Mahayana Buddhism originated in India and emphasizes bodhicitta, the pursuit of enlightenment and compassion. It incorporates Mahayana sutras and teaches the emptiness of all things. It believes all living beings can become Buddhas and emphasizes altruism. It became the dominant form of Buddhism in East Asia in the 7th century.
Mahayana Buddhism is one of the two major schools of Buddhist teachings. It originated in India and takes the compassion and enlightenment of bodhichitta as its ideal. Mahayana Buddhists see Buddha as a manifestation of a divine being, instead of a supremely enlightened man. It originated in southern India in the 1st century AD and encompasses Pure Land, Tibetan Buddhism and Zen. It is the most widely practiced school of Buddhism and boasts hundreds of millions of followers worldwide.
This type of Buddhism incorporates a number of Mahayana sutras (Buddhist discourses or scriptures). These sutras are said to represent the Buddha’s original teachings, but are more likely to be from centuries after his time. Due to the contradictory elements of the Mahayana sutras, the teachings of the Buddhist school have been debated and examined for centuries. Some of the sutras involve the ability to see reality as it is and the attainment of high levels of consciousness through meditation.
In Mahayana Buddhism, there are an infinite number of Buddhas, while other forms have only Gautama Buddha. It is based on the practice of bodhicitta. It is an essential practice in this form of Buddhism and differentiates it from others. Bodhicitta is the pursuit of enlightenment and compassion. It is achieved through a dedication to others and should bring true happiness.
Bodhicitta practitioners strive towards complete enlightenment, and thus Buddhahood. The person who practices is committed to helping others achieve nirvana. Nirvana is achieved when samsara, the cyclic existence of life in Buddhism, has escaped. The practicing Bodhisattav avoids nirvana to stay in samsara and help others to attain nirvana. This act is an act of altruism to achieve the eventual and inevitable liberation of each soul, in contrast to the individual liberation important to other forms of Buddhism. This Buddhism emphasizes mindfulness and wisdom.
Mahayana Buddhism also emphasizes the emptiness of all things, or sunyata. This teaching states that all experiences and thoughts depend on reason and therefore are interpretive. So according to this type of Buddhism, nothing exists outside the mind in absolute terms. They are, however, real in relative terms.
Mahayana teaches, most importantly, that all living beings can become Buddhas. This Buddhism teaches that all things have the seed of Buddha in them and that through bodhichitta they can strive towards Buddhahood. Mahayana Buddhism states that any sentient being, those who are stuck in the life cycle of samsara, can attain bodhicitta and help all souls to attain nirvana.
Early Mahayana Buddhism was encouraged by the Indian philosopher Nagarjuna. It became the dominant form of Buddhism of all of East Asia in the seventh century. Mahayana Buddhism is led by monks, although monastic life is less restrictive than in other forms of Buddhism. The school follows many of the important texts and sutras of other schools of Buddhism. It also follows many important and more recent ones that are probably not derived from Gautama Buddha. While less conservative than the original forms of Buddhism created around the 5th century BCE, it is more widely practiced than Theravada Buddhism.
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