| abstract | - Mahayana (Sanskrit: महायान, mahāyāna literally 'Great Vehicle') is one of two major divisions of Buddhism, along with Theravada. In this sense, Mahayana Buddhism is distinguished primarily by its recognition of the Mahayana sutras, which Theravadins reject as spurious. Among its adherents, "Mahayana" also refers to a level of spiritual motivation or realization based on bodhicitta--the altruistic aspiration to achieve enlightenment not only for one's own sake, but for the sake of all sentient beings. The term contrasts with "Hinayana" (the "Small Vehicle"); and in some forms of Tibetan Buddhism, with Vajrayana (the "Diamond Vehicle," i.e., tantric Buddhism), though this is Mahayanist in terms of motivation. Note on usage: The term "Hinayana" tends to be received as a pejorative among adherents of the Theravada tradition, and is therefore often avoided. A useful alternative, for historical contexts when "Theravada" is too narrow, is Nikaya Buddhism. In theological discussions, one may refer to followers of the Shravaka ("Hearer") or Pratyekabuddha ("Solitary Realizer") path. Although the Mahayana movement traces its origin to Gautama Buddha, scholars believe that it originated in India in the 1st century CE, or the 1st century BCE. Scholars think that Mahayana only became a mainstream movement in India in the fifth century CE, since that is when Mahayanic inscriptions started to appear in epigraphic records in India. Before the 11th century CE (while Mahayana was still present in India), the Mahayana Sutras were still in the process of being revised. Thus, several different versions may have survived of the same sutra. These different versions are invaluable to scholars attempting to reconstruct the history of Mahayana. In the course of its history, Mahayana spread throughout Inner Asia and East Asia, where it took on two principal forms: Tibetan Buddhism (found in Tibet, Mongolia, and various Himalayan regions); and East Asian Buddhism (associated with China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam). The former follows the Tibetan Buddhist canon; the latter, the Chinese Buddhist canon. Major "schools" within East Asian Buddhism include Pure Land Buddhism, Tientai, Huayan, and Chan Buddhism (Zen).
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