Mapping the Mahāyāna: Some Historical and Doctrinal Issues

Abstract

Buddhism is often characterized as divided into two forms: Mahāyāna and H?nayāna. But how should this distinction be understood? In this article, I offer the reader a sense of how the contours of the Mahāyāna have been drawn from a historical and doctrinal perspective. I discuss three theories regarding the origins of the Mahāyāna, and elucidate an account of the Mahāyāna from a significant Mahāyāna treatise. I also comment on the use of the terms ‘Mahāyāna’ and ‘H?nayāna’, and conclude with some thoughts on a conundrum regarding the Mahāyāna's own self‐understanding.