Log in Saša Marjanović 11 years agoPosted 11 years ago. Direct link to Saša Marjanović's post “There is something that c...” There is something that confuses me when it comes to Buddhist traditions and history. There are two (main) traditions: Theravada and Mahayana (and according to some sources the third: Vajrayana). If I understood correctly, in this article Mahayana is mentioned as a later stage of Buddhism as opposed to Hinayana as the earlier stage. So the use of the Mahayana in these two different contexts is a bit confusing. If it refers to exactly the same thing, does this mean that the Theravada tradition is based on the teachings and religious practice from the Hinayana period? • (11 votes) Danielle Koch 11 years agoPosted 11 years ago. Direct link to Danielle Koch's post “My understanding is that ...” My understanding is that Mahayana ("Great Vehicle") and Hinayana ("Defective Vehicle") are two traditions; Mahayana focusing on achieving a buddha-state, and Hinayana focusing on achieving nirvana. Very similar, but still subtly different. The Mahayana school of thought (broadly speaking) regards the latter's focus on nirvana to be too easily disposed to become desire/attachment. (So it did, in fact, come about as a reaction to that older school of thought.) (21 votes) Queen bee 11 4 years agoPosted 4 years ago. Direct link to Queen bee 11's post “um... if Buddha starved h...” um... if Buddha starved himself then how is the future Buddha "chubby"? • (2 votes) Scott Stone 3 years agoPosted 3 years ago. Direct link to Scott Stone's post “So, what depiction are yo...” So, what depiction are you using that would make you think that Buddha is chubby? The laughing Buddha? There are numerous interpretations of the Buddha, as well as numerous meditating statues of Bodhisattvas that some mistake as being "the Buddha" (Siddhārtha Gautama) rather than "a Buddha" (awakened one). No depiction is accurate. All are different artists interpretations over more than 2000 years. Few of them suggest that "the Buddha" was chubby. A google lookup of buddha images shows hundreds of different images of Buddha standing, sitting, walking of different styles and representations. The laughing Buddha, a Chinese interpretation origination hundreds of years after the Buddha, represents a symbol of happiness, contentment and prosperity. Like Christianity, when Buddhism moved into local cultures in adopted and incorporated local cultural icons. In this case, The Laughing Buddha, it turns out, was a Bodhisattva, a 10th-century Chinese monk named Budai. According to accounts written centuries later, Budai was a gregarious, pot-bellied monk who wandered from village to village carrying a large sack over his shoulder. (Budai means "cloth sack" in Chinese.) He was beloved by children and the poor, to whom he would give rice and sweets from his sack. (2 votes) Swami Prithvi 11 years agoPosted 11 years ago. Direct link to Swami Prithvi's post “I heard that there is a t...” I heard that there is a temple named the Angkor Wat in Cambodia. I know it used to be a Hindu temple but can anyone tell me more? • (3 votes) Turing8 10 years agoPosted 10 years ago. Direct link to Turing8's post “http://en.wikipedia.org/w...” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angkor_Wat The Google and Wikipedia are more than happy to provide you with much more information on just about any topic you can imagine. If you use Chrome browser all you have to do is type into the address bar at the top whatever comes to mind and hit enter. Happy learning. (0 votes) LydiaO a year agoPosted a year ago. Direct link to LydiaO's post “The Google and Wikipedia ...” The Google and Wikipedia are more than happy to provide you with much more information on just about any topic you can imagine. If you use Chrome browser all you have to do is type into the address bar at the top whatever comes to mind and hit enter. Happy learning. • (2 votes) sydneykollm98 4 years agoPosted 4 years ago. Direct link to sydneykollm98's post “Are Hinduism different fr...” Are Hinduism different from Buddhim? • (0 votes) hjfgdfs 4 years agoPosted 4 years ago. Direct link to hjfgdfs's post “Yes, Hinduism is a religi...” Yes, Hinduism is a religion that originated from the Indian subcontinent some 4000 years ago. Nobody really "established" Hinduism, since many Hindu rituals/beliefs emerged through oral tradition and writings in the Vedas. It cannot be classified as a polytheistic, monotheistic, pantheistic, etc. religion, since Hindu practitioners worship the religion in different ways. Buddhism is a completely different religion based on the principles of self enlightenment, the Eightfold path, and the overcoming of suffering. It's founder, Siddhartha Gautama, established the religion in India as well, nearly 2000 years ago. A form of Buddhism, Theravada Buddhism, is not monotheistic nor polytheistic, and is instead the faith of the Buddha's teachings. A variant of Buddhism however, Mahayana Buddhism, believes that the Buddha was a savior, and is more monotheistic. Long story short, no, Hinduism is a different religion from Buddhism. (3 votes) Edge (aka Dr. Rennie of Vulf) Bourret 9 years agoPosted 9 years ago. Direct link to Edge (aka Dr. Rennie of Vulf) Bourret's post “When did more strict vers...” When did more strict versions of Buddhism began having deities with many arms and legs like Hinduism did? • (1 vote) paytontech 7 years agoPosted 7 years ago. Direct link to paytontech's post “Just so you know, it's ru...” Just so you know, it's rude to use "hinayana" to refer to early/orthodox/Theravada Buddhism. The term originated to disparage early Buddhism. • (0 votes) Ashi 8 years agoPosted 8 years ago. Direct link to Ashi's post “what is Hinayana and Mah...” what is Hinayana and Mahayana ? • (0 votes) E Simms a year agoPosted a year ago. Direct link to E Simms's post “Are their any active Budd...” Are their any active Buddhist Monastic communities in the United States? • (0 votes) David Alexander a year agoPosted a year ago. Direct link to David Alexander's post “There are many communitie...” There are many communities. There's even a University, Naropa, in Boulder, Colorado. Check it out! (1 vote) rjvgtm707 9 years agoPosted 9 years ago. Direct link to rjvgtm707's post “Difference between hinyaa...” Difference between hinyaan and mahayan • (0 votes) kommera.hasitha 9 years agoPosted 9 years ago. Direct link to kommera.hasitha's post “They are two sects of Bud...” They are two sects of Buddhism. Hinayana is often know as the lesser vehicle while Mahayana is know as the greater vehicle. (1 vote)Want to join the conversation?
Consider that there is also the Theravada tradition, which most scholars regard as being a subset of Hinayana (Hinayana being any tradition which does not accept the Mahayana literature, and is therefore typically of the older variety).
HOWEVER many Theravadin Buddhists object to the use of the word "Hinayana" with reference to their tradition since it can be used in a derogatory sense.
Bottom line, I guess, is that it's safest to use "Mahayana" and "Theravada", and know that if the word "Hinayana" is used, they are likely referring to any form of Buddhism which is not Mahayana (and is thereby implied to be older) :)
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Buddhism