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Mahāyāna (Sanskrit: महायान, "Great Vehicle") is the largest branch of Buddhism, followed by the older branch Theravada. It is a broad group of Buddhist traditions, texts, philosophies, and practices that developed in various regions and Buddhist communities of ancient India (c. 1st century BCE onwards). Mahāyāna Buddhism accepts the main scriptures and teachings of early Buddhism but also recognizes various scriptures that are not accepted by Theravāda Buddhism as canonical. Mahāyāna scriptures like the Lotus Sutra and the Vajra-cutter Sutra emphasize the ideal of the bodhisattva, spiritual heroes who vow to attain buddhahood for the sake of saving all living beings (a compassionate attitude termed bodhicitta). These scriptures also contain unique teachings such as the Perfection of Wisdom and Buddha-nature.

The Mahāyāna also refers to the path of the bodhisattva striving to become a fully awakened buddha for the benefit of all sentient beings, and is thus also called the "Bodhisattva Vehicle" (Bodhisattvayāna). Mahāyāna Buddhism generally sees the goal of becoming a buddha through the bodhisattva path as being available to all beings who make the bodhisattva vow. Furthermore, Mahāyāna sees the state of the arhat as incomplete and as a lesser aspiration. Mahāyāna buddhology includes numerous buddhas and bodhisattvas that are not found in Theravāda (e.g. Amitābha and Vairocana), as well as unique conceptions of buddhahood not found in Theravāda (e.g. Trikaya and Upaya). Mahāyāna Buddhist philosophy also promotes unique theories, such as the Madhyamaka theory of emptiness (śūnyatā), and the Vijñānavāda (the idealistic "doctrine of consciousness").

While initially a small movement in India, Mahāyāna eventually grew to become an influential force in Indian Buddhism. Large scholastic centers associated with Mahāyāna such as Nalanda and Vikramashila thrived between the 7th and 12th centuries. In the course of its history, Mahāyāna Buddhism spread from South Asia to Central Asia, East Asia, Southeast Asia and the Himalayan regions. Various Mahāyāna traditions (such as Zen, Pure Land, and Tiantai) are the predominant forms of Buddhism found in China, Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia.

Vajrayana or Mantra traditions are a subset of Mahāyāna which makes use of numerous tantric methods considered to lead to Buddhahood swiftly. These tantric forms of Mahāyāna are also dominant in Tibet, Mongolia, Bhutan, and other Himalayan regions. It has also been traditionally present elsewhere in Asia as a minority among Buddhist communities in Nepal, Malaysia, Indonesia and regions with Asian diaspora communities.

As of 2010, the Mahāyāna tradition was the largest major tradition of Buddhism, with 53% of Buddhists belonging to East Asian Mahāyāna and 6% to Vajrayāna, compared to 36% to Theravāda.

From Mahayana on Wikipedia