大乘

Mahāyāna; also called [lang id =1028]上乘; [lang id =1028]妙乘; [lang id =1028]勝乘; [lang id =1028]無上乘; [lang id =1028]無上上乘; [lang id =1028]不惡乘; [lang id =1028]無等乘, [lang id =1028]無等等乘; [lang id =1028]摩訶衍 The great yāna, wain, or conveyance, or the greater vehicle in comparison with the [lang id =1028]小乘 Hīnayāna. It indicates universalism, or Salvation for all, for all are Buddha and will attain bodhi. It is the form of Buddhism prevalent in Tibet, Mongolia, China, Korea, Japan, and in other places in the Far East. It is also called Northern Buddhism. It is interpreted as [lang id =1028]大教 the greater teaching as compared with [lang id =1028]小教 the smaller, or inferior. Hīnayāna, which is undoubtedly nearer to the original teaching of the Buddha, is unfairly described as an endeavour to seek nirvana through an ash-covered body, an extinguished intellect, and solitariness; its followers are sravakas and pratyekabuddhas (i.e. those who are striving for their own deliverance through ascetic works). Mahāyāna, on the other hand, is described as seeking to find and extend all knowledge, and, in certain schools, to lead all to Buddhahood. It has a conception of an Eternal Buddha, or Buddhahood as Eternal (Adi-Buddha), but its especial doctrines are, inter alia, (a) the bodhisattvas [lang id =1028]菩薩 , i.e. beings who deny themselves final Nirvana until, according to their vows, they have first saved all the living; (b) salvation by faith in, or invocation of the Buddhas or bodhisattvas; (c) Paradise as a nirvana of bliss in the company of Buddhas, bodhisattvas, saints, and believers. Hīnayāna is sometimes described as [lang id =1028]自利 self-benefiting, and Mahāyāna as [lang id =1028]自利利他 self-benefit for the benefit of others, unlimited altruism and pity being the theory of Mahāyāna. There is a further division into one-yana and three-yanas: the trīyāna may be śrāvaka, pratyeka-buddha, and bodhisattva, represented by a goat, deer, or bullock cart; the one-yāna is that represented by the Lotus School as the one doctrine of the Buddha, which had been variously taught by him according to the capacity of his hearers, v. [lang id =1028]方便. Though Mahāyāna tendencies are seen in later forms of the older Buddhism, the foundation of Mahāyāna has been attributed to Nāgārjuna [lang id =1028]龍樹. "The characteristics of this system are an excess of transcendental speculation tending to abstract nihilism, and the substitution of fanciful degrees of meditation and contemplation (v. Samādhi and Dhyāna) in place of the practical asceticism of the Hīnayāna school."(Eitel 68-9.) Two of its foundation books are the [lang id =1028]起信論and the [lang id =1028]妙法蓮華經 but a larnge numberof Mahāyāna sutras are ascribed to the Buddha。.

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梵語摩訶衍， 華譯為大乘， 即菩薩的法門， 以救世利他為宗旨， 最高的果位是佛果。 大乘從凡夫修到成佛， 立五十二個階位， 即十信、 十住、 十行、 十迴向、 十地、 等覺、 妙覺。 十信是由十住中的第一發心住內， 分開另立的， 若將其縮入發心住內， 則只有四十二位。 其中十住、 十行、 十迴向， 稱為三賢， 僅算是資糧位， 十位稱為十聖， 才是修習位。 論時間， 要經過三大阿僧祇劫的修行。 茲列表說明如下： ＝＝┌十住（第一發心住內， 包括十信， 由凡夫修十信成就， 須經一萬大劫）┐資 初　│十行　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　├糧 僧　│十迴向────────────────────────────┘位 祇─┤　暖──────────┐四尋思觀──────────────┐ 劫　│　頂──────────┘　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　│加 　　│　忍──────────┐　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　├行 　　└　世　第一───────┘四如實智──────────────┘位 ＝＝＝　　　┌入心────────────────通達位（即見道位） 　　┌初地─┤住心───────────┐ 　　│　　　└出心　　　　　　　　　　　│ 　　│二地　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　│ 二　│三地　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　│ 僧─┤四地　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　│ 祇　│五地　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　│ 劫　│六地　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　├修習位（即修道位） 　　└七地　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　│ 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　│ 三　┌八地　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　│ 僧─┤九地　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　│ 祇　│十地　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　│ 劫　└等覺───────────────┘ ＝＝＝　妙覺────────────────────────────究竟位