That's the 'old way' wherein each person went through various rituals, usually overseen by monks, in order to learn to attain Nirvana, which meant they attained the religious life. It was the 'narrow' path that Gautama rejected so he began his own version of Buddhism, Mahayana Buddhism, meaning the 'wide road' that any could follow to obtain Nirvana without elaborate, required rituals, and then he had his acolytes write down his teachings to create written guides based on his life to help his followers and anyone else attain Nirvana on their own. As Mahayanists. There is no blending of the two version of Buddhism in ancient India (I say India because this doesn't include other branches such as Zen Buddhism). And because Gautama offered a 'wide road' to Nirvana rather the 'narrow path' offered by the Theravada's to become an Arhat, Mahayana Buddhism is easier to practice and became popular in the west.

Enjoyed reading this and will watch for more from you.

Forgive me if I seem 'picky' sometimes, it's because I always want to learn more.