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

But Zen is the most purified and austere tradition in Mahayana Buddhism.

From New York Times ● Jun. 23, 2022

Women can be ordained as the equivalent of monks in China, South Korea, Taiwan and Vietnam, mostly dominated by the Mahayana school of Buddhism.

From Seattle Times ● Dec. 9, 2021

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

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 21, 2019

Abbot James Wiseman, retired professor of theology at Catholic University, discusses the three main branches or lineages of Buddhism, Theravada, Mahayana, including Zen and Vajrayana.

From Washington Post ● Mar. 28, 2014

In investigating the beginnings of the Mahayana we may start from the epoch of Asoka, who is regarded by tradition as the patron and consolidator of the Hinayanist Church.

From Hinduism and Buddhism, An Historical Sketch, Vol. 2 by Sir Charles Eliot