Mahayana

American  

[mah-huh-yah-nuh] / ˌmɑ həˈyɑ 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

Derived Forms

• Mahayanist
  noun

Etymology

Origin of Mahayana

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

Example Sentences

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

From Seattle Times • Dec. 7, 2023

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

From New York Times • Jun. 23, 2022

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

His work is a compilation but is not to be despised on that ground, for the Tibetan translations of Sanskrit works offer a rich mine of information about the history of the Mahayana.

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