Thoughts on "Soul"?

To my understanding, Buddha did not teach the idea of a permanent soul or essence. Is this correct? Does it just mean that there is no permanent "me", i.e. what constitutes who I am in the world as far as identity, name, experiences and memories, etc. or is it all that in addition to there being no "essence" or divine spark that continues forth, blown by karmic winds? I believe that the former dissipates after physical death, either quickly/slowly/painlessly/painfully depending on our level of attachment to people and things and that there is a vehicle that retains the essence of our experiences Is there an accepted standard in Buddhism, or does it differ bertween disciplines?