Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Conversation
The Conversation
Pierce Salguero, Associate Professor of Asian History & Religious Studies, Penn State

What is Mahāyāna Buddhism? A scholar of Buddhism explains

Buddhism
The vast majority of Buddhists in historical and contemporary times have been followers of Mahāyāna Buddhism. Fred de Noyelle / Godong/Stone via Getty Images

Mahāyāna is the name of one of the two primary branches of Buddhism. The word is formulated from the Sanskrit “mahā,” meaning great or large, and “yāna,” meaning vehicle. Taken together, the term can be translated as the Great Vehicle.

As I explain in my book “Buddhish: A Guide to the 20 Most Important Buddhist Ideas for the Curious and Skeptical,” Mahāyāna is the most popular type of Buddhism in the world today.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
New Yorker paid $3 for yard-sale bowl; ancient artefact later sold for $2.225m
A remarkable discovery unfolded in 2007 when a New Yorker purchased a small white bowl for merely three dollars during a yard sale. For years, this bowl was displayed proudly in their home until appraisers revealed its true worth: a rare 'Ding' ware from the Northern Song dynasty valued between…
The Times of India
The Times of India
50 Cent Reveals Eminem 'Put a Couple of Pieces Together' Before Stepping Back to Work on New Album
50 Cent says Eminem helped develop music for the upcoming Street Fighter film before prioritising his next album, leaving the collaboration and soundtrack plans uncertain.
International Business Times UK
International Business Times UK
A Connecticut TikToker says she kept getting nearly empty dressing cups at Chipotle, and her message is ‘Get it together, Chipotle’
There's barely any in the containers
We Got This Covered
We Got This Covered
Girls is back: why it’s the perfect time for more of Lena Dunham’s millennial Sex and the City
HBO’s era-defining comedy is set for a new five-episode series. Its bleakness and warmth couldn’t be more welcome
The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
Illinois woman gets a cup of soda at gas station fountain machine. Then she sees what is floating inside: ‘Imagine you got a Coke’
Not thirsty anymore.
We Got This Covered
We Got This Covered
'Not Sexy': Dakota Johnson Reveals the Surprising Truth About Sex Scenes and Her First Intimacy Coordinator
Dakota Johnson has described intimate scenes as carefully planned, uncomfortable work, while praising her first intimacy coordinator and discussing body confidence and lessons from her mother, Melanie Griffith.
International Business Times UK
International Business Times UK
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.
Download on the AppStore Get it on Google Play