MAHAYANA, the name of a development in the later schools of Buddhism, which taught special doctrines about the Buddhas and new metaphysical theories. It originated between the age of Asoka and the Christian era, but nothing of its rise or its authors is certainly known, as this period is one of the darkest of Indian history. The earliest indication of Mahayana as a school is found in the Gandhara sculptures of the 1st century B.C., in which the bodhisattva ideal is prominent. Our actual knowledge is derived from the Mahayana sutras themselves (some of them perhaps as early as the 1st century A.D.), and also from independent expositions by Mahayana teachers, the reports of Chinese pilgrims, and the polemical works of Hindu authors. Yana means "career," but mahayana is usually translated "great vehicle," as the Lotus (ch. 3), one of the chief Mahayana sutras, describes the careers taught by the different schools under the parable of the chariots, Mahayana being compared to a great bullock chariot, while the older schools are goat and deer chariots.
The older schools, the best known of which are the Thera vadins (represented by the Pali Canon) and the Sarvastivadins, taught that all that the individual had to do was to follow out the teaching of Buddha and seek Nirvana. Those who made this their immediate goal were the monks, the disciples (iravaka) who aimed at the state of arhat each for himself, hence the name of this teaching as Sravaka-yana, "vehicle of disciples." These old schools recognized also the possibility of attaining buddha hood, though it was not set forth as a practical aim. One who became a private buddha without publicly preaching was a pratyekabuddha and his career was the pratyekabuddha-yana. Both these vehicles are mentioned together as hinayana, "low vehicle," but this term is extremely rare in the texts. It has become common among western writers owing to its use by the Chinese pilgrims.
Effect of New Doctrine.—The new doctrines did not contra dict the older ideals, but supplemented them by teaching that each individual was potentially a Buddha. He should aim both at attaining Nirvana for himself, and at becoming a Buddha, where by he can preach to others and serve the welfare of all. One who
makes this his goal is a bodhisattva, and sets out on a course of training by which through many rebirths he acquires great merit, and in the stages of his career attains in perfection six virtues known as paramitas. Hence the Mahayana is also called the bodhisattva-yana. The actual result of this teaching was not to transform all disciples into saviours, but to make the ordinary man look for salvation to certain great bodhisattvas, who by their accumulated merit save beings from hell, and assure rebirth in heaven to all those who devoutly repeat the name of their favour ite bodhisattva. The success of the movement was in fact largely due to the scope it gave to the instincts of worship and religious devotion. These developments were doubtless due to contact with the popular Hindu religions. There was no longer any question as to whether the Buddha who has attained Nirvana can be said to exist. He abides with other Buddhas in heavens at the ten points. of space. This is an approach to the current Hindu poly theism. An approach to monotheism is found in some very late schools in the belief in one universal Buddha, but it is not the predominant doctrine. In the Lotus (ch. 15) Buddha declares that when the world becomes bad and unbelieving he manifests himself again. This is exactly the claim that Krishna makes in the Bhagavadgitd. But the leading Mahayana doctrine concerns bodhisattvas. The bodhisattvas, whatever their origin, are assimi lated to current Hindu gods. Avalokitegvara, one of the most popular of them, is said in the Karanclavynha to take the form of Siva, Vishnu, etc., in order to teach the doctrine to the worship pers of these gods. Another hinduizing feature is that of magic and magic formulas (dharanis) and the religious use of sexual symbolism in which each bodhisattva is provided with a female counterpart. The works dealing with this aspect are classed as Tantra. The use of magic is found in the earliest Buddhism, but it is not treated as part of the doctrine. In Tantrism the repetition of meaningless syllables is a means of acquiring merit, and the continuous repetition of Avalokitegvara's name is enough to assure rebirth in heaven.