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You make a very good point, Lindil. The history of Buddhism is a very long and complex one; many ideas that are central to Mahayana Buddhism did not exist at all in the original teachings of Siddhartha (which probably more closely resemble modern Therevada Buddhism). Even within any one major branch there is considerable variety, both historically and at present. Zen/Chan Buddhism, for example, bears little resemblance to Pure Land Buddhism in practice, despite the fact that both are Mahayana. And in practice Buddhist traditions often merge with or incorporate elements of folk religion.
Still, I think that one can identify some fundamental Buddhist concepts that at least make it sensible to talk about Buddhism simpliciter:
Life is suffering.
Suffering is caused by attachments.
By eliminating these attachments one can transcend this existence and achieve a higher state of being.
I must say that I don't see any of these concepts embodied in Tolkien's work.
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