MAHAYANA BUDDHISM

MAHAYANA BUDDHISM
During the first century CE, there was a flowering of thoughts in south and north-west India, influenced by both the Mediterranean and the Arab worlds. This led to the development of "Mahayana" Buddhism.

"Mahayana" means 'Great Vehicle' and was used in contrast to what had gone before, which was classified as 'Hinayana' or 'lesser Vehicle' and was associated with the Theravada, Buddhist taught that nirvana can only be achieved through strict self-discipline; self-denial and self-discipline; the proponents of Mahayana advocated rather than the potential for awakening dwells within each of sand only needs to be developed.

Leaders of the Mahayana school introduced the notion of compassion or Karuna, as being as important a virtue as wisdom, or Prajna.

The notion of Emptiness pr Shunyata, meaning that everything is empty of independent existence, also became a fundamental aspect of the teaching.

So too did the distinction between two kinds of truth: conventional, or everyday truth, and absolute, or ultimate truth.