Mahayana

Mahāyāna (/ˌmɑːhəˈjɑːnə/ MAH-hə-YAH-nə; "Great Vehicle") is a term for a broad group of Buddhist traditions, texts, philosophies, and practices. Mahāyāna Buddhism developed in ancient India (c. 1st century BCE onwards) and is considered one of the three main existing branches of Buddhism (the other being Theravāda and Vajrayana).[1] Mahāyāna accepts the main scriptures and teachings of early Buddhism but also recognizes various doctrines and texts that are not accepted by Theravada Buddhism as original. These include the Mahāyāna Sūtras and their emphasis on the bodhisattva path and Prajñāpāramitā.[2] Vajrayāna or Mantra traditions are a subset of Mahāyāna, which make use of numerous tantric methods considered to be faster and more powerful at achieving Buddhahood by Vajrayānists.[1]

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Mahāyāna Buddhism
Unique doctrines Bodhisattva Mind of Awakening Buddha-nature Skillful Means Transcendent Wisdom The Transcendent Virtues Emptiness The consciousness doctrine Three bodies of the Buddha Non-abiding Nirvana One Vehicle Bodhisattva Precepts and Vows Pure Lands
Buddhas and Bodhisattvas Shakyamuni Amitabha Akshobhya Bhaiṣajyaguru Vairocana Mañjuśrī Avalokiteśvara Vajrapāṇi Maitreya Kṣitigarbha Ākāśagarbha Samantabhadra Tara
Mahayana sutras Prajñāpāramitā sūtras Mahāratnakūṭa Sūtra Pure Land Sutras Lalitavistara Sūtra Lotus Sūtra Vimalakirtinirdeśa Buddhāvataṃsaka Sūtra Daśabhūmika Sūtra Samādhirāja Sūtra Saṃdhinirmocana Sūtra Tathāgatagarbha sūtras Śūraṅgama Samādhi Sūtra Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra Golden Light Sutra Mahāratnakūṭa Sūtra Tathāgataguhyaka Sūtra Akṣayamatinirdeśa Kāraṇḍavyūha Sūtra
Major schools Mādhyamaka Yogācāra Tiantai Tendai Huayan Zen Shingon Pure Land Nichiren Vajrayāna Tibetan Buddhism Dzogchen
Key historical figures Nāgārjuna Ashvaghosha Āryadeva Lokakṣema Kumārajīva Vasubandhu Asanga Zhiyi Bodhidharma Buddhapālita Bhāvaviveka Dignāga Dharmakīrti Xuanzang Candrakīrti Shāntideva Shāntarakshita Abhayākaragupta Atisha
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"Mahāyāna" also refers to the path of the bodhisattva striving to become a fully awakened Buddha (samyaksaṃbuddha) for the benefit of all sentient beings, and is thus also called the "Bodhisattva Vehicle" (Bodhisattvayāna).[3][note 1] Mahāyāna Buddhism generally sees the goal of becoming a Buddha through the bodhisattva path as being available to all and sees the state of the arhat as incomplete.[4] Mahāyāna also includes numerous Buddhas and bodhisattvas that are not found in Theravada (such as Amitābha and Vairocana).[5] Mahāyāna Buddhist philosophy also promotes unique theories, such as the Madhyamaka theory of emptiness (śūnyatā), the Vijñānavāda doctrine, and the Buddha-nature teaching.

Although it was initially a small movement in India, Mahāyāna eventually grew to become an influential force in Indian Buddhism.[6] Large scholastic centers associated with Mahāyāna such as Nalanda and Vikramashila, thrived between the seventh and twelfth centuries.[6] In the course of its history, Mahāyāna Buddhism spread throughout South Asia, Central Asia, East Asia, and Southeast Asia. It remains influential today in China, Mongolia, Hong Kong, Korea, Japan, Singapore, Vietnam, the Philippines, Nepal, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Bhutan.[7]

The Mahāyāna tradition is the largest major tradition of Buddhism existing today (with 53% of Buddhists belonging to East Asian Mahāyāna and 6% to Vajrayāna), compared to 36% for Theravada (survey from 2010).[8]