Religion works well for modern Christianity, which is identified as a coherent body of beliefs and practices that pertain to the sacred sphere of life and so can be distinguished from non-religious aspects of life. Neither of those characteristics works particularly well for Eastern traditions, but as Europeans tried to understand the traditions of India and the Far East, they naturally thought of them as similar to their own traditions. The gods of Hinduism are many and diverse. Some are considered to be personifications of natural phenomena like fire, storms, and the sky. The caste system is a social construct that developed gradually over centuries, and is so widespread that it is even observable in some Christian and Muslim communities in India. As Buddhism spread through Asia, some communities tried to remain close to the Buddha's original teaching.