Hi Wind,
If you have no trouble accepting that he had the ability to visit other realms, if they so exist i.e., then I assume you are comfortable in accepting he had supernatural powers as well.
According to Buddhist literature, Buddha is said to have worked according to a timetable and he is said to have devoted a special time to look around the world - with his Divine eye - for beings who had little dust and would benefit from his teachings. If he had the capability to visit other realms, how hard is it to visit Europe or Latin America? I don't see any reason why we should think that he did NOT visit other parts of the world. Besides, who keeps track of these things? The last people to boast about such events would be the Buddha himself and individiuals who benefitted from such private visits of Buddha.
Teaching an individual to achieve Lberation and creating a Sasana at a specific place are two different things IMO. The latter needs tremendous amount of support - monetary and otherwise, both - to sustain and propagate itself in addition to people who have the ability to gain Enlightenment. As far as I know, at that time, India was the only country on Earth where people who inhabited that place were ready for such a system and had the wealth to sustain it. Even before Buddha arrived, many Indians were leaving lay life and going forth into homelessness in search of Truth/ Moksha/ Nibbana. Begging for alms, living a celibate life and meditating in forests were one facet of normal life. I am yet to encounter any other culture, at that time, who have had a similar system. Indians were perhaps lucky and ready. Unfortunately it has become a minority religion now in India.
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