Mahayana

American  

[mah-huh-yah-nuh] / ˌmɑ həˈjɑ nə /

noun

1. the later of the two great schools of Buddhism, chiefly in China, Tibet, and Japan, characterized by eclecticism and a general belief in a common search for salvation, sometimes thought to be attainable through faith alone.

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Mahayana British  

/ ˌmɑːhəˈjɑːnə /

noun

1. 1. a liberal Buddhist school of Tibet, China, and Japan, whose adherents aim to disseminate Buddhist doctrines, seeking enlightenment not for themselves alone, but for all sentient beings

   2. ( as modifier )

      Mahayana Buddhism

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Other Word Forms

• Mahayanist
  noun

Etymology

Origin of Mahayana

1865–70; < Sanskrit, equivalent to mahā- great + yāna vehicle

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Mahayana

It is most common in East Asia’s Buddhist Mahayana traditions found in Japan, Korea and Vietnam.

From Seattle Times ● Dec. 7, 2023

Originally from Gandhara, Lokaksema was a Buddhist scholar who spent his time in China at the court of the Han dynasty, translating Mahayana Buddhist texts with his students.

From Textbooks ● Apr. 19, 2023

The exhibition title comes from a popular sutra in Mahayana Buddhism that is chanted by zen groups.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 21, 2019

Bhutan is the only country in the world whose state religion is Mahayana Buddhism.

From New York Times ● Oct. 30, 2014

The canon of Southern scripture is called the Hinayana, the Little or Smaller Vehicle; the canon of Northern Buddhism is named the Mahayana or Great Vehicle.

From The Religions of Japan From the Dawn of History to the Era of Méiji by Griffis, William Elliot