Mahayana

[ mah-huh-yah-nuh ]

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.

Mahayana

/ 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

Derived Forms

• ˌMahaˈyanist, noun

Other Words From

• Ma·ha·ya·nist [mah-h, uh, -, yah, -nist], noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of Mahayana¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of Mahayana¹

from Sanskrit, from 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

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

From New York Times

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

Women can be ordained as the equivalent of monks in China, South Korea, Taiwan and Vietnam, mostly dominated by the Mahayana school of Buddhism.

From Seattle Times

There are some Vietnamese attendees, too, but most Vietnamese Buddhists align with Mahayana Buddhism, and on the Coast, most Vietnamese Americans are Catholic.

From Washington Times