School of thought
Mahayana
Movement
Classification
- Period
- c. 100 BCE onward
- Regions
- south asia, east asia
- Domains
- Ethics , Philosophy of Religion
Overview
Mahayana ('Great Vehicle') Buddhism expanded the Buddhist path from individual liberation to universal salvation through the bodhisattva ideal — the aspiration to attain enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings. Its philosophical innovations include Nagarjuna's doctrine of emptiness (sunyata) and the Yogacara school's analysis of consciousness.
Key ideas
- Bodhisattva Ideal: Rather than seeking individual nirvana, the bodhisattva vows to remain in the cycle of rebirth until all beings are liberated — compassion as the supreme virtue.
- Sunyata (Emptiness): All phenomena are empty of inherent, independent existence. Emptiness is not nothingness but the absence of fixed essence — everything exists dependently.
- Skillful Means (Upaya): The Buddha adapts his teaching to the capacities of each listener. Different doctrines and practices are appropriate for different people at different stages.
Key figures
Nagarjuna · Asanga · Vasubandhu · Shantideva
Influenced by
Later connections
- Madhyamaka Influenced by this tradition
- Tibetan Buddhism Influenced by this tradition
- Yogacara Influenced by this tradition
- Zen (Chan) Influenced by this tradition
References
- Paul Williams, Mahāyāna Buddhism: The Doctrinal Foundations (2nd ed., Routledge, 2009)
- The Heart Sutra — Red Pine (trans.)
- The Way of the Bodhisattva — Shantideva (trans. Padmakara)