The Mahayana
The followers of the Mahayana were distinguished from other Buddhists by their allegiance to a new kind of scriptures, the Mahayana sutras, and by their devotion to enlightened beings known as bodhisattva. They called themselves followers of the Mahayana, the "greater vehicle", in contrast to other Buddhists, whose path they disparagingly called the Hinayana, the "lesser vehicle". The Mahayana seems to have emerged during the first century BCE, and grown increasingly popular over the following centuries. 

In terms of its doctrines, the Mahayana did not break with the Buddha's teachings found in the Tripitaka but placed more emphasis on certain aspects of it, in particular, the ideas of "emptiness" (Shunyata) and "compassion" (Karuna). Emptiness signifies the lack of permanent existence in all things, and the interdependence of all things. Compassion signifies a selflessness which aims for the enlightenment of all other sentient beings before oneself. 

Followers of the Mahayana believed that the historical Buddha was not a unique teacher but a manifestation of a principle of enlightenment. They believed that many Buddhas exist, not on this earth but in "pure lands" into which sentient beings endowed with merit and wisdom might be reborn. Monks following the Mahayana generally practiced a combination of study and meditation in the same way as Shravakayana monks. On the other hand, the Mahayana popularized the idea that lay people could also attain enlightenment, without the need to take up the monastic life. For a lay person, the goal was usually the indirect route rebirth into a pure land,. 

Many philosophical schools of thought developed within the Mahayana. The most important were the Madhyamaka ("middle way"), the Cittamatra ("mind only") and the Tathagatagarbha ("buddha nature"). The followers of the Madhyamaka concentrated on the concept of emptiness, either through establishing it with philosophical arguments, or merely through refuting all other philosophical arguments. The followers of the Cittamatra believed that all things, internal and external, were the mind. The Tathagatagarbha teachings held that every sentient being was already a Buddha, but that this Buddha-nature was obscured by temporary defilements.

Compiled by Tibetanlama.com

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