nearly complete. Use this list to build a basic collection of the discourses of Buddha.</p>
 8395: <p>First, your use of the term dogma indicates a profound ignorance of Buddhism. As Alan Watts (an adherent of the Zen Buddhist school(NOT sect <a href="http://www.catholic.com/encyclopedia/sect-and-sects-etymology-and-meaning" rel="nofollow">http://www.catholic.com/encyclopedia/sect-and-sects-etymology-and-meaning</a> ) said, Buddhism is the religion of no religion. Buddhism shares a lot in common with clinical psychology. You learn best by direct face to face contact with a competent teacher. Rather than waste a lot of time trying to understand on your own with your head(left brain , language, analytic) I suggest you would benefit most from direct contact with a Buddhist teacher. Finding the right one for you is a lot like finding a potential mate or a clinical psychologist. I hope I haven't discouraged you by my blunt reference to your ignorance. A really good teacher is like a good psychotherapist who will be able to reach you where you are at now and help you on your self learning process. Buddhism is not dogma but a tool box for self exploration. The different schools vary on whether enlightenment is slow or sudden or another difference is how to understand consciousness(Madhyamika vs Yogacara). There is almost universal agreement on the non-concept of emptiness(Pure Land Buddhism is a school that abdicates responsibility of learning or teaching emptiness and instead advocates a life of chanting Amitabha Buddha in order to be reborn into a Pure Land similar to Christians' concept of heaven). A koan of sorts, for me, was the question "What is the difference between death and transformation?". A serious practice of Buddhism leads to a shedding of the false ego that might be perceived by the ego as no different than death but in actual fact it is through ego death that you can really begin to live life fully. Not only that, it is a lot more fun, kinda like what Tom Robbins says that it is never too late to have a happy childhood. Have fun!!! Oh, BTW, all I have said is a gross oversimplification and therefore false(partially). It is up to you to take responsibility for your search for truth. In this respect it might be worth your while to read the very short Kalama Sutta ( <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalama_Sutta" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalama_Sutta</a> ). As usual, Wikipedia is where you begin to search, not the end of your exploration. If you do a search on "find a good Buddhist teacher" (with or without the quotes) you should be able to find some good tips on locating a teacher.</p>
 14564: <p>Buddhism has evolved indeed ever since it was created by Buddha Sakyamuni. Traditional Buddhism is the teachings of the Buddha who taught us the truth of life and the universe, and taught us how to acquire the ultimate and perfect wisdom that all of us sentient beings innately possess. This is the goal of Buddhism--to enable sentient beings to attain this same self-nature Buddhahood level of wisdom. In essence, <strong>Buddhism is an education of wisdom</strong>.</p>

<p>To better understand the Buddhist original dogma, one may start with reading the following 5 key guidelines that serve as the crucial foundation for practice:</p>

<ol>
<li><p><a href="https://amitabha-pureland.wixsite.com/buddhism/three-conditions" rel="nofollow noreferrer">The Three Conditions</a></p></li>
<li><p><a href="https://amitabha-pureland.wixsite.com/buddhism/six-principles-of-harmony" rel="nofollow noreferrer">The Six Principles of Harmony</a></p></li>
<li><p><a href="https://amitabha-pureland.wixsite.com/buddhism/three-learnings" rel="nofollow noreferrer">The Three Learnings</a></p></li>
<li><p><a href="https://amitabha-pureland.wixsite.com/buddhism/six-paramitas" rel="nofollow noreferrer">The Six Paramitas</a></p></li>
<li><p><a href="https://amitabha-pureland.wixsite.com/buddhism/ten-great-vows" rel="nofollow noreferrer">The Ten Great Vows</a></p></li>
</ol>

<p>More importantly, Buddhist practitioners strive to sever all afflictions and try to develop a pure and quiet heart. This is the first step in learning Buddhism. Once developed a pure and quiet mind and have attained wisdom, we learn to remain unmoved by surroundings which will enhance our deep concentration. Developing a clear and understanding mind will enhance wisdom. </p>

<p>In regards to the various sects of Buddhism around the world, they are all spawned from the teachings of Buddha Sakyamuni that arose from the self-nature. All methods are thus equal. Practitioners should choose a method that works well or suits himself or herself to focus in their daily lives. There is this one school, Pure Land Buddhism, that was particularly mentioned numerous times by the Buddha in various sutras throughout his teachings. The Buddha encouraged all in the Dharma-Ending Age (our present days) to understand and learn the Pure Land practice of Buddha-name Chanting (Chanting of "Namo Amitabha Buddha"). This would seem the most suitable for the majority of us for several reasons.</p>

<p>First, Buddha-name Chanting is relatively easy to practice in almost any environment: alone, with other practitioners, or even amid the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Second, there are no difficult prerequisites of one's capabilities. Even if one's abilities and knowledge are modest, one can achieve with belief, vows, and practice, and one will be reborn in the Pure Land at the end of one's lifetime. Therefore, the <a href="https://amitabha-pureland.wixsite.com/amtb/chanting" rel="nofollow noreferrer">practice of Buddha-name Chanting</a> is highly recommended for all of us to give it a try.</p>

<p>For more info on the Pure Land School, the <a href="https://amitabha-pureland.wixsite.com/essence/pureland-principles-1" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Pure Land principles</a> page explained well about the meaning of Amitabha, what the Western Pure Land is and why Amitabha Buddha created it.</p>
 8157: <p>The Pali scriptures are mostly consistent; without contradiction. The primary themes are non-harming (morality), non-sensual happiness (concentration) &amp; non-attachment (wisdom). </p>

<p>However, there are certainly some notable contradictions in them (for example, the Maha-Nidana Sutta), which I speculate were later attempts to introduce ideas about 'reincarnation' into the scriptures so a 'social religion' attracting a broader audience could be developed. </p>

<p>I would speculate this ultimately lead to the demise of Buddhism in India, making Buddhism indifferentiatible from Hinduism. </p>

<p>The foundation for a proper understanding of the Pali teachings is to embrace the principle that is chanted everyday in Theravada Buddhist countries about the Dhamma or Teachings, namely: </p>

<blockquote>
  <p><em>Svākkhāto Bhagavatā dhammo, sandiṭṭhiko, akāliko, ehipassiko, opaneyyiko paccattaṃ veditabbo viññūhī ’ti.</em></p>
  
  <p><em>Well taught is the Dhamma of the Blessed One, visible here and now, not involving time, inviting investigation, leading onwards, to be
  experienced by the wise.</em></p>
</blockquote>

<p>If a doctrine is believed or adhered to that cannot be experienced in the here &amp; now by an ordinary mind, this is not the original doctrine. </p>

<p>Therefore, any translations of the Pali Canon that do not make sense to the ordinary reader are not the original doctrine (since the Dhamma is 'well taught', plain &amp; straightforward, as stated in the scriptures).</p>

<p>The greatest problem is that of language &amp; translations. There are many crucial translated words, such as 'birth', 'death', 'cessation', 'body', etc, which are interpreted in ways that result in not being able to experience the interpretation in the here &amp; now. </p>

<p>Fortunately, all of these crucial words are well-defined in the scriptures therefore those searching for a meaning that can be 'experienced in the here-&amp;-now' can find it.</p>

<p>If you want to read something for beginners that accords with my explanation above, these links:</p>

<p><a href="http://dhammatalks.net/Books5/Bhikkhu_Buddhadasa_Two_Kinds_of_Language.htm" rel="nofollow">Two Kinds of Language</a></p>

<p><a href="http://dhammatalks.net/Books5/Buddhadassa_Bhikkhu_Buddha_Dhamma_for_University_Students.pdf" rel="nofollow">Buddha-Dhamma For Students</a></p>
 8809: <p>I like <em>The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching</em> by Thich Nhat Hanh as a beginning book on the core of the Buddhist teaching. It is well written and modern in style, and covers essentials such as the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path as well as slightly deeper topics. It will give you a grounding and a place from which to appreciate the sutra's. </p>

<p>There are various web based repositories of sutra's which you can explore, I found <a href="http://www.accesstoinsight.org" rel="nofollow">http://www.accesstoinsight.org</a> to be pleasant and good. The book includes many references to sutra's which you can look up online. </p>

<p>One thing to be aware of in Buddhism is that the different schools hold differing opinions on the words of the Buddha. There is a doctrine called the Three Turnings of the Wheel of Dharma, which sets out the Mahayana view on the Buddha's teaching, while the Theravadan view is that the Pali Cannon which constitutes much of the Mahayana tradition's First Turning is authoritative by itself.</p>

<p>The Tibetan tradition has composed a series of texts called <em>lamrims</em>, of which there have been many following on from Atiśa's 11th-century original text <em>A Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment</em>. These aspire to order the sutra's in a logical order of progression for actual practice.</p>
