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Mahāyāna
Mahāyāna (Skt., the great vehicle). A major movement in the history of Buddhism embracing many schools in a sweeping reinterpretation of fundamental religious ideals, beliefs and values. Although there is no evidence for the existence of Mahāyāna prior to the 2nd century ce, it can be assumed that the movement began to crystallise earlier, incorporating teachings of existing schools. Great emphasis is placed on the twin values of compassion (karuṇā) and insight (prajñā). The Bodhisattva who devotes himself to the service of others becomes the new paradigm for religious practice, as opposed to the Arhat who is criticised for leading a cloistered life devoted to the self-interested pursuit of liberation. Schools which embraced the earlier ideal are henceforth referred to disparagingly as the Hīnayāna (Small Vehicle), or the Śrāvakayāna (Vehicle of the Hearers).
The philosophical teachings of the Mahāyāna are adumbrated in a new body of literature known as the Prajñā-pāramitā Sūtras or ‘Perfection of Insight’ texts. Here the doctrine of emptiness (śūnyatā) comes to prominence, and the Buddha is seen in a new light as a supernatural being who is worthy of loving devotion. This new conception of his nature is later formalized in the doctrine of the trikāya (three bodies). In due course new teachings and schools arose under the umbrella of the Mahāyāna such as the Mādhyamaka, the Yogācāra, the Pure Land tradition, and the Vajrayāna. The Mahāyāna form of Buddhism is predominant in north Asia. It spread from India to Nepal, Tibet, and central Asia, China, Korea, and Japan. Under the influence of these cultures it has taken many forms: the Buddhism of Nepal and Tibet has been influenced by tantric practices and the shamanism of central Asia, while in China the influence of Taoism and Confucianism have left their mark. The interaction between Buddhism and Taoism gave rise to the Ch'an school of contemplative quietism which developed into Japanese zen. |
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DAMIEN KEOWN. "Mahāyāna." A Dictionary of Buddhism. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. DAMIEN KEOWN. "Mahāyāna." A Dictionary of Buddhism. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O108-Mahyna.html DAMIEN KEOWN. "Mahāyāna." A Dictionary of Buddhism. 2004. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O108-Mahyna.html |
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Mahāyāna
Mahāyāna (Skt., ‘Great Vehicle’; Chin., Tachʾeng; Jap., Daijō; Korean, Taesūng). The form of Buddhism prominent in Tibet, Mongolia, China, Korea, Vietnam, and Japan. It regards itself as a more adequate expression of the dharma than what it calls Hīnayāna (Skt., ‘Lesser’ or ‘Inferior Vehicle’). The absence of the later teaching in early texts is variously explained. Tibetan Buddhism ascribes, within the Trikāya of the Buddha, the Hīnayāna to the historical Nirmāṇakāya and the Mahāyāna to the Sambhoga-kāya; whereas Zen claims a special wordless transmission that could not by its very nature have a literary witness. In any case, such teaching is now recorded in many sūtras. The distinctive teaching of the Mahāyāna is that of compassion for all sentient beings such that the practitioner delays his own nirvāna until all other beings shall have been liberated. The ideal practitioner is the bodhisattva, i.e. one who has given birth to the bodhicitta (Skt., ‘enlightenment-mind’) which strives to manifest Great Compassion. The two main philosophical schools of Mahāyāna are Mādhyamaka and Yogācāra/Vijñānavāda (for the lineages, see BUDDHIST SCHOOLS). Also of importance are the forms of devotion, e.g. to the Buddha Amitābha (Amida) with the promise of rebirth in the paradise of Sukhāvatī; the emphasis on sūtras containing the developed teaching of the Buddha (according to upāya-kauśalya, his early teaching was adapted to the simple-minded); the recognition of the buddha-nature (Tathāgata-garbha, buddhatā) in all things.
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JOHN BOWKER. "Mahāyāna." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. JOHN BOWKER. "Mahāyāna." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-Mahyna.html JOHN BOWKER. "Mahāyāna." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-Mahyna.html |
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Mahayana
Mahayana (Sanskrit, ‘Greater vehicle’) One of the two main schools of Buddhism, the other being the Theravada or Hinayana. Mahayana Buddhism was dominant in India from the 1st to the 12th century and is now prevalent in Tibet, China, Korea, and Japan. Unlike the Hinayana (smaller vehicle) school, it conceives of Buddha as divine, the embodiment of the absolute and eternal truth.
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"Mahayana." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Mahayana." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-Mahayana.html "Mahayana." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-Mahayana.html |
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Mahayana
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ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "Mahayana." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "Mahayana." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-Mahayana.html ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "Mahayana." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-Mahayana.html |
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Mahayana
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"Mahayana." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Mahayana." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-Mahayana.html "Mahayana." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-Mahayana.html |
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