Sanskrit Noun
Hīnayāna
Lesser Vehicle
हीनयान
ཐེག་དམན།
小乘
Basic Meaning
The mainstream teachings and the early schools of Buddhism which primarily taught individual liberation through practice-focused renunciation and monasticism, considered lesser than the later movement of the Greater Vehicle (Mahāyāna), which professed enlightenment for all sentient beings and promoted compassion.
| Term Variations | |
|---|---|
| Key Term | Hīnayāna |
| Topic Variation | Hīnayāna |
| Tibetan | ཐེག་དམན། ( thekmen) |
| Wylie Tibetan Transliteration | theg dman ( thekmen) |
| Devanagari Sanskrit | हीनयान |
| Romanized Sanskrit | hīnayāna |
| Chinese | 小乘 |
| Chinese Pinyin | xiǎo chéng |
| Buddha-nature Site Standard English | Lesser Vehicle |
| Jeffrey Hopkin's English Term | Lesser Vehicle |
| Ives Waldo's English Term | lesser/individual vehicle |
| Term Information | |
| Source Language | Sanskrit |
| Basic Meaning | The mainstream teachings and the early schools of Buddhism which primarily taught individual liberation through practice-focused renunciation and monasticism, considered lesser than the later movement of the Greater Vehicle (Mahāyāna), which professed enlightenment for all sentient beings and promoted compassion. |
| Related Terms | nikāya, śravakayāna |
| Term Type | Noun |
| Definitions | |
| Wikipedia | wikipedia:Hinayana |
