[maphew]

We call many things Buddhism now as a fuzzy shorthand for a plethora of culture and practices that share a heritage and resemble each other. The reason the passage in [1] exists in the canon is because at Buddha's time both extreme indulgence and asceticism were in vogue. As the article makes clear they've continued past his time as well. (Gautama's not yet succeeded in persuading everyone on the wisdom of the middle way.)

I'm reasonably certain you're quite well aware of this. I just wanted to ensure a between the lines meaning was made explicit in the thread. To remind that Buddhism is nested inside a larger contingent, and that this story lies more in that outer part than in.