Mahayana

Mahayana is a major Buddhist tradition centered on the bodhisattva path and the aspiration to attain awakening for the benefit of all beings.

Bodhisattva: A being who seeks awakening and cultivates compassion to benefit all sentient beings. The bodhisattva embodies Mahayana’s defining ideal of awakening for others.
Six Perfections: Six qualities cultivated on the bodhisattva path: generosity, ethics, patience, effort, meditation, and wisdom. They provide a practical framework for developing the bodhisattva virtues.
Mahayana sutras: Buddhist scriptures that present teachings and practices associated with the Mahayana tradition. These texts articulate Mahayana doctrines and the bodhisattva ideal.
Zen: An East Asian Buddhist tradition emphasizing meditation and direct insight into awakening. Zen develops Mahayana teachings through meditation-centered practice.
Theravada: A Buddhist tradition whose scriptures are primarily preserved in the Pali Canon and whose ideal is often the arahant. Comparisons with Theravada highlight different textual histories and presentations of the ideal path.
Bodhicitta: The aspiration to attain awakening for the benefit of all sentient beings. This aspiration motivates the bodhisattva path across Mahayana traditions.
Bodhisattva vow: A commitment to pursue awakening and work for the liberation of all sentient beings. The vow turns bodhicitta into a sustained ethical and spiritual commitment.
Early Mahayana: The formative period in which Mahayana movements and texts emerged within Indian Buddhism. Its varied beginnings resist a single-founder or single-date account.
Pure Land Buddhism: A Mahayana tradition focused on rebirth in a Buddha’s Pure Land through faith, vows, and practice. It offers a distinctive route toward awakening grounded in Amitabha Buddha’s vows.
Arahant: A person who has attained liberation from rebirth in early Buddhist traditions. The arahant ideal is often contrasted with Mahayana’s emphasis on complete Buddhahood.

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