Hinduism and Budhism

With a PBS documentary and Tiger not to mention the ever present Dalai Lama, Buddhism is the star religion of the East to the Western world. This leaves only the Hare Krishna people to explain Hinduism. This of course scares the crap out of me. Of course there is Wikipedia if you really want to know the differences but I thought I would clarify some basic points. Hinduism and Buddhism are general descriptions for religions or spiritual practices of people living in India and East Asia. While both religions evolved in India, Buddhism traveled east and mixed with new and old practices to become distinct from its roots in India. Buddhism in India is often seen by the locals as one more of the myriad religious practices of the Indian subcontinent. Hinduism is the generic term used to describe a fairly disparate group of religious thought and practices. Some in India now claim it as a doctrinal organized religion but these tend to be the extremists. For the most part the difference between Buddhism and Hinduism comes down to which sect and what belief. For example for those who would consider the Gita as the most concise description of Hindu philosophy, the difference would come down to seeing the same cycles of life and rebirth as in Buddhism but with emphasis on completing your role in life to the fullest extent in order to move on to the next life until reaching the state of an enlightened entity and becoming part of God. Indian Buddhism emphasizes these endless cycles and seeks to break them immediately by mediation and seeking enlightenment as the Buddha did. Eastern Buddhism is somewhat different in incorporating pre-existant eastern thought with variations dependent on country. This part I will leave to experts in those places or your trusty Wikipedia.