Mahayana (Noun)
Meaning 1
A major school of Buddhism teaching social concern and universal salvation; China; Japan; Tibet; Nepal; Korea; Mongolia.
Classification
Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects.
Related Words
Meaning 2
One of two great schools of Buddhist doctrine emphasizing a common search for universal salvation especially through faith alone; the dominant religion of China and Tibet and Japan.
Classification
Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents.
Examples
- Mahayana Buddhism spread rapidly to China, Korea, and Japan, where it remains a dominant force in Eastern spirituality.
- The Mahayana tradition emphasizes the ideal of the bodhisattva, who seeks enlightenment for the sake of all sentient beings.
- Vajrayana is a development of the Mahayana path which employs rituals and techniques such as the recitation of mantras and the use of mandalas.
- The scriptures of the Mahayana school include the Prajnaparamita sutras, the Lotus Sutra, and the Vimalakirti Sutra, among others.
- The Mahayana concept of the "three bodies of the Buddha" is a complex and nuanced development of traditional Buddhist doctrine.