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

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

Zen is the most purified and austere tradition in Mahayana Buddhism, and “Mind Over Matter” brings out more than 50 objects from the Freer’s rich collection of Zen art, one of the largest outside Japan.

From New York Times • Jun. 22, 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

It is regarded as authoritative in China and Japan at the present day and it illustrates the triple tendency of the Mahayana towards metaphysics, mythology, and devotional piety.

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