Part 14 - Differences between Mahāyāna and Hinayāna Buddhism

Mahāyāna Buddhism and Hinayāna Buddhism both religious groups share a lot of similarities. But have a few differences. ).^[1]

1. Mahāyāna literally means ‘travelers by a greater vehicle’ and Hinayāna literally means ‘travelers by a lesser vehicle.’

2. Mahāyāna accepts Lord Buddha as a deity while Hinayāna Buddhism does not accept that godly attribution to Lord Buddha. They believe that Lord Buddha is an ordinary human being.

3. While Hinayāna tries to follow the Lord Buddha’s original teaching in the same way, Mahāyāna gives its own interpretation to Lord Buddha’s teachings.

4. Mahāyāna says that everyone can become a Buddha. This is because of the fact that everyone is blessed with the Buddha-nature factor that can propel the attainment of the status of Buddha. Hinayāna does not go into the details of Buddha-nature factors at all.

5. Mahāyāna believes that Bodhisattvas alone practiced the ten farreaching attitudes. Hinayāna Buddhism does not hold this view. According to Mahāyāna Buddhism, the ten far-reaching attitudes are generosity, skill in means, patience, ethical self-discipline, mental stability, joyful perseverance, strengthening, deep awareness, aspiration-filled prayer and discriminating awareness. Hinayāna replaces mental stability, skill in means,

6. aspiration-filled prayer, strengthening and deep awareness by renunciation, being true to one’s word, resolution, love and equanimity.

7. Though both believe in immeasurable attitudes they have different definitions of joy and equanimity.

8. Mahāyāna Buddhism followers think that it is better to help others reach Nirvāṇa before you do. But Hinayāna Buddhism followers think that everyone needs to gain Nirvāṇa by their own.

9. Mahāyāna Buddhism followers think that all who trust in the Buddha will reach Nirvāṇa. On other hand, Hinayāna Buddhism followers think that only Hinayāna Buddhists will reach Nirvāṇa.

10. The Mahāyāna emphasises five concepts which are charity (Dan), modesty (Sheela), tolerance, valor, attention (Dhyān) and knowledge (Buddha or Pragyā). The Hinayāna stands for ten concepts which are charity, modesty, selflessness, knowledge (Pragyā), valor, tolerance, effort, abode, friendship and indifference.

11. The philosophical concepts of Anityavād (transitoriness), Anātmavād (not believing in soul and Anishwarvād are the main contributions of the Hinayāna sect. Vijñānvāda and Shūnyavāda are the philosophical contributions of die Mahāyāna sect. According to the Mahāyāna, the entire world is an extension of Vijñāna, i.e. knowledge). According to Shūnyavāda all religions are purport less. Through Pragyā the concept of Shūnyatā may be realized. Shūnya is beyond all alternatives, in other words, it is the realization of salvation beyond the eternal and transitory. According to Mahāyāna there are two truths Samvṛitti and

Parmārtha. These are contributions of the Mahāyāna. Under the Samvṛitti come the worldly or practical knowledge. The Parmārtha is the consciousness of the welfare of all.

12. The Mahāyāna is worship-oriented. The Hinayāna is feeling-oriented. The Mahāyāna regards Lord Buddha as the God of the entire universe, so his statue is worshipped.

13. Hinayāna is ethical and historical, while Mahāyāna is religious and metaphysical, being a later phase of Buddhism (2^nd or 1^st century B.C.).

14. The Hinayāna scriptures are recorded in Pāli and later in mixed Sanskrit, while those of Mahāyāna are in pure Sanskrit.

15. In Hinayāna the conception of non-ego anatman is that the conglomeration of five elements (skandhas), which are constantly changing (anitya) or momentary (ksanika).

16. In Hinayāna emancipation (Nirvāṇa) is individualistic but at the same time, it should be noted that it is not annihilation but it is eternal state, peaceful, happy and excellent, while in Mahāyāna it is the attainment of perfection of knowledge, i.e., Prajñāpāramitā or Buddhahood.

17. In Hinayāna Nirvāṇa is attained by eradication of impurities due to ignorance (avidyā), while in Mahāyāna emancipation is not only by the eradication of impurities due to ignorance but also the eradication of obscuration of the immutable calm, pure and eternal (jñeyavaraṇa).

18. In Hinayāna its followers are known as Śrāvakas, who seek arhathood, and at the end of life-span, Nirvāṇa, while in Mahāyāna its followers are known as Bodhisattvas, who are instructed to attain Bodhi-praṅidhicitta and Bodhi-prasthāna-citta, i.e., by the former term it is meant that they are to take the vow that they want to attain Bodhi and ultimately become a Buddha, and by the latter term it is meant that the Bodhisattvas are to start attempts for attaining perfection in the six perfections (pāramitās) and Dasabhumis. Their aim should be to realize the highest truth paramārtha-satya), which is vast and of one taste like the ocean, in which all rivers lose their identities.

19. In Hinayāna the laity is mainly supporters of the Saṅgha by making gifts of food, robes and by erecting monasteries for the residence of monks. They are mere listeners to the discourses delivered by the monks and observers of the five precepts and occasionally of the eight precepts temporarily, while in Mahāyāna the laity is designated as Bodhisattvas, whose duties have been mentioned above.

20. According to Hinayāna, Buddhas appear only once in an aeon (kalpa), while, according to Mahāyāna, all beings possess Buddha-nature, technically known as the Tathāgata-garbha (womb of Tathāgatas), which is a mixture of both good and evil, and wit is only when the evils of a being are totally eradicated, the particular being becomes a Tathāgata.

21. In Hinayāna there is no place for metaphysical conception of Sūnyatā of the Mādhyamikas or for the conception of Vijñāna-mātra of the Yogācāras. Both the Mādhyamikas and the Yogācāras regard that the worldly beings and objects are transient, momentary (ksanika), and hence they are actually non-existent (Sūnya) or absolutely pure consciousness.

In conclusion, Hinayāna and Mahāyāna Buddhism both started with one goal, Nirvāṇa. But both took different ways to get there.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Louis de La Vallee Poussin, “Bodhisattva” in Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics, New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 8:334.