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

• 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

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

He seems to regard the Mahayana as the better way.

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